Meet Unity's Ministers and Staff
Ahmed Anzaldúa
Director of Music Ministries • He/Him
ahmed@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x118
From working with worship leaders crafting services, to directing choirs, to planning special music programming for the congregation, we are grateful for the gifts of energy and knowledge Ahmed brings to our community. In addition to his music ministry at Unity Church, Ahmed is the founder and director of Border CrosSing and co-editor of the Justice Choir Songbook. Ahmed appreciates the wide variety of musical tastes and artistic sensibilities in the congregation. When he's not making music he enjoys spending time with family, video games, chess, and reading.
Favorite snack: cheese
Ahmed recommends: anything by Jon Bois (he creates odd videos about sports on YouTube and writes online) "17776" is a good one to start with.
Director of Music Ministries • He/Him
ahmed@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x118
From working with worship leaders crafting services, to directing choirs, to planning special music programming for the congregation, we are grateful for the gifts of energy and knowledge Ahmed brings to our community. In addition to his music ministry at Unity Church, Ahmed is the founder and director of Border CrosSing and co-editor of the Justice Choir Songbook. Ahmed appreciates the wide variety of musical tastes and artistic sensibilities in the congregation. When he's not making music he enjoys spending time with family, video games, chess, and reading.
Favorite snack: cheese
Ahmed recommends: anything by Jon Bois (he creates odd videos about sports on YouTube and writes online) "17776" is a good one to start with.
Teresa Connor
Facilities Operations Coordinator • She/Her
teresa@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x103
Teresa coordinates the care of the the church building and grounds by maintaining clean and safe spaces, handling room set-up and support, managing community rentals, scheduling and supporting facilities staff, and serving the congregration through her work on the Emergency Preparedness Team ad Sanctuary Team. She loves working within a sacred community, knowing that she is part of a team whose work is deeply informed by a progressive and radically welcoming faith. Teresa enjoys co-creating fabulous meals with family and friends, conversations with her far flung siblings, long walks, and listening to audio books.
Favorite snack: peanut butter on toast
Teresa recommends: any book by Kao Kalia Yang or Kate DiCamillo, especially if they are narrating.
Facilities Operations Coordinator • She/Her
teresa@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x103
Teresa coordinates the care of the the church building and grounds by maintaining clean and safe spaces, handling room set-up and support, managing community rentals, scheduling and supporting facilities staff, and serving the congregration through her work on the Emergency Preparedness Team ad Sanctuary Team. She loves working within a sacred community, knowing that she is part of a team whose work is deeply informed by a progressive and radically welcoming faith. Teresa enjoys co-creating fabulous meals with family and friends, conversations with her far flung siblings, long walks, and listening to audio books.
Favorite snack: peanut butter on toast
Teresa recommends: any book by Kao Kalia Yang or Kate DiCamillo, especially if they are narrating.
Ray Ann Hommeyer
Coordinator of Children and Family Ministries • They/She
ray@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456
Ray oversees religious education programming and curriculum from Spirit Play to Junior High. Ray also coordinates child dedications, co-facilitates Tower Club, and co-creates Wellspring Wednesday chapel services. Ray connects easily with our youth and equally appreciates passionate conversation and witty jokes with colleagues. On any given day, you might find them dancing, singing, theologizing, or wandering along the Mississippi — sometimes all at once.
Favorite snack: pineapple
Ray recommends: Legacy of Orisha by Tomi Adeyemi and City of Refuge by Starhawk
Coordinator of Children and Family Ministries • They/She
ray@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456
Ray oversees religious education programming and curriculum from Spirit Play to Junior High. Ray also coordinates child dedications, co-facilitates Tower Club, and co-creates Wellspring Wednesday chapel services. Ray connects easily with our youth and equally appreciates passionate conversation and witty jokes with colleagues. On any given day, you might find them dancing, singing, theologizing, or wandering along the Mississippi — sometimes all at once.
