Barbara has been a Religious Educator for a total of 10 years and has served in 6 churches (4 of those as an Interim Director.) She was selected by the UUA to be part of a team that developed a training program for Religious Educators in interim work and continues to be part of the team that leads the trainings.
Barbara’s childhood helped pave the way for the life she currently leads as “traveling DRE.” As a child her family lived in Quitman, GA; Rockville, MD; Anchorage, Alaska; Mobile, AL; Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Bogota, Columbia, SA; and Simpsonville, SC. She believes that even though she grew up “High Episcopalian” (as her mother would say), that living and learning in some rather diverse cultures led to her being a UU. In the early 70s she began attending the Unitarian Church in Manchester, NH when her daughter was 18 months old. She jokes that she walked in the door at the age of 24 with a baby and a guitar and they said – “Oh good you can be our youth advisor.” That’s how it all began and she hasn’t looked back since.
Barbara has a bachelor’s degree in business management and certification in elementary education (K – 8th grade.) She has worked as a houseparent for developmentally delayed adults, a classroom teacher, office manager, and volunteer manager in her previous professional lives. She is also an accomplished folk singer and has been known to be a bit of a drama queen.
Barbara has led several workshops in games and music at two of our UU conference centers - Star Island and Ferry Beach. She has begun work in the UU Religious Educators Credentialing Program and although she is currently on a leave of absence from that work, she plans to begin the process again in the fall of 2008.
The greatest loves of Barbara’s life are her daughter Dayna and her two grandsons, Peter (9) and Isaac (7) who live in Boulder, CO. Peter and Isaac call her Granny B or B. You can call her that too but don’t be surprised to see tears of absolute love and joy when you do. Dayna works in music and theatre production. Peter is an amazing reader, a musician, actor and sportsman. Isaac is a poet, storyteller and artist and enjoys a bit of soccer as well.
“I wish it would rain everyday, each drop of rain that I hear tells me a different story of when I was born.” Isaac - 5/1/07 during a spring rainstorm. Barbara believes that through our stories we will be known. She is gathering the stories of the people of this congregation in her heart and will take them with her as she continues her journey and feels blessed to be with this loving community if only for a year.
Blessed Be.
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