Curriulum vitae
Rev. Dan Harper, Unitarian Universalist minister and religious educator
Email address: danrharper AT aol DOT com
Ordained by First Church (Unitarian), Athol, Massachusetts.
In ministerial fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association (final fellowship, specialty in religious education).
Relevant Experience
Unitarian Universalist Employment
Assistant Minister of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, California, 2009-present
Second minister in this mid-sized congregation (300 members).
Religious education: Oversee religious education for all ages. Help integrate families with children and teens more fully into the life of the congregation. Develop broad educational goals for program, and means to assess learning. Mandate to grow children and youth programs.
General ministry: Carry out ordinary duties of ministry, especially welcoming, community building, and administration. Provide a systems-level perspective on the pastoral- to program-size transition.
Minister, First Unitarian Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 2005-present
Sole minister for this small congregation (73 members).
General ministry: Carried out ordinary duties of ministry. Established worship associates to co-lead worship, and worked with worship committee to create excellent Sunday morning worship. Developed lay-led summer worship services; attendance rose sharply.
Growth: Increased attendance at Sunday worship services. Increased annual pledges, increased other revenue. With lay leaders, actively promote church (e.g., increased traffic at church Web site six-fold, installed new outdoor siganage), and number of visitors tripled in three years.
Administration: With office staff, increased efficiency to increase office productivity. Worked with lay leaders on building maintenance, most notably with $170,000 of deferred maintenance addressed in 2007.
Children and youth: Provide leadership to rebuild the Sunday school. Served as a youth advisor, 2005-2008.
Interim Minister of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 2004-2005
Interim associate minister for this congregation in Geneva, Illinois (280 members).
Carried out the ordinary duties of ministry. Helped the congregation in understanding and healing from its past; worked to strengthen the infrastructure of the congregation; helped continue the transition from a small to a mid-sized congregation. With church leadership, worked on stewardship (e.g., talking openly about money).
Worked with senior minister and lay leaders to integrate children, youth, and their families more fully into the life of the congregation. Supported adult learning programs. Helped lay leaders discern the kind of teaching ministry they want for this congregation.
Assistant Minister for Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 2003-2004
Teaching ministry in this large (550 members) congregation in Kensington, California.
Participated in leading worship with other ministers, occasional preaching. Provided pastoral care to children, youth, and their families. Helped the congregation discern whether to fund a permanent minister of religious education. Taught and led programs for children, youth, and adults. Provided support and inspiration for those with a teaching ministry.
Support Minister (part time), First Church Unitarian, Athol, Massachusetts, 2002-2003
Monthly preaching, pastoral care, for this tiny (25 members) congregation.
Interim Director of Religious Education (part time), Church of the Larger Fellowship, 2002-2003
Interim religious educator for this large (2,800 members) online and print-based congregation.
Helped Board, staff, and volunteers prepare for new, permanent professional leadership. Worked with Board, staff, and online committees to help understand and assess the religious education program of this unique Unitarian Universalist congregation. Developed innovative Web-based resources for families. Sample RE column from CLF's "Quest" newsletter.
Director of Religious Education (Intern Minister 2000-2002), First Parish in Lexington, Massachusetts, 1997-2002
Three-quarter time position with this mid-size (350 member) congregation.
General: Led worship for children, participated in leading worship with other ministers, occasional preaching. Supported families and others in crisis or transition with pastoral care and counseling; provided pastoral ministry for teens.
Teaching: Taught classes and workshops for children, youth, and adults; developed and encouraged religious education activities outside of standard classes and groups. Obtained, reviewed, and adapted curriculum resources.
Administration: Managed volunteers, including in-service support, recognition, recruitment, and training. Welcomed new families; maintained staff partnerships; managed budget; supervised three employees; communicated with congregation; worked with lay leaders to keep building child-friendly.
Director of Religious Education, First Parish of Watertown, 1994-1997
Based on overall goals set by congregation, planned and implemented religious education program for children and youth; program grew from 11 participants to 45 in three years. Established interchurch youth group with two other small UU churches. Led adult programs including spiritual autobiography classes.
Selected Volunteer Activities
Renaissance module leader, 2002-present
UU History and Ministry with Youth modules. Attended continental training of Renaissance leaders, Chicago, 2002.
Board member, Ballou Channing District, 2007-2008
Served as Board member for the Ballou Channing District of Unitarian Universalist congregations. Advocated for fiscal restraint and better financial planning for district-run retreat center.
