Dear Friends and Members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lawrence,

It is with incalculable joy and immense gratitude that we, the members of your Ministerial Search Team, finally get to introduce you to our Ministerial Candidate,

Rev. Dr. Nori Rost!

Rev. Nori’s journey began just 30 miles west of us in Topeka, Kansas. There, at the age of 17, she came out as a lesbian to her family and high school classmates and, in doing so, began a new chapter in her life as a truth-teller. Her path took her from Topeka to Modesto, CA where, after a stint in the US Air Force, she discovered within a wellspring of curiosity about her own spiritual life and found community and a sense of belonging at the Metropolitan Community Church.

MCC is a Protestant denomination that was founded explicitly on the principle of affirming and celebrating LGBTQ+ lives and divining spiritual wisdom from the queer experience. In the MCC, Rev. Nori learned how to fight for justice in community–with joy, humor, and creativity. After serving as an Assistant MCC Minister in Long Beach, California, Rev. Nori became the leader of the Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church in Colorado Springs, CO. She applied for the position because the state had passed a notorious constitutional amendment that prohibited Colorado from enacting antidiscrimination protections for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. She wanted to be on the front lines of the struggle for justice. She wanted to be where it really mattered. 

In deepening her own spiritual exploration and training as a minister, Rev. Nori came to the conclusion that what moved her and gave her meaning was neither creed nor denomination but the possibility of a multi-faith community that encouraged free thinking and laid the foundations of beloved community. She found her spiritual and intellectual home in Unitarian Universalism. She undertook the process of transferring her credentials and was soon called to serve as the Settled Minister for All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Colorado Springs. She spent thirteen years there, helping heal old rifts, building stronger bonds of community, providing gentle and loving pastoral care, causing “good trouble,” and giving her congregants lots to think–and laugh–about. 

When she had seen All Souls through to a place of robust growth, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to New York City, where she worked as the Clergy Leader for the New York Society for Ethical Culture, a humanist organization founded around the principle of “ethics in action” in 1876. After three years in New York, Rev. Nori longed for an opportunity to return to her first love: parish ministry. She wanted to once again be on the front lines of battles for social justice. She wanted to plant her feet in fertile ground where new seeds of community could grow. She wanted, in short, to come “home” to Kansas and join us at UUCL!

Throughout our search process, the Committee has been deeply impressed with Rev. Nori’s intelligence, honesty, and kindness. From a welcoming Christian denomination to a non-theistic, humanist ethical movement, Rev. Nori’s diverse experiences inform her unique approach to Unitarian Universalist ministry. She is an inventive and joyful presence who has boundless energy; a calming and reflective person who listens with the same care and intelligence with which she talks; a thoughtful leader who can maintain focus on a long range vision no matter what crisis pops up; and a devoted activist who uses her voice and her creativity to stand for justice. 

This wasn’t just our impression. In our conversations with her references, we learned that many congregants started coming to her UU because of Rev. Nori’s compelling sermons even though they never liked church before, that she gave thoughtful, personalized memorial services, that she had proven strategies for increasing membership. They mentioned her deep commitment to investing resources in RE, her ability to show equanimity to all, and her inviting sense of humor. And almost everyone remarked upon the way she brought humor and energy to the work of fighting for social justice. 

As we recall the conversations we had with you in our Cottage Meetings last fall, the congregational survey, the BCT workshop, and individual conversations we had in the lobby and over snacks and potluck lunches, we believe, unanimously, that Rev. Nori fulfills about as many items on UUCL’s Settled Minister “wishlist” as we could find in one human being! From her transcendent love of music to her firm commitment to helping us act for justice in the most effective ways we can, Rev. Nori is just what we dreamed we might find at the end of this journey. How happy we are to have actually gotten here! 

We know you’ll love getting to know her, friends. We certainly have. 

Please hear Rev. Nori’s personal welcome and learn more about her here.

We are thrilled to invite Rev. Nori to Lawrence for Candidating Week from April 27-May 6th. Here is the schedule!

If you have questions or comments for us, please reach out to Sheyda Jahanbani, sheydaj@gmail.com