Our new developmental minister is the Reverend Stephen Cook. “Reverend Steve” is a very experienced parish minister who served a nine-year, full-time settlement with the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson and is just now finishing his eighth interim ministry at the UU Society of Amherst, MA.
Originally from New York, Reverend Steve has lived for many years in Maine and Massachusetts. Trained at Bangor Theological Seminary, he served as a lay leader with our churches in Maine in the old Northeast District. He was engaged as the interim minister of the Allen Avenue UU Church in Portland, ME in 1994-95, and since served churches in Hudson, Northampton, Wellesley, Scituate, Stoughton, and Amherst MA, as well as Sanford and Saco/Biddeford, ME. He has filled leadership positions in several UU organizations, including the UU Christian Fellowship and the UU Heritage and Historical Society.
Outside of UU circles, Reverend Steve served for five years as a volunteer audiobook narrator and post-production editor at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Watertown, MA. Though not a musician, he is a second tenor with the Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus, an active group of amateur male singers who perform regularly (this spring on WGBH’s “Sing That Thing” a capella series) and strive to encourage the tradition of male choral singing.
Reverend Steve has been married for many years to Eileen Kelly. She is the food pantry manager of Interfaith Social Services in Quincy, where they live. They have two adult sons, one living in Buffalo, NY, the other in Quincy and a large, extended family. Owning their home in Quincy, Reverend Steve will not relocate but will be commuting to Hopedale several days a week. As he begins his service to Hopedale Unitarian Parish, he looks forward to getting to know us and hopes that many will take advantage of the slower summer season to attend our “getting acquainted” events in August, as well as drop by the office for informal conversation on Thursdays (appointments are encouraged.)
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