Our Minister

Our spiritual leader is the Reverend Katie Stein Sather. Whether leading a Facilitators Chalice Circle or preaching to the congregation on one of "her" Sundays, she articulates the vision of Beacon Unitarian Church as a "just and loving community" for us.

Rev. Katie studied theology at St. Stephen's College in Edmonton, Alberta, and has served churches in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Southfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. She lives in a heritage house in Maple Ridge with her husband Al, a dog, and two cats.

She says of her religious journey: "I grew up in a mainline Protestant church, but it never was comfortable for me. I wanted to honor my own religious experience in nature and my intellectual side. I needed to do this. When I first attended a Unitarian service in 1984, it felt like I had come home."

Rev. Katie has been active in the denomination, serving on the Unitarian Universalist Association's General Assembly Planning Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation Board, and was the Canadian Trustee on the UUA Board, thus ex officio on the Canadian Unitarian Board. She is currently Corresponding Secretary for the CUC's Lay Chaplaincy Committee.

You can reach Rev. Katie by e-mail at ksather@shaw.ca

Read—or listen to—some of Rev. Katie Stein Sather's sermons.

Beacon is also fortunate to have Sue Sparlin and Sally Frith as our lay chaplains.

Our Choir Director

Our choir director is Kay Norton. More information to come.

Beacon Board of Trustees

The Beacon Unitarian Church Board of Trustees is composed of members elected by the congregation, normally for a two-year term. The job of the Board is to handle the administration of Beacon and to provide leadership and direction. The board is no less about vision, as communicated by the congregation, than it is about the tasks needed to keep the church running.

The Beacon Board of Trustees for 2007–2008:

• Don Hauka, president
• Tom Poiker, vice president
• Hugh Morrison, treasurer
• Donna Hamilton, secretary
• Nina Jacobs
• Tom Lunderville
• Dan Theal

You can find Board members at services by looking for the tell-tale red name tags.

Donna Hamilton not only serves on the Beacon Board of Trustees. She is also the editor of The Beacon, our monthly newsletter. Please send announcements no later than mid-month for the following month's issue to donna-h@telus.net.

Our office co-ordinator is Karran Panko. Karran tracks the church membership and is the one to thank when you receive the tax receipt for your donation to Beacon. She also assembles and composes the weekly order of service with announcements, checks Beacon e-mail, and takes care of small but important things that might otherwise be forgotten. You can reach Karran at BeaconUChurch@shaw.ca.