Ministry with youth at district and continental levels, 1995-2003
Co-led UUA training of youth and adult Youth Advisor Training leaders, November, 2002, and May, 2003. Co-led UUA training of youth and adult Leadership Development Conference leaders November, 2000, and 1998. Served on task force to revise UUA youth advisor trainings, 2000; wrote new youth advisor training curriculum. Co-led numerous trainings for youth leaders and adult advisors, 1997-2003, including leadership development conferences, spirituality development conferences, youth advisor trainings, advanced advisor trainings, and week-long summer advisor trainings (more information).
Mass. Bay District "Religious Education Team," 1996-2003
Mentor to new religious educators, 1999-2003. Planning committee for "Pot of Gold," the district religious education conference, 1998-2000. Executive committee, 1996-1997.
Good Offices person, Liberal Religious Educators Association, 2001-2003
Provided support and pastoral care to Unitarian Universalist religious educators.
On-call chaplain, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2001-2003
Served once or twice a month as overnight on-call chaplain at large urban general hospital.
Board member, Church of the Larger Fellowship, 1999-2000
Served as Board member for this unique Unitarian Universalist congregation, with special interests in electronic communication and religious education.
Unitarian Universalist Association Pamphlet Commission, 1997-1998
Served on committee to plan, write, edit, and coordinate production of pamphlets. Worked on overall strategy for pamphlet development.
Other Experience
Carpenter with Kenneth W. Marriner, Jr., Concord, Mass., 1991-1995
A two-man shop doing home repairs, renovations, historic renovation, cabinets, furniture repair and building.
Education
M. Div., Meadville/Lombard Theological School
Integrative essay: "Fifty Years of a Sunday School," extended case study of a Sunday school in a Unitarian Universalist congregation.
Ministerial internship at First Parish in Lexington, Mass.
One unit of clinical pastoral education at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Graduate study in creative writing at Emerson College, Boston, Mass.
One year of coursework in writing, teaching. Received top merit-based scholarship.
B.A., Philosophy, Haverford College, Haverford, Penna.
Concentrated in continental philosophy and hermeneutics. Department prize in philosophy, senior year.
Professional associations
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
Liberal Religious Educators Association
Publications
“What Happened in 1860,” in press
Essay on Rev. William Jackson, first African American minister to declare himself a Unitarian, in a forthcoming book edited by Rev. Mark Morrision-Reed about persons of color in Unitarian and Universalist history.
“Yet Another Unitarian Universalist” blog, 2005-present
Sole writer for this Web-based publication presenting essays, opinions, news, and research on Unitarian Universalist topics. Nearly daily publication with 4,000-5,000 unique visitors per month.
General Assembly reporter for www.uua.org, 2000, 2002-2009
Reporter for www.uua.org, the official Web site of the Unitarian Universalist Association, during General Assembly, the annual denominational meeting. Selected articles: 2002: GA Journal — 2005: Sunday Morning Worship Service — 2007: Toward a Safer Congregation — 2008: Grassroots Organizing for a New Century.
“Learning Types and Their Needs,” 2001
Essay relating developmental stage with degree of socialization in lifespan religious education. In Essex Conversations (Boston: Skinner House, 2001). Abstract of the essay.
Selected presentations
General Assembly, 2008
At annual denominational meeting, gave presentation on religious education in small congregations: Only a Few Children.
General Assembly, 2006
At annual denominational meeting, gave presentation on using Web sites and other new media to promote Unitarian Universalism: Spreading Unitarian Universalism Using New Media.
General Assembly, 2003
At annual denominational meeting, gave presentation on using Web sites to promote Unitarian Universalist congregations: Creating Great Content for Church Web Sites.
Selected recent media mentions
2 December 2008, New Bedford Standard-Times: "World AIDS Day marked in New Bedford" — Quoted.
25 May 2008, New Bedford Standard-Times: "Church grapple with allowing sex offenders to join spiritual communities" — Interviewed on balancing needs of sex offenders with needs of congregations.
18 July 2007, New Bedford Standard-Times: "Protesters urge Council to save Cliftex mill" — Quoted.
28 February 2007, New Bedford Standard-Times: "Church to restore slashed painting" — Interviewed on recovery of damaged painting; quoted on Unitarian Universalist views of Jesus.
— Brief TV interview on slashed painting with Channel 6, Providence (no longer online).