Favorite snack: pineapple
Ray recommends: Legacy of Orisha by Tomi Adeyemi and City of Refuge by Starhawk
Rev. KP Hong
Minister of Faith Formation
kp@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x104
Rev. KP Hong serves on Unity's Executive Team and serves the congregation through his work with lifespan faith formation and antiracist multicultural work with the Beloved Community Staff Team. When it comes to appreciating his work at Unity Church, KP echoes the remarkable line from the poet Seamus Heaney and the blessing of working alongside others who share in the longing to "make hope and history rhyme." KP finds joy in the wild adventure of parenting and getting to his non-work book pile... early mornings at a café.
Favorite snack: SnapDragon apples
KP recommends: "I'll refrain, having been told by friends that my recommendations turn out to be more work (and sometimes more trouble) than it's worth."
Minister of Faith Formation
kp@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x104
Rev. KP Hong serves on Unity's Executive Team and serves the congregation through his work with lifespan faith formation and antiracist multicultural work with the Beloved Community Staff Team. When it comes to appreciating his work at Unity Church, KP echoes the remarkable line from the poet Seamus Heaney and the blessing of working alongside others who share in the longing to "make hope and history rhyme." KP finds joy in the wild adventure of parenting and getting to his non-work book pile... early mornings at a café.
Favorite snack: SnapDragon apples
KP recommends: "I'll refrain, having been told by friends that my recommendations turn out to be more work (and sometimes more trouble) than it's worth."
Barbara Hubbard
Executive Director • She/Her
barbarah@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x116
Barbara Hubbard serves on Unity's Executive Team and oversees administration and operations, facilities, finance and budget, resource development, and human resources and IT. She also gives an excellent building tour and is our most joyful bell-ringer. Barbara is honored to be involved in shared ministry at all levels -- with our amazing staff, volunteers, and congregation -- as we live into our mission, values and Ends. Together we work toward awakening wonder and making the world a more just and loving place. Her happiest times are in nature, on her bicycle, making music, and with friends and family. She is a lover of adventure and of laughter!
Favorite snack: a bowl of Cheerios!
Barbara recommends: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and Pose.
Executive Director • She/Her
barbarah@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x116
Barbara Hubbard serves on Unity's Executive Team and oversees administration and operations, facilities, finance and budget, resource development, and human resources and IT. She also gives an excellent building tour and is our most joyful bell-ringer. Barbara is honored to be involved in shared ministry at all levels -- with our amazing staff, volunteers, and congregation -- as we live into our mission, values and Ends. Together we work toward awakening wonder and making the world a more just and loving place. Her happiest times are in nature, on her bicycle, making music, and with friends and family. She is a lover of adventure and of laughter!
Favorite snack: a bowl of Cheerios!
Barbara recommends: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and Pose.
Laura Park
Director of Membership and Hospitality • She/Her
laura@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x110
Managing Director, Unity Consulting • info@unityconsulting.org
Laura helps the congregation nurture mutual belonging together by supporting our Welcome Teams, Finding Yourself at Unity facilitators, the History Teaching Team, and the coordinators of our fellowship groups. She also helps people find their pathway to membership, coordinates Wellspring Wednesday programming, and works on the Beloved Community Staff Team. Laura loves illuminating the available pathways to deeper engagement at Unity Church, and all the ways people make those pathways their own, bringing their whole selves to church. Laura is an avid knitter and finds joy watching the fabric grow just by making loops with string and two sticks. She also loves to cook and bake and feed people. No one leaves her house without leftovers or cookies.
Favorite snack: dark chocolate -- she buys it in 11 pound blocks!
Laura recommends: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, a luminous novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers; Stranger than Fiction, and the podcast Finding Our Way.
Director of Membership and Hospitality • She/Her
laura@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x110
Managing Director, Unity Consulting • info@unityconsulting.org
Laura helps the congregation nurture mutual belonging together by supporting our Welcome Teams, Finding Yourself at Unity facilitators, the History Teaching Team, and the coordinators of our fellowship groups. She also helps people find their pathway to membership, coordinates Wellspring Wednesday programming, and works on the Beloved Community Staff Team. Laura loves illuminating the available pathways to deeper engagement at Unity Church, and all the ways people make those pathways their own, bringing their whole selves to church. Laura is an avid knitter and finds joy watching the fabric grow just by making loops with string and two sticks. She also loves to cook and bake and feed people. No one leaves her house without leftovers or cookies.
