Rachel (she/her) is thrilled to bring her passions, experience, and skills together in service to such a beautiful community. Raised Catholic in Northern Virginia, she’s always had a deep yearning for connection to the Sacred. This yearning has led her to study a variety of religious traditions and find spiritual riches available in them.
She has her MA in theology and ministry from Boston College with an emphasis in faith development and her BA in Theatre from Northwestern University focused on theatre in education. Prior to coming to UUCB, Rachel taught in a variety of settings to a variety of age groups, ranging from being the education director of a children’s theatre company, to being an instructor in Boston College’s theology and philosophy departments, to teaching religious education for ages 7 to 87.
Rachel finds delight and spiritual connection through the arts, especially playing piano, singing, and dance. She adores her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Loki, and she recently started learning to skateboard (please send good vibes/prayers for no broken bones).
Email: dre@uuchurchofboulder.org
Emily’s musical philosophy was profoundly shaped by Sarah Dan Jones, composer of the beloved “Meditation on Breathing” and the first music leader to serve on the UUA’s Board of Trustees. From Sarah Dan, Emily witnessed singing that exists to build community, to connect us to our spirits, our values, and each other. It’s this energy that she plans to bring to her work at UUCB, along with nearly twenty years as a professional educator in a variety of settings. Emily’s arrival at UUCB marks the end of an eleven-year career teaching vocal studies at the university level in New Hampshire and Birmingham, Alabama.
Email: music@uuchurchofboulder.org
Scott Montgomery (she/her) was born and raised in Memphis, TN. She met her husband at Dartmouth College, and together they lived in Boston, New York, Singapore, and London before settling in Washington, DC where their two sons were born. She gleefully moved to Boulder in 2017 along with her family.
A recent graduate of CU Boulder with a Master’s degree in Music Composition, Sam Henderson feels boundless passion for both individual expression and collaborative support. He has an extensive musical background that spans vocal and choral performance, songwriting, and even vocal percussion! Since 2015, Sam has been hired by a number of churches and a synagogue to help facilitate worship and spiritual growth, primarily through his musical expression. However, this background also introduced Sam to the enriching world of non-profit administration when he was hired in 2018 by Austin-based Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble Conspirare, an organization he works with to this day.
In his off-time, he enjoys a variety of hobbies from gaming, to dining, to shopping, to traveling and attending live shows.
Email: office@uuchurchofboulder.org
Emily (she/her) loves working with children and is excited to join the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder community with her son, Tae. She has always cared for children in some capacity, starting with babysitting at the age of 12. As a teacher, Emily has worked with students of all ages. However, becoming a parent has been the greatest and most loving learning experience of all. She moved to Boulder in 2022 after many years abroad and is happy to be near family and raise her son in such a welcoming and beautiful place.
Since September 2022, Ted (he/him) has taken the lead caring for our buildings and grounds. Ted’s previous work with hospitals has helped to hone his approach to maintenance projects both big and small. Throughout his life, he has made a point to explore his passions for not only handiwork but music and travel as well.
Renee (she/her) has been our bookkeeper since June 2003. She works closely with our Treasurer, Finance Council, and Board of Trustees, and sends out regular pledge statements to pledging members and friends. She started her business, Bottom Line Bookkeeping and Billing, in 2000.
Our summer minister in residence, leading services for the month of July, Michael DeSantis (they/them) is a Candidate for UU Ministry, who is currently serving as the Intern Minister at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Michael was loved into being by a family of progressive “fallen away” Catholics. During their ministry formation, Michael has worked as a mentor to Indigenous teens, a public policy advocate for houseless youth, and as a chaplain to both hospital patients and nursing home residents. Before moving to Colorado, Michael completed their theological studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. They live in Denver with their partner Pearl, a hospital chaplain, fellow Union alum, and minister-in-formation in the United Church of Christ.
Irene Kirschenbaum (she/her) is delighted to be part of UUCB’s staff and community. She joins UUCB’s religious education team with 15 years experience in education, most especially with children ages 2.5-6 years, and as a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. Irene earned her Montessori Early Childhood Education Credential from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in 2011. In addition to her Montessori teaching credential, Irene also has a Bachelor of Arts English degree — Creative Writing major and Spanish minor — from The Ohio State University. Irene is currently the co-owner of a small Montessori school in Longmont CO, as well as a public school elementary (grades K-4) Special Education Para-Educator.
