Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville

08/12/2026

Introducing our new Director of Faith Formation & Justice, Dr. Matt Farris (Haelan)!

From Rev. Dr. Audette Fulbright Fulson, Lead Minister:
Dear friends,

It is with excitement and great joy I invite our members and friends to join in welcoming Dr. Matt Farris to our staff and our shared ministry as UU Asheville's Director of Faith Formation and Justice!

Many of you already know Matt — and love him. He spent the 2024-2025 year among us as our ministerial intern, and in that time he became a familiar and trusted presence: listening, preaching, showing up in the ordinary moments where formation actually happens. So this isn't quite an introduction - it's more a homecoming. Matt steps into a new role on ground he has already tended alongside many of you, and I could not be happier that he's returning to build on it.

You'll read below, in his own words, about the remarkable path that brought him here — the scholarship, the teaching, the deep and playful conviction that faith formation is something we practice in every corner of our lives. What I want to name is the person: someone of real depth and real warmth, who takes the work seriously and himself lightly, and who understands that our formation and our shared liberation are one calling, not two.

A word about what comes next, because it is part of the joy. We welcome Matt now as our Director of Faith Formation and Justice. He is also in the final stretch of his ministerial formation, and we hope that in the coming church year he will enter preliminary fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association. When he does, we will have the honor of an opportunity to ordain him, if we choose — of calling him, by our own hands, into ministry — and welcoming him as our Minister of Faith Formation and Justice. It is a rare and beautiful thing for a congregation to help raise up a minister. We get to walk that road with him, and I hope you'll feel the fullness of that gift, as I do.

Join us Sunday, September 6th at 10 am for our Water Communion Picnic Service, where we'll celebrate Matt joining us! He begins his full time service with us on October 1st, but during September he will be working part-time to meet with staff and congregational leaders and get organized for the coming year. You'll understand why when you read his letter - more joy ahead!

Please join me in welcoming Matt with the openhearted spirit so characteristic of this congregation. The welcome starts now.

With love and gladness,
Rev. Dr. Audette Fulbright Fulson

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Introduction & Bio for Dr. Matt Farris (Haelan)
Dear UU Asheville Beloveds,

My spirit and heart are beaming as I say YES to serving as your new Director of Faith Formation and Justice! I am personally gratified in so many ways to serve UU Asheville as a catalyst for faith formation, meaning-making, collective liberation, wellness, and the powerful realization of our most cherished values. For some of you, what follows is an introduction; to others, a re-introduction. In any case, I’m excited to tell you a little bit about myself, my background, and what makes me tick. This letter is admittedly a bit long, but my hope is that it will give you a good sense of why I’m so excited to serve you in this new role. I’ll start in a more formal way, with my “website bio,” and then move on to a fuller sense how I see myself as I joyfully step into a sacred new relationship with you.

“Dr. Matt Farris is the Director of Faith Formation and Justice of UU Asheville. Formerly an award-winning university professor, an organizational development consultant, and a spiritual guidance facilitator, Dr. Matt’s vocation has culminated in his pursuit of UU congregational ministry. He hopes to be in preliminary fellowship by the end of the 2026-2027 church year. With interdisciplinary degrees from Graduate Theological Union, Iliff School of Theology, and Miami University (OH), his education has focused on philosophy, religious studies, and theology. His research and publications have focused on wholistic approaches to living well in contexts of pluralism, especially the ways our worldview can become more loving, liberative, and open to otherness. He has professional certifications from Soul Matters, The Church Lab, and The Center for Seven Directions Practice. A Teaching Fellow at the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Matt has an extensive background in best practices for facilitating growth and learning in religious communities like UU Asheville.”

As long as I can remember, I have been devoted to faith formation guided by Love—at least, that’s how I would explain the common thread of my life now. Whether home schooling kids, working with private clients, or teaching in university settings, my Work (capital “W”) has emphasized that faith formation is something we practice in all aspects of our lives. One of my most rewarding faith formation and collective liberation experiences was teaching liberative philosophy at San Quentin State Prison, where my incarcerated students practiced liberating themselves from the forces oppressing them. In stunning ways, my incarcerated activist students taught me that—with the right mindset and motivating values—collective liberation can be done by anyone anywhere.

For me, Unitarian Universalism is philosophia, the wholistic pursuit and practice of living well. As your Director of Faith Formation and Justice, I look forward to taking an ecological approach to multigenerational philosophia, or faith formation as fundamental to all the “habitats” of our Interdependent congregational life. Practically speaking, this means I will promote ways that everyone can practice living well based on their own interests, gifts, abilities, and life experiences. Small group ministries? Yes! Faith formation curricula for children and young adults? Yes! Collective liberation activities? Yes! My vision for UU Asheville is this: our congregational Whole thrives when we practice living well in the ecosystems that suit our distinctive ways of flourishing within the Whole. And our own thriving is linked in a sacred way to the thriving of others, to the wellness of “All Our Relations,” the Whole. In the words of the Aboriginal elder, Lilla Watson, who Reverend Claudia regularly invoked during Justice Ministry Council meetings: “If you have come to help me, / You are wasting your time. / But if you have come because / your liberation is bound up with mine, / Then let us work together.” To that end, I am honored and deeply committed to advancing Reverend Claudia’s legacy of outstanding Work for collective liberation at UU Asheville.

