Service of the Living Tradition (SLT)

Newly called ministers cross the GA stage, shaking hands and embracing along the way.

2018 Service of the Living Tradition

The Service of the Living Tradition (SLT) is Friday, June 21, 2024 at 6:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm CT / 4:30 pm MT / 3:30 pm PT.

Program Description

The Ministries and Faith Development Staff Group is proud to announce the 2024 Service of the Living Tradition (SLT) preacher Rev. Jacqueline Brett. Additionally, we are thrilled to have the uplifting talents of Soren Austenfeld as SLT music director.

As in past years, the collection from the service benefits the Living Tradition Fund, which provide scholarships, debt reduction grants, and financial assistance in times of need to seminarians, ministers, religious professionals, other congregational staff at the local level, as well as retired ministers and their loved ones. Donate to the Living Tradition Fund.

Join us at this service where we honor those who have died, recognize those who have completed professional service, and welcome those who have received fellowship, credentialed, or certified status in the past year.

Headshot of Rev. Jacqueline Brett

Rev. Jacqueline Brett (she/they)

Biographies

Rev. Jacqueline Brett (she/they) serves as Lead Minister of the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham, North Carolina. She is responsible for guiding the congregation in creating beloved community and in the personal and collective search for truth and meaning among its members and friends. Equally responsible for the organizational and programmatic health of the congregation, as Head of Staff, Rev. Jacqueline leads a team of ministers, religious, and administrative professionals in partnering with the congregation to realize its Mission, Vision, and strategic plans. Rev. Brett’s ministry is devoted to making a transformative and equitable difference in the world by taking an active stand for collective liberation both within and beyond the congregation’s walls. She received M.Div. and MALS degrees from Meadville Lombard Theological School where she was also a member of the Board of Trustees. She serves the wider Unitarian Universalist denomination as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), which advances human rights globally, and as a member of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC), a committee of the UUA’s Board of Trustees.

Soren Austenfeld, a white person with short light brown hair. Soren wears a blue blazer with a patterned collared shirt underneath. Soren is smiling at the camera. There is green grass and a some trees in the blurred background.

Soren Austenfeld (he/him and they/them)

Soren Austenfeld (he/him and they/them) has served as Music Director at First Parish in Malden since 2019. You may also recognize him from the Sanctuary Boston band! As a musician, he is deeply motivated by the power of creative practice and the many ways music can nourish and transform us. Soren's work as a performer, composer, and voice teacher is also informed by his experience as a queer trans man. Learn more about Soren Aaustenfeld.