New Director And Deputy Director
The UUA is pleased to announce the appointment of the Director and Deputy Director of the Ministries and Faith Development (MFD) staff group. Dr. Janice Marie Johnson, who has served since as Co-Director of MFD along with the Rev. Sarah Lammert since 2019, has now been appointed sole Director. Dr. Johnson’s responsibilities include supervising the Lifespan Faith Engagement, Office of Church Staff Finances, LGBTQ Ministries, Multicultural Ministries, and WorshipWeb teams. The Rev. Lammert retired from full time service in December 2023, and is continuing on with the UUA staff in a part-time role as Federal Chaplaincy Endorser.
The Rev. Cecilia Kingman has been appointed Deputy MFD Director as of January 22, 2024, succeeding the Rev. Lammert to lead the credentialing and professional leadership areas within MFD. This includes supervising the Ministerial Credentialing, Religious Education Credentialing, Music Leadership Certification, Professional Development, and Ministerial Transitions teams, as well as acting as the Executive Secretary of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.
"I am so deeply grateful for the service of Dr. Janice Marie Johnson, and for her taking on this next chapter in her leadership of Unitarian Universalism,” said UUA President the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt. “Now with the Rev. Cecilia Kingman joining the UUA staff, I'm thrilled for the opportunities before us to develop our support for UU religious professionals.”
President Betancourt further said “I must also express my profound appreciation for the service of the Rev. Sarah Lammert, whose twelve years of senior executive leadership in the UUA has left an indelible mark on the legacy of our Association. I’m glad she will be continuing to serve our military and federally endorsed UU chaplains, a ministry I know is close to her heart.”
Dr. Janice Marie Johnson

Dr. Janice Marie Johnson
Prior to serving as Co-Director of Ministries and Faith Development, Dr. Johnson was the Multicultural Ministries and Leadership Director. Since joining the UUA in 2009, Dr. Johnson previously served as Multicultural Growth Director and Racial and Ethnic Concerns Director.
Committed to making multiculturalism “real,” Janice is a Jamaican, a New Yorker, an internationalist, and a “third-culture kid” who grew up all over the world. She has worked with UU congregations worldwide. She is deeply committed to family – across the generations. She supports the professional lives of religious professionals, especially those of color, those from the trans community, and other marginalized groups. As an educator, she previously served as Director of Lifespan Religious Education at the Community Church of New York for many years. She holds a Doctor in Ministry degree from New York Theological Seminary.
Rev. Cecilia Kingman

Rev. Cecilia Kingman
The Rev. Cecilia Kingman is an experienced parish minister and denominational leader. She is a 2003 graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry and has served congregations in Oregon and Washington, including eight years as the Minister for Faith and Justice at the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Edmonds, WA. She brings decades of nonprofit management and development experience, including operating her own fundraising and stewardship consulting practice for many years.
The Rev. Kingman has also served in various collegial roles, including President of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the UUMA and chair of the ethics team for that chapter. She also served as the campaign manager for Sofía Betancourt’s campaign for UUA President. As a member of both the UU Ministers’ Association (UUMA) and the Liberal Religious Educators’ Association (LREDA), she cares deeply about the future of our professional ministries and supporting the work of all our religious professionals.
The Rev. Kingman is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Pacific School of Religion, focusing on the responses of faith communities to fascist and totalitarian regimes. This reflects a lifelong academic interest, particularly after working in Eastern Europe after the collapse of the communist dictatorship in Romania. She spent two decades working with the Unitarians of Transylvania to strengthen civil society and support sustainable agricultural and community development. She recently gave the 2024 Berry Street address on the topic of fascism, and is passionate about protecting our democratic institutions, including our UU faith. She is active in interfaith organizing in her community of greater Seattle.
Cecilia is the mother of four children, and lives with her youngest kids in a small farmhouse outside of Seattle, where she cares for a large number of animals and an unruly vegetable garden.