Our Staff

Rev. Pat Williamson Senior Minister	Reverend Pat Williamson is committed to supporting individuals in growth as well as transformation through Unity principles thus empowering them to live as expression of The Christ within. His personal mission is to teach and preach these Universal Truth Principles so that he may grow spiritually and assist others with their growth. His 26 years of personal recovery assist others in supporting their own spiritual journey.Pat serves as Senior Minister of Unity Christ Church in Golden Valley, MN. He has served as chair of the Association of Unity Churches International and is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for Unity. Pat also is a of the Unity Movement Advisory Council. He serves or has served on the Field Licensing Team, the Radio/Media Ministry Team, and the Great Lakes Regional, Children’s Education Team. Pat’s professional Affiliations include the International Conference of Police Chaplains, and he is a graduate of Unity Ministerial Executive Institute.Pat has served the congregations of Unity Temple on the Plaza, Kansas City, MO, Unity Church on the North Shore, Evanston IL, New Thought Unity Center, Cincinnati and is currently serving Unity Christ Church in Golden Valley, MN.
Rev. Raymond NelsonAssociate Minister	Reverend Ray Nelson, is a 2011 graduate of the Unity Institute and is the 2009-2010 recipient of the Mary Jane Ondr scholarship in leadership and academic excellence. Rev. Ray was licensed and ordained by Unity World Wide Ministries in June of 2011. In addition, Rev. Ray received a Masters of Divinity in 2008 from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling. Rev. Ray has served as youth education director at Unity of Independence in Missouri, as a chaplain at the Methodist long term care facility in South Minneapolis, and as an on-call chaplain for University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital. Rev. Ray currently serves on the Board of Directors of Peace Matters, an alternative ministry of the Unity World Wide Ministries, and is a certified Healthy Congregations trainer, with additional training in the art and practice of non-violent mediation.Rev. Ray’s personal mission is: “Centered in God I live, teach, and preach a gospel of wholeness.” Rev Ray truly has an ecumenical heart and strives to build bridges of commonality rather than focus on the distinctions of difference. Rev. Ray draws freely upon his own personal life journey to assist others on their spiritual path, including a complete healing from a life threatening condition and 18 years of recovery from substance abuse. Transformation is not a theory but a lived experience for Rev. Ray, which he joyfully and passionately shares with others. Rev. Ray believes we are spiritual beings having a human experience and our work is to align the human experience with the Divine truth of who we truly are. Rev Ray is the director of sacred services, adult education, and the pastoral ministries, among other duties.Rev. Ray is blessed to have a partner in ministry, his wife Robin. Rev. Ray and Robin are in the planning stages of developing a series of workshops and classes in family life education that support the entire family, no matter what they look like. Rev. Ray looks forward to serving Unity Christ Church in a variety of capacities.
Rev. Sher McNeal Executive Director	Rev. Sher was ordained as a Religious Science Minister in the fall of 2004. Religious Science is a New Thought church, born in the mid-1900s, about the same time as the Unity movement began. Unity and Religious Science are very similar, like kissing cousins, in that they share the same roots and spiritual principles.In 2007 Rev. Sher came on board at Unity Christ Church as a Staff Minister, a year later adding on the Director of Sacred Service position; and in August of 2009 she took the position of Executive Director. In this position, she is able to use her background in previous careers and degrees. She has a Masters in Psychology and training in several therapeutic modalities and is available for Spiritual Counseling; an MBA which serves in the Executive Director position; and a Masters in Divinity, currently teaching classes and workshops at Unity Christ Church as well as speaking occasionally.She is always a student and presently her favorite area of study is Jungian Psychology, where she currently studies as a member of the Minnesota Seminar of Jungian Studies. She loves travel, especially spiritual pilgrimages, reading 1-2 books a week, music of all kinds, sewing and creating new designs, meditating, biking and walking. Her goal in life, simply stated: enlightenment.
Nancy Maiello Youth & Family Ministry Director	My mother, Clarice Erickson, introduced me to Unity as a teenager and Unity Christ Church has been my spiritual home for more than 30 years. The Unity spiritual principles resonated within me as Truth from my first visit. As my life has unfolded, I have been sometimes more and sometimes less involved at Unity Christ Church. I volunteered as coordinator of our Young Emerging Spirits program in the mid 1990’s and fell in love with serving kids and families.I have been blessed with two incredible daughters (19 and 22) and met and married my husband, Thomas, at Unity Christ Church. Thomas and I enjoy dreaming up our next travel destination and tending to a beautiful garden at our Maple Grove home. My current passion is the Youth and Family Ministry at Unity Christ Church. It is my honor to serve in this incredibly joyful and important area of our spiritual community.
