MINISTERS

The Rev. Dr. William G. Sinkford, Senior Minister, is probably best known to the congregation for his service as president of the Unitarian Universalist Association from 2001 to 2009. His tenure was marked by strong public witness for social justice and support for marginalized communities.

Opposition to the Iraq war, marriage equality, immigrant rights, environmental justice and Darfur are a few of the issues on which his voice has been prominent. You can read or hear him speak out by clicking on the following links—

Hear Rev. Sinkford speak out on a variety of issues.
Read about his meeting with the Dalai Lama. 
Read his statement at the outbreak of war.
Read his blog about the UU pilgrimage to Africa.
Read Bill’s thoughts on
Church, Community Leadership, Justice, Pastoral Care, and Worship

As UUA president, Bill was responsible for administering staff and programs that serve more than 1,000 member congregations. He also acted as minister-at-large for the Association, and is no stranger to First Church. He has preached here several times in recent years, including a visit during the construction of the Buchan Building. He worked closely with Mark Slegers on the Sunday Worship service at the Portland General Assembly and has worked with our members on international and environmental issues.

Bill’s commitment to liberal religion dates to his teenage years, when he was an active member of the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as the president of Liberal Religious Youth, the continental Unitarian Universalist (UU) youth organization. In later years he returned to Cincinnati and served at the church in many lay positions, from Buildings and Grounds to the Board of Trustees, as well as teaching and eventually chairing the RE committee. It was there that he heard his call to ministry.

Bill received his B.A. from Harvard in 1968 and his Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in 1995. He also holds honorary doctorates from Tufts University and Meadville/Lombard Theological School.

In 1992, when Bill entered Starr King he was preparing himself for parish ministry. As he was completing his second year of course work and anticipating an internship at the Mt Diablo, CA church, he was asked to come to Boston to serve on the UUA staff. After much reflection, he said yes and began his years of service to our denomination in Boston, deferring but never losing his goal of ministering to a congregation. As he has written, “My dream is to fulfill my original calling to parish ministry. I want to preach to congregants whose stories I know, whose children I’ve dedicated and whose elders I have memorialized.”

He was the first African American to lead any traditionally white denomination, and was named one of the ten most influential Black religious leaders in the US in both 2005 and 2006. His blog about the UU pilgrimage to Africa can be read here.

He and his wife Maria have four adult children, and one grandchild, William Rider Sinkford, born in July 2008.

Rev. Thomas Disrud, Associate 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,

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.

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."