Rev. Jason Lydon is a Massachusetts native recently returned to the Boston-area after nine years in Chicago. Raised Unitarian Universalist, he came out as queer in a church basement in 1997 during the UU comprehensive sex ed class offered at the time. He went on to become actively involved in the UU youth movement, a spiritually grounded, justice focused community that taught him about the power of youth leadership in the essential work of creating collective liberation.
He was incarcerated for six months in 2003 for an act of civil disobedience intent on raising awareness about US foreign policy in Latin America. During this incarceration, his call to ministry solidified.
While serving the Community Church of Boston, Rev. Jason attended seminary at the Episcopal Divinity School where he began developing a Unitarian Universalist theology of abolition, a punishment-rejecting spiritual vision grounding a movement to create a world free from policing and prisons.
Rev. Jason’s ministry has included both parish and non-profit work. He founded the organization Black and Pink, a national organization focused on the needs of criminalized LGBTQ/HIV+ people that has become a nearly 20,000 member strong organization with chapters around the country.
Most recently, Rev. Jason completed seven years as the minister at the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago during which the church grew in membership, increased the annual budget, and completed a million dollar capital campaign to beautify the church and make it fully ADA compliant, ensuring accessibility for those seeking a religious home.
With the rise of white Christian nationalism, Rev. Jason roots his ministry with a commitment to dismantling oppression in all its forms and cultivating Unitarian Universalist congregational life that is relational and fully engaged in the world. He is a systems thinker committed to harnessing the power of community to build covenantal networks of accountability and shared ministry.
Rev. Jason is thrilled to be back in the Boston-area. As he begins his tenure as Senior Minister at First Parish in Brookline, he welcomes this new community and his return to the ocean and long-term loving friendships.
Living in Roslindale with his cat, Vanzetti, he is a lover of bicycles and swimming. You can find him pondering the possibility of a mini triathlon, should he ever learn how to run! Rev. Jason is an inner nerd who fully enjoys Marvel and Star Wars content in all forms. He also loves writing long sentences with many commas. Do not hesitate to reach out to him to connect.