Our Ministers
The Rev. Dr. Daniel O'Connell, Senior Minister
The Rev. Adam Robinson, Assistant Minister
The
Reverend Dr. Daniel O'Connell
With a conviction that the UU faith has something extraordinarily important to offer the world, Rev. O’Connell enjoys working with others to create worship experiences that touch the heart, light up the mind, and call congregation members to service. Having been raised in our faith, he is thoroughly grounded in Unitarian Universalism and committed to UU religious education. He seeks ways to describe, explain and celebrate the diverse spiritual paths among us.
Rev. O’Connell grew up in the suburbs of Washington D. C. attending the then new (1961) denomination of Unitarian Universalism. He was active in Liberal Religious Youth, the UU senior high program of the era, and served in UU Young Adult groups all over the country. He is the son of a physicist (atheist) father, and UU church music director (theist) mother. Daniel attended Montgomery College and in 1982, received an Associates of Arts degree in Radio, TV and Film. In 1985, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, majoring in Communications. He worked for several years selling software. Daniel attended seminary in Chicago and received his Doctorate of Ministry degree in 1996 from Meadville Lombard Theological School. He served as the minister of the UU Society of Northern Fairfield County in West Redding, CT for six years. During his next eight years, before joining us here in Houston, he served as Lead Minister for Eliot Unitarian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. Email daniel@firstuu.org
The
Reverend Adam Robinson graduated from Lincoln Christian College
and Seminary, and was ordained in 1992 by the church of his childhood,
Maple Lawn Christian Church. In the early and mid 1990's he served the
Inner City Missions, Inc. in Springfield, Illinois, and worked as chaplain
for the McLean County AIDS Task Force. He has also served as Director
of Worship and Celebration for the Metropolitan Community Church of
the Incarnation in Oak Park, Illinois. Since relocating to Houston Adam
has become very active in the local GLBT community. He finds working
toward equal rights for all and doing volunteer fundraising to support
various HIV/AIDS charities a fulfilling balance to his work at First
Church. In 2005, Adam began working as a volunteer minister at First
Church, became affiliate minister in 2008, and is now our assistant
minister. Email adam@firstuu.org
To reach the ministers, you may call the church office, 713-526-5200.