Minister Bios

MINISTERS

Rev. Thomas Disrud, Acting Senior Minister

Rev. Thomas Disrud was called to serve as Associate Minister of Portland’s First Unitarian Church in 1995. In that position, he was principally the chief administrator of the church, responsible for supervising the staff and the wide variety of church programs and activities. He also oversees the pastoral care ministry, which includes working with a gifted team of lay ministers. Rev. Disrud is frequently called upon to officiate at rites of passage for members of the congregation, such as weddings and memorial services. He is currently serving as Acting Senior Minister, leading the congregation as the search for a new senior minister is conducted.

Disrud hails from Wisconsin and was raised in the Lutheran tradition. He graduated from Marquette University with a B.A. degree in Journalism and Philosophy. His first career was as an editor at the Duluth, Minnesota, News-Tribune. During that time he became involved with union organizing and was an officer for the local Newspaper Guild. It was also during this chapter that he became a Unitarian Universalist and discerned a call to ministry.

Rev. Disrud is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. He received his Master of Divinity degree in 1995, and since 2007 has served as Chair of the Board at Starr King. Prior to that position, he served as the President of the school’s Graduates Association. In 2003 Rev. Disrud completed an intensive course of study in spiritual direction at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California.

Rev. Kate Lore, Social Justice Minister,

Rev. Kate Lore was called to serve as the Social Justice Minister of Portland’s First Unitarian Church in 2007. She served as the Director of Social Justice prior to that time, from 1998 – 2007. In her current position Rev. Lore continues to oversee the work of the Social Justice Program and our new shelter for homeless families, Thirteen Salmon Family Center. Her duties include: preaching, teaching, leading retreats, fundraising and providing pastoral care.

Kate Lore has been an Oregonian since 1987. Prior to that time she lived in California, New Mexico and the East African country of Tanzania. She graduated from Univ. of California at Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Social Philosophy in 1983 and was also employed there as a researcher for the Social Research Unit. She received her Master of Divinity degree in 2007 from Meadville/Lombard School of Theology at the University of Chicago. Former jobs have included operating a home-based preschool, directing the Outreach Program at First United Methodist Church of Portland and the Goose Hollow Family Shelter.

Rev. Lore is a currently a member of the Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association for the Pacific Northwest District and chairs the Program Committee. She is a contributor to the “Standing on the Side” Campaign of the UUA and contributed an essay to the newly published book on Unitarian Universalist theology and ministry, entitled: “A People So Bold” (Skinner House Books).

Mark.small Mark Slegers, Minister of Music,

Mark Slegers has been Music Director/Minister of Music at First Unitarian Church of Portland, Oregon for 32 years. The church’s music program includes over 300-member musicians of all ages participating in some 11 musical ensembles. It is the largest music program in the Unitarian Universalist denomination.

Mr. Slegers received his undergraduate degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon where he was recognized in May of 2007 as an outstanding graduate. He attended Union Theological Seminary, School of Sacred Music in New York City where he received the Master of Sacred Music degree. While in New York he sang and conducted in various New York churches. He has completed further study in conducting with Dr. Rodney Eichenberger and has also taught music in all levels of music education, including both Pacific University and Reed College.

Mr. Slegers was a commissioner/compiler for the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook, Singing the Living Tradition, published by Beacon Press. For the past nineteen years he has served as church music consultant to Unitarian Universalist congregations continent-wide.

Choirs from the church under Mr. Slegers’ direction toured Eastern Europe in 1990, the Seattle area in 1999 and Cuba in 2003. This unprecedented Cuba tour was captured in an award-winning documentary, “What We’re Asking for is Peace.” Mr. Slegers and his choirs were selected to provide choral music for Services of the Living Tradition at General Assemblies for the Unitarian Universalist Association in Spokane, WA and Calgary, Canada and Portland.

In March of 2006 Mr. Slegers’ Chamber Choir, featuring the finest singers at the Portland Unitarian Church, were selected to give a concert at the American Choral Directors Association’s NW Regional Convention. Later that year a touring choir from the Portland Unitarian Church under Mark Slegers’ direction returned to Eastern Europe for a reunion tour.

Leisa Huyck, Intern Minister

Leisa Huyck is a student at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. Before entering seminary she was an ecologist who worked in sustainable agriculture research and education for 20 years. She is transitioning into ministry because she is called to help bring about the spiritual transformation our culture needs in order to live sustainably on earth. Leisa comes from Davis, California, where she lives with her husband, Steve Temple, an agronomist at the University of California, Davis. Leisa has two young adult children, Ben and Melaine, and Steve has four adult children and six grandchildren.

Rev. Alan G. Deale, Minister Emeritus

Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, Minister Emerita

Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell is the Minister Emerita of the First Unitarian Church of Portland, where she served for 17 years as senior minister before retiring in June 2009.

Marilyn is the editor of several anthologies, including two volumes of women's poetry on spiritual themes, Cries of the Spirit and Claiming the Spirit Within. She has recently published A Little Book on Forgiveness and A Little Book on Prayer, and continues to pursue her writing here in Portland. Marilyn is currently the subject of a full-length documentary film, to be released next year.

Marilyn posts weekly "Reflections" on issues of contemporary concern on www.marilynsewell.org and also posts daily meditation on Twitter."