Minister's Study
Read Jane's column, "From
Your Minister," from CLF's monthly mailing, Quest.
See the Quest archives
page for all of Jane's columns.
A born and bred Unitarian, Jane Ranney Rzepka once described
herself as "hopelessly and utterly committed to Unitarian
Universalism, its traditions and history, its theological
underpinnings, its work in the world, and its future."
Jane began her position as senior minister of the Church of
the Larger Fellowship (CLF) in 1999.
Jane's ministry started in 1977 when the congregation of
the East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Mentor, Ohio,
ordained her. A graduate of the University of Michigan at
Ann Arbor, Jane also holds an M. Div. degree from Starr King
School for Ministry in Berkeley, California, and a Ph.D. in
Religion and the Personality Sciences from the University
of California and the Graduate Theological Union.
"I am committed to kind and responsible pastoral care, worship
and preaching that stirs, attention to detail, earnest and
empowering communications, and a gracious spirit. The truth
is," Jane writes in her professional biography, "I love Unitarian
Universalism, and I love ministry." From 1980 to 1984, Jane
served as associate minister of the Winchester Unitarian Society,
Winchester, Mass., and from 1984 to 1999, as minister of the
Unitarian Universalist Church in nearby Reading. In 1990,
she preached the sermon at the Service of the Living Tradition
at the General Assembly in Milwaukee.
Jane co-taught preaching at Harvard divinity School for years
and she co-authored a preaching textbook, Thematic Preaching,
with Kenneth Sawyer, minister at First Parish in Wayland,
Mass. (available from the UUA
Bookstore)
In 1990, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) published
Jane's meditation manual, A Small Heaven (Skinner
House Books). The manual has been reprinted and is also available
from the UUA Bookstore.
Jane has served on a variety of UUA and UUA-related committees:
Ministerial Fellowship Committee, UU Ministers' Association
Executive Committee, the Continuing Education Network for
Training, Enrichment, and Renewal, and the Pamphlet Commission.
Jane has served twice on the Starr King School Board.
Jane loves to travel. Among
other places, she has traveled with family members to the
Himalayas, the Sahara, and the Amazon.
She is married to Chuck Rzepka, and the Rzepkas have two adult
sons and live in Lexington, Mass.
Read Jane's column, "From
Your Minister," in CLF's monthly mailing, Quest.
Jane's "From Your Minister" Archives:
Last updated October 20, 2008
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