Favorite snack: dark chocolate -- she buys it in 11 pound blocks!
Laura recommends: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, a luminous novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers; Stranger than Fiction, and the podcast Finding Our Way.
Rev. Kathleen Rolenz
Senior Interim Minister • She/Her
kathleen@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x109
Senior Interim Minister • She/Her
kathleen@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x109
Madeline Summers
Hospitality and Outreach Coordinator • She/Her
madeline@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x126
Madeline helps coordinates our Sunday morning Welcome Teams and keeps us well-fed through her management of our food ministry. If you've been around at all during the pandemic, you probably know her best as our intrepid Zoom administrator where she thoughtfully handles many of our Zoom offerings each week. She also coordinates weddings! Madeline appreciates that this community consistently asks people to work together in right relationship. For her, that has meant being able to slow down and bear witness to the world from multiple perspectives. She's grateful to feel like being in this community has made her both smarter and more compassionate. Madeline is also a yoga instructor and finds joy in baked goods and chocolate, her cat Willamina (Mina for short), and hiking.
Favorite snack: cheese or and cheese related items.
Madeline recommends: The Nanny, musician Lucy Dacus, and This Is Love podcast.
Hospitality and Outreach Coordinator • She/Her
madeline@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x126
Madeline helps coordinates our Sunday morning Welcome Teams and keeps us well-fed through her management of our food ministry. If you've been around at all during the pandemic, you probably know her best as our intrepid Zoom administrator where she thoughtfully handles many of our Zoom offerings each week. She also coordinates weddings! Madeline appreciates that this community consistently asks people to work together in right relationship. For her, that has meant being able to slow down and bear witness to the world from multiple perspectives. She's grateful to feel like being in this community has made her both smarter and more compassionate. Madeline is also a yoga instructor and finds joy in baked goods and chocolate, her cat Willamina (Mina for short), and hiking.
Favorite snack: cheese or and cheese related items.
Madeline recommends: The Nanny, musician Lucy Dacus, and This Is Love podcast.
Song Thao
Financial Assistant
song@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x115
Song supports so many aspects of congregational life through her work managing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and Human Resources. Song appreciates the amazing staff that support each other's work and the flexibility of her work flow. Song finds joy gardening, biking, and spending time with her adult children and grandson.
Favorite snack: Homestyle Archway Frosty Lemon Classic Soft Cookies (and definitely recommends you give them a try!)
Financial Assistant
song@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x115
Song supports so many aspects of congregational life through her work managing accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and Human Resources. Song appreciates the amazing staff that support each other's work and the flexibility of her work flow. Song finds joy gardening, biking, and spending time with her adult children and grandson.
Favorite snack: Homestyle Archway Frosty Lemon Classic Soft Cookies (and definitely recommends you give them a try!)
Martha Tilton
Director of Communications
martha@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x105
Martha supports the congregation's work to live into its Ends through communication coordination, database management, web administration, and technical support for livestreaming. She is grateful to serve with and learn from an incredible group of talented and thoughtful co-workers (who she really calls friends). Martha finds joy in cooking, walking her bald dog Duke, and watching her daughter play and coach volleyball.
Favorite snack: buttered toast
Martha recommends: The Dave Chang Show podcast and the chicken laab from Golden Cuisine in Hmongtown Market Place
Director of Communications
martha@unityunitarian.org • 651-228-1456 x105
Martha supports the congregation's work to live into its Ends through communication coordination, database management, web administration, and technical support for livestreaming. She is grateful to serve with and learn from an incredible group of talented and thoughtful co-workers (who she really calls friends). Martha finds joy in cooking, walking her bald dog Duke, and watching her daughter play and coach volleyball.
Favorite snack: buttered toast
Martha recommends: The Dave Chang Show podcast and the chicken laab from Golden Cuisine in Hmongtown Market Place