Senior Minister
The Rev. Lisa Perry-Wood began her ministry at First Parish in Brookline as our 17th called minister on August 1, 2018. Rev. Lisa is a native New Englander, who recently served as Acting Parish Minister at First Parish in Bedford, MA (2018). She also served as summer minister at First Parish in Lexington (2017) and Winchester Unitarian Society (2016) and completed her two-year student ministry at First Religious Society in Carlisle, where she also served as Interim Director of Religious Education (2014-16).
Rev. Lisa is animated by a deep, long-time commitment to social justice with a particular focus on racial justice, prison ministry, immigration justice, and class inequity. She was a founding member of Lexington’s Coalition for Racial Equality and served as Executive Director of the MA Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. She is a Workshop Facilitator for UU Class Conversations and served as a chaplain for the UUA’s Beloved Conversations.
Rev. Lisa has a rich and varied work history to draw on for her ministry. Before entering seminary, she was a mental health counselor, trainer and community mediator; a charter school leader in Lynn, MA; a consultant and trainer in grant writing and fund development; and interim executive director at Boston area non-profits.
Rev. Lisa lives in Lexington, MA with her wife, Zoe, a school psychologist and artist-photographer. Rev. Lisa has three adult children, and she and Zoe are grandparents of three (including twins). For the past eight years, they have also supported a great niece, who is now in college.
Rev. Lisa draws on a wide range of spiritual traditions and experiences in UU communities; she identifies as a Buddhist-mystic, and finds inspiration in nature walks and time spent on, in or near water.
Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 am-5 pm.
Contact: revlisa@firstparishinbrookline.org or call 781-883-3411 (cell)
Tiny Spiritual Practices Podcast
Music Director
Keith Kirchoff has been the Music Director at First Parish for about a decade. He is a pianist, composer, conductor, concert curator, and teacher. He has appeared with orchestras throughout the U.S. and played in many major cities across the world. Read his full bio
Contact: keith@firstparishinbrookline.org
Coordinator of Religious Exploration
Zach Roe has lived in many places, but his roots are deep in the hills of Central Appalachia. Much of his life has been spent working to educate youth and adults on matters of social justice, especially regarding matters of race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. From the experience of engaging with various cultures and traditions through extensive travel and living abroad, to being in an inter-religious, inter-cultural, inter-racial, multi-lingual, gay relationship, he has learned about the importance of engaging with these issues and working for justice. Zach holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Andover Newton Theological School and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Middle Tennessee State University. He and his husband, the Reverend Ángel D. Marrero-Ayala (ECUSA), currently reside in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Contact: zroe@firstparishinbrookline.org
Religious Exploration Assistant
Paige Belfield has moved around a lot but considers herself a Boston native. She graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Human Rights in Society and Pre-law. She’s been working with youth since the age of 15 and just finished a service year with AmeriCorps as a Community Organizer in the Roxbury area.
Other Staff
|
Parish Administrator | Ebiere Omoregie ebiere@firstparishinbrookline.org |  |
| Custodian | Oppong Serebour | |
| Bookkeeper | Adam Berman adam@firstparishinbrookline.org |
Affiliate Minister
The Rev. MaryHelen Gunn is our Affiliate Minister. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Andover Newton Theological School.