The Unitarian Congregation of West Chester will celebrate the Installation of Rev. Dan Schatz as their new Minister in a special service at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 13, in the congregation’s sanctuary at 501 South High Street.

The service, which is open to the public, will feature speakers from Palo Alto, California, and Norwich, Vermont as well as guest Ministers from around the region and special music. Attendees are invited to a reception immediately afterwards.

A 1998 graduate of Harvard Divinity School and award winning preacher, Rev. Schatz comes to West Chester with a diversity of experience. He has been a college instructor, hospital chaplain, and parish minister, most recently at the BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where he served for fourteen years. His writings have been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Huffington Post, for which he has written on antiracism and other social issues. He is also a Grammy® nominated folk musician and producer.

Rev. Schatz brings music and ministry together in many ways, often lending his musical voice to services, causes, or work with children. His solo albums reflect a commitment to social justice, community building and the environment. He is especially well known as a Producer and Artist for two major compilations: Singing Through the Hard Times – a Tribute to Utah Phillips, which garnered him a Grammy® nomination in the Best Traditional Music category in 2010, and Dear Jean – Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie, which received international acclaim, and led to appearances on PBS’s Woodsongs and NPR’s All Things Considered.

The third minister to be called by the congregation, Rev. Schatz was selected by an overwhelming congregational vote an after a two-year national search. Prior ministers were Rev. Deborah Mero and Rev. Kate Rohde, both of whom have retired.

The Unitarian Congregation of West Chester (ucwc.org) is a spiritually diverse congregation which emphasizes inquiry, spiritual growth, integrity and community, while encompassing many beliefs and points of view.