Our Ministers

Home Up Our Ministers Staff Leaders Committees Members Member Resources

As of June 2004, Live Oak UU is lucky to have two co-ministers. Read more to learn about Chuck Freeman and Kathleen Ellis. At right is a photo of Chuck and Kathleen being installed as our ministers on January 30, 2005.

In February 2009, Brian Ferguson joins Live Oak as our Intern Minister through June 2009.  See below for more about Brian.

chuck * kathleen * brian
bulletAbout Chuck
bulletAbout Kathleen
bullet Ministers' Messages from the Live Oak Newsletter
bullet About Aaron *message from Aaron from the newsletter*
bulletSermons
bullet new_003.gifNewspaper columns of note by our ministers
bulletThe Top Ten Reasons We Like Chuck, a historical document
bulletReport on Chuck's 2004 Evaluation
bulletReport on Kathleen's calling to ministry at Live Oak
 

chuck freemanChuck Freeman

Chuck Freeman has been our minister on a part-time basis since March 1996. Like many ministers of Unitarian Universalist churches, he was ordained in another faith; however, he took all the classes and passed the exam to at last attain the rank of  preliminary fellowshipped UU minister. In late June of 2000, he marched at the General Assembly, got his official certificate, and completed the final leg of his journey to UU ministerhood! He now shares the Live Oak ministry team with Kathleen Ellis.

dancin' chuckChurch members appreciate Chuck's warmth, kindness, "interesting" sense of humor, and, of course, his song stylings. Check the upcoming services page to see when Chuck will next be leading a service.

A poem from a grateful Live Oaker:
There once was a minister named Chuck.
To Chicago he went with good luck.
Although he is just a ham, He passed his exam.
And now he is finally worth a buck

When Chuck isn't acting as our minister, he has a private practice in soul-centered counseling and frequently officiates at weddings and other ceremonies.

He also hosts an interview radio show called Soul Talk- "A Spiritual Feast to Leaven the World Soul" Fresh Off the Grill, from 2-3 pm. CST Thursdays on KOOP, 91.7 FM. Austin, TX.  streaming on the web, www.koop.org.

Sign up to receive the weekly podcasts at www.freesoulsproject.org or listen directly from the website.

Chuck is also the founder of The Free Souls Project," A Voice For Sane, Humane Spirituality, Democracy & Ethics"  www.freesoulsproject.org 

If you, or anyone in the community, have circumstances/concerns with which Chuck can be helpful, he can be reached by leaving a message at the church (512-219-9008) or via e-mail at revchuck@liveoakuu.org.   Office appointments will be scheduled by request. Chuck takes Mondays off.

 

Kathleen Ellis

The Rev. Kathleen Ellis, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, graduated from Stephen's College in Columbia, Missouri and from Perkins Theological Seminary at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. A Unitarian Universalist long before she entered ministry in 1993, Kathleen has been active in denominational and church affairs since 1975. Kathleen is married to Jon Montgomery has  two grown sons, Rob and Fred Nugen, and two step-daughters, Karina and Alicia Montgomery.

Kathleen served churches in Arlington, Houston, Waco and College Station, TX, prior to her move to Austin. She is very active in the denomination and currently is President of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association for the Southwest District, Ministerial Settlement Representative for the Southwest District and is on the Executive Committee of the Continental Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association.  She is also mentor to several newly fellowshipped ministers in Oklahoma and Texas.  She was voted "Minister of the Year" by the Southwest District in 2002 and is founder of the local area Young Adult Religious Network(YARN).  In her spare time, enjoys singing with the Tapestry singers, a womans' choral group in Austin.

Kathleen has been a friend of Live Oak for several years and joined in June of 2003. In May 2004, the growing congregation voted to hire her as additional minister at Live Oak. Check the upcoming services page to see when she will next be leading a service.

If you, or anyone in the community, have circumstances/concerns with which Kathleen can be helpful, she can be reached by leaving a message at the church (512-219-9008) or by email at kellis@uuma.org.

Brian Ferguson

Brian has just completed three years of study for this Master of Divinity degree at Starr King School for the Ministry in California, which is one of two Unitarian Universalist seminaries in the United States. He is a native of Scotland but lived in California since 1986. In his previous life, before attending seminary, he earned an Applied Physics degree from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and worked for 24 years as an Electronic Design engineer and project manager. He is accompanied on his life journey by my partner Natalie Freeburg and five year old daughter Isla Ferguson. Brian looks forward to getting to know and serving each of us.

You can reach Brian by email at brian_m_ferguson@yahoo.com

Home Up Next

Copyright ©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.
Last edited Monday, June 29, 2009 9:45 PM by webmaster@liveoakuu.org