Originally from Cleveland OH, Irene spent three years in Boulder CO, before moving to Austin TX in 2013. She returned to Colorado in July 2022, and is thrilled to be back in Colorado and close to the mountains! Irene enjoys reading, hiking, and anything that pertains to the creative arts — theatre, dance, music, etc.
Irene served as UUCB’s membership coordinator from September 2022 through June 2024. Now, she is excited to be able to share her skills and experience in education with the UUCB community and its religious education program.
Community ministers are connected with the church, but carry out their ministry outside our walls. We usually see them preaching once a year and periodically running a program or activity.
Rev. Barbara Eaton Molfese is a retired community minister and chaplain endorsed by our congregation. She serves in cooperation with the parish minister and is currently on the Caring Ministry Team and the Immigration Ministry, and occasionally assists with pastoral care.
E-mail: barbaramolfese@gmail.com
Rev. Dr. Amy Rowland is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister affiliated with our congregation. She is a coach and facilitator and serves as a member of the Ministerial Transitions Team for the Pacific Western Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Amy supports the congregation by providing pastoral care and officiating at weddings and memorial services as requested.
E-mail: amy.rowland@comcast.net
Rev. Jeremy D. Nickel (he/him) thrives at the intersection of spirituality and technology. A lifelong spiritual adventurer and entrepreneur, after Graduate School in Berkeley, CA and jobs in the tech world, Jeremy was Ordained by Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fremont, CA and served seven years as their Minister.
In 2017 he left to launch EvolVR, a secular/spiritual community creating personal growth experiences in Virtual and Augmented Reality. EvolVR was recently acquired by the leading VR Meditation app Tripp, where he is now the V.P. of Community and Social. He also spent the 2020-21 Congregational Year as our Consulting Lead Minister here at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. When un-plugged from his ministry, Jeremy enjoys spending time exploring the great outdoors of Colorado with his wife Nicole (a UCC minister here in Boulder) and daughter Eliza.
Rev. Kristen Psaki (she/her) is lifelong seeker of the sacred called to tend to the thresholds of life & death through ritual, practice, and community. She believes that healing is possible, love is transformative, and that all of us need all of us to be free. Kristen did her graduate work at Union Theological Seminary with a concentration in Depth Theology, a Jungian-rooted approach to unlocking the mysteries of psyche & soul. Prior to moving fully into community ministry Kristen served as Assistant Minister for Beloved Community at Foothills Unitarian Church and as a hospital chaplain.
Her current ministry focuses on psychedelic spiritual care and psychedelic chaplaincy at the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, a mindfulness-based psychedelic therapy clinic in Boulder that works with Cannabis and Ketamine. Kristen also offers 1:1 and group spiritual care & companionship through death, dying, grief, loss and all of life’s many sacred thresholds. Learn more at waterandbones.org. Kristen lives in the mountains of Gold Hill with her partner Andie, their beloved young child Kairos and pup Amos.
Rev. Teri Schwartz (she/her) served as Senior Co-Minister of First Unitarian Church of Chicago from 2013-2021, along with Rev. David, until moving to Colorado for Rev. David’s call here at the UUCB. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and Brown University, Teri has also served as chaplain to students at the Meadville Lombard Theological School and as a professional hospital and hospice chaplain.
Inside and outside of the church, Rev. Teri believes in the transformational power of narrative for both the individual and the community. With poignancy and irreverence, she examines themes of wholeness and brokenness, despair and possibility, in body, mind, and spirit. Revs. Teri and David live in Longmont, with their two kids, a giant dog who is much larger than Teri is, chaos, lots of fur, and even more love.
Email: tschwartz@uuma.org
Rev. Randy Spaulding was born in Kokomo, Indiana. His education includes: Ball State University, BS: Music, 1983; University of South Florida, Master of Music, 1998; Yale Divinity School, Master of Divinity, 2014. He has served congregations in Indiana, Florida, Connecticut and now Colorado. He was installed as pastor at Boulder Mennonite Church in February 2018 and ordained by Mountain States Mennonite Conference on February 17, 2019. He is also an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and serves as a Community Minister with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. Randy is a board-certified Chaplain and most recently was the oncology chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven, CT).
Pastor Randy has had a life-long love of music and has taught piano and voice throughout his life. He served as the Project Editor for the Mennonite hymnal supplements, Sing the Journey and Sing the Story and has led music and worship workshops around the U.S.
Randy and his husband, Gary Stephens, live in Boulder, CO and are the companions to two happy labs. They enjoy their many nieces and nephews and previously served as foster parents to two young boys.
