I have visions of multi-faith bridges built across economic and ethnic chasms that help to facilitate inclusive discussion and reparative justice for those affected or disaffected by the mainline American denominations of organized religious groups. I want to work on building and supporting the bridges between mainline Christianity, Judaism, and Islam with less defined connections to UU churches in order to lay the groundwork for faith-work rooted in the hope of the future. As our people progress intellectually, we ought to spread our wings spiritually and let our faiths encounter one another in honest dialogue. Through these excursions, we can grow and define and redefine our own beliefs in a veritable rainbow-fabric congregation of humanity’s cross-swath. I was selected to be a representative of Princeton Seminary at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Israel during the winter of 2014, learning and participating in peace dialogues and story-telling. (http://tantur.org/about-us/)
I’m comfortable with a wide variety of theological language, and it doesn’t bother me if I need to code-switch to minister to individuals or to a group. I can’t help but identify as a Unitarian-Universalist, and I hope to be a colleague and pastor to all corners of our great faith. I want to be a parish minister who bridges the gap between old and young UUs and connects the denomination to interfaith work with mainline Christian churches so we can affect systemic change and care for a hurting world crying out for a theology of joy. I want to minister and do pastoral care. I want to teach new ways to see and to be in the world, and I want to love everyone I meet until they don’t know anything else.
- General Assembly 2017, New Orleans
- Chesapeake UUMA Member and worship leader, 2016-present
- Pulpit supply for CUUMA and JPD, 2015-present
- VP of Priestly-Kingsbury Chapter of UUMA 2019-present
- Faith leader voice on Local Education Reform campaign, POWER Interfaith- 2021
Rev. McKinley L. Sims, M.Div. 