This is an extraordinarily exciting time in my life, not only because I’m thrilled to be practicing my ministry at UU Asheville, but also because...I am marrying the love of my life, Leanne, in September! Together, we have chosen to adopt a new last name: Haelan. Among other things, this Old English verb means to heal, to be whole, and to live well. We feel that this last name represents well our We-Work in the world, and we will carry it with a sense of responsibility to the Whole and the Holy. Leanne and I live in West Asheville with our cats, Poe and Whitman. Leanne’s daughter, Madeleine, lives just five minutes up the road from us. Our family is over the moon to be making UU Asheville, and the Asheville area more broadly, our living well home for years to come!

Blessings,
Dr. Matt

07/20/2026

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville is hiring a part time child care worker. This position works on Sunday mornings for 2-3 hours, with occasional additional hours available during congregational events. This position primarily works with ages 0-4, though occasionally will be responsible for ages up to 10. We have a loving and inclusive environment with terrific families and staff.

This position is supervised by the Lifespan Religious Educator and the pay is $23.60 per hour. Training is provided, but we request a minimum of one year of experience working with young children. Applicants must be 18+. CPR/First AID certification required. Please email resumes to Kim at [email protected]

Please note that we do not hire members of the congregation for staff positions, but we'd love it if you'd all share with folks you know!

06/09/2026

This Pride Month, put your values into action.

The UUSC: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee the UUA, and Trans Religious professional UUs Together (TRUUsT) are inviting people and congregations to submit public comments opposing a proposed HUD rule that would make federally funded shelters less safe for transgender, nonbinary, two-spirit, and intersex people.

Every unique comment helps build the case for protecting access to safe shelter and housing with dignity. You can also host a Coffee and Comments event with your congregation or community using the campaign's downloadable guide and resources.

Learn more about the proposed rule, why it matters, and how to participate at the link in comments.

Public comments close Monday, June 28.

06/04/2026

Happy Pride Month, Q***rly Beloveds!

This Pride Month, we celebrate the joy, resilience, and beauty of LGBTQIA+ communities.

In "The Q***r Beatitudes," Tim Atkins (also known as Sister Sweet Suffering Tea of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) offers this blessing:

"Blessed are we, the whole q***r family,
for love is our birthright, and joy is our inheritance."

May we continue building a world where every person can live, love, and flourish as their full self. 🌈

Read "The Q***r Beatitudes" at the link in the comments.

05/08/2026

We're very excited to have this talented musician, Bobby Jo Valentine, joining us in Asheville on May 23rd for a concert! Be sure to get your tickets today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bobby-jo-valentine-an-evening-of-music-connection-community-tickets-1985736238544 It's just over 2 weeks away, and we can hardly wait.

04/27/2026

Virtual Training Opportunity with UU the Vote!

Democracy is not just defended at the ballot box. It is created and sustained through the practice of community.

We invite you to join Democracy Defense and Community Safety, a new training series from UU the Vote to deepen our safety and security practices as we take up the work of resisting authoritarianism and building a multiracial democracy. Training sessions will take place on Wednesdays at 7pm ET from April to August (no sessions in July).

Together, we’ll strengthen both individual readiness and collective resilience through training on:

- Risk and Threat Assessment
- Electoral Safety
- Protest Safety and Preparedness
- and more!

Whether you’re organizing in your congregation, showing up in the streets, or supporting electoral work, this series will help you build the confidence and infrastructure to act with clarity under pressure.

Register for our first session on April 29: https://bit.ly/48gxymw

Image description: A dark blue background and torn white paper with red and dark blue text. Text reads, "Training Series. Democracy Defense & Community Safety. Wednesdays, 7-9pm ET/6-8 CT/4-6 PT. Risk and Threat Assessment, Electoral Safety, Protest safety and preparedness, & more! www.UUtheVote.org." A light blue circle in the top right corner says "Wednesdays April-August, no sessions in July." At the bottom is a yellow button that says "Register!" and the UU the Vote logo, as well as a doodle-style image of a shield with UUs standing together inside it, wearing Side With Love shirts and stoles.

04/23/2026

What do you think about this? What would you add to the UU Starter Pack? 😹

Maybe you’ve seen those “starter pack” memes—simple lists meant to capture the recognizable pieces of an experience, community, or way of being.

So…If someone asked what you need to be a Unitarian Universalist, you might hand them this (unofficial😉) starter pack :

- A meeting that could have been an email that became a retreat
- A belief that the question is holier than the answer
- A favorite coffee hour mug you’re slightly emotionally attached to
- An “I Break for the Annual Auction” bumper sticker

What would be in your starter pack? Let us know in the comments!

04/22/2026

The Unitarian Universalist Ministry of Earth is holding an Earth Day Worship Ritual tonight over Zoom! 💚 Click the link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7GQNvVtPpLjV8lHtZQGlNI6kxfKtC30_44tIw86z05Lqn2g/viewform

04/22/2026

“You cannot care for the land if you do not care for its people. Climate justice is people justice.”
— Lawrence Nault

This quote from Lawrence Nault names something essential: The climate crisis is not separate from the conditions people are living in.

It is shaped by race, by economics, by disability, by migration—by who is most impacted and who is most protected.

When we take that seriously, it shifts what this work asks of us.

Not just individual action, but shared responsibility.
Not siloed efforts, but work across our whole communities.
Not quick results, but a long commitment to transformation.

🌎 So this Earth Day, we’re asking:

Where is your congregation in this understanding?
What would it look like to take this seriously—not just in one committee, but together?

May we care for the land by caring for one another.
May we stay with the work.

Explore resources from Side With Love at the link in the comments.

04/18/2026