The Reverend Jan Hutslar began her ministry with us in August 2018. Following a year-long search process, and a week-long candidating visit, the congregation voted unanimously to call Jan to be our Settled Minister on Sunday, May 20, 2018.
Jan was raised in Indiana, the middle child of five, whose parents were both public school teachers. Jan got her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from Ball State University and worked as a naturalist and environmental educator. She was married and has one adult daughter, Maggie.
After moving to Canton, New York, Jan began attending the UU Church of Canton and a few years later was hired as their Director of Religious Education. That job changed her life as she fell in love with Unitarian Universalism and congregational life. She felt a call to ministry after twelve years as their DRE and with the support of her home congregation, went to seminary at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA in 2014. She graduated in 2017 and was offered preliminary fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2018.
Jan worked for the UU Church of San Francisco and was an intern minister at First Parish in Concord, MA.
On May 5, 2018, she was ordained into the Unitarian Universalist Ministry by the congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton.
Jan has been a pulpit guest at many UU congregations and fellowships in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, California and Washington .
Jan can be reached at minister@uucuv.org.
In Jan’s words:
My calling is to serve in Unitarian Universalist parish ministry that stirs the heart, enlivens the mind, engages the body, nourishes the soul, affirms the individual and empowers the community.
My theology:
I am a Unitarian Universalist.
I am dazzled by the majesty of trees,
and the way the rivers keep flowing.
I am wowed by the immensity of thunderstorms,
the night sky, the aurora borealis.
I trust in the incredible discoveries of science.
I am awed by the mystery of the unknown and unexplainable.
I am inspired by the wisdom of many faith traditions, the songs of prayers,
the laughter of children.
I believe in the spark of love at the core of all of us.
I have faith in transformation.
I count on the restorative power of community.
I am a Unitarian Universalist.