Rev. Justin McCreary and the Board announced on February 2, 2022, that Rev. Justin will be leaving his ministry with us in August. We came to this mutual agreement as he has felt the pull for full-time ministry. This transition will be bittersweet for all of us, but we celebrate with Rev. Justin as he goes forth sharing his message of a saving and transformational faith forged here at UUJXN to a new UU congregation and community.

Throughout our history, UUJXN has provided a space for inspiring members to ministry. In 2012, Justin McCreary came as a new member in search of a larger, more embracing faith. The following year he began serving as our Minister on a part-time basis. Throughout his years with us, he has been accepted into fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and in September of 2019 was ordained by UUJXN. During his years with us, we have also grown in our sense of ourselves as a church, our organization, and our presence and mission in the community. We have endured through the hardship of these past few years and begun the transformation into a future vision of our engagement beyond our walls. And we will have a new chapter of inspiring and supporting ministry in our congregation as we move toward interim part-time ministry.

Although we are saddened by our diverging paths, we will be ever joyful and hopeful for the blossoming of UU faith both within and beyond our congregation. We know a part of Rev. Justin will remain with us in our hearts, and we hope he will take all of us with him on his journey. We look forward to the opportunity for expanding our Unitarian Universalist message of love that this world so desperately needs.