Connie Eckert Office Administrator	I started attending Unity Christ Church in September of 2007 and became a member that fall. I have loved it ever since!After working as an Administrative Assistant for the Chairman of Hubbard Broadcasting for 35 years, I retired and just “played” for 5 years. In 2008 I volunteered to be an Office Angel at UCC, and that morphed into being the Office Administrator in August of 2009. In addition to my Administrative Services duties, I am also the team leader for the Love Offering Counters. One of the best parts about my job is the opportunity to get to know so many of the people in our church. I enjoy putting names and faces together.In my spare time, I love to travel with my husband, JB. I have also been interested in and involved with miniatures & dollhouses for over 20 years.Life is good!
Michael Lord Bookkeeper	I began working at UCC in November, 2007, as the Bookkeeper/Accountant. I am a graduate of Edina-West High School and have a degree in Business Finance from the University of Minnesota.Not including working for a living, my normal activities include raising my two kids, Skyler (7) and Riley (5).(both are Shetland Sheepdogs), golf, darts, riding the emotional roller coasters that are the Vikings and Twins, a love of the Silver Screen, N-scale model railroading, world travel, and listening to good music. Current faves are Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius, Bruckner, Mahler, U2, Yes, Rush, and always Jethro Tull – but no country, please.
Scott Jensen Custodian	I have been a Minnesota resident my whole life except for two wonderful years living in Colorado. I have two post-college-age daughters that have finally moved out on their own! Something I am sure many of you can relate to. I have been the custodian at Unity for over a year now. I am pleased to say this is one of the nicest places I have ever worked at, and I hope to be here until those retirement checks start arriving. I have been employed on a part-time basis at several churches over the past twenty-plus years allowing me time to pursue my true passion. My art.I am a leather artisan. My first attempt to work with leather was at age 20. I was inspired by its natural beauty and the endless amount of possibilities I saw in creating leather goods. I was able to incorporate my love of nature and my strong desire to produce art into my new-found passion for leather. So began my self-taught journey in the world of leather-working. After much frustration, crudely made work, and never-ending perseverance, I have finally perfected my skills. Today, and 40 years of experience later, my work has won numerous awards and has been displayed in quality galleries and boutiques throughout the Southwest. My work currently includes hand-carved and painted pictures, journals, vessels, purses, and custom pieces, as featured on my website, LeatherCarvings.com.…and yes, ladies, I am single!
Lori Dokken & Judy Donaghy Music/Choir Directors	Lori Dokkenhas been involved in the music industry for almost 30 years – as a Cabaret performer, vocalist, pianist, arranger, producer, musical director and now as an educator on the voice faculty at McNally Smith College of Music.Her musical roots actually lie in the Lutheran Church, where she was very active until her early twenties. Over the course of about the past 12 years she has been active in the United Church of Christ. Lori was the Music Director at Minnehaha United Church of Christ for 8 years and has led the music and been the music director for many UCC conventions, from local youth conventions, to the Minnesota State conventions and all the way up to the National Convention when it was held here a few years ago.From Lori: “I am greatly honored and humbled to be entrusted to lead the music at Unity Christ Church. I look forward to working with you and welcome any and all suggestions as to how the music ministry at Unity can grow in spirit and fulfillment.”Judi Donaghy joined Unity Christ Church as the Choir Director in January of 2008 and has built up a dynamic and powerful 40+ voice choir that continues to bless and wow our congregation throughout the year whether it is on a Sunday or at a special concert. If variety is the spice of life, call her “Curry.” Surrounded by a family of 9 with differing musical tastes, Judi grew up singing everything from Julie Andrews to Blood Sweat and Tears. During college the days were filled with Duparc, and the nights were filled with Doobies (the band.) By the mid-90’s Judi was singing Swing on Wednesdays, Folk on Fridays, R&B on Saturdays, Cabaret on Mondays, and Gospel on Sunday. She met her vocal hero, Bobby McFerrin in 1997, and worked for Bobby during a writing project for 1 year. In 2001 Bobby hired her to join his 12 member a cappela group “Voicestra.” After 9 years, 4 European tours and 5 US tours, she continues this dream gig next year with a “train tour” to East Europe and Russia. Over the years, one-time gigs with such greats as Yo Yo Ma, Janis Siegel, Marilyn McCoo, and Carole King made for good diary days. At home in the Twin Cities, Judi works regularly with The Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra, JazzMN Big Band, St. Croix Jazz Orchestra, The Girls, Urbanstride, and her own acoustic ensemble, Judi, Cliff ‘n’ Daves. This year she will write, record, and perform her first CD of all original material with members of the McNally Smith Faculty. A teacher since 1994, Judi designed the curriculum for the Voice Department at McNally Smith College, an institution designed for contemporary musicians. With a heartfelt belief that American Contemporary Music deserves its place in academia, Judi has developed teaching techniques for healthy singing in any style. Judi works at Jazz Festivals as a clinician and has taught 4 improvisation workshops with Bobby McFerrin; 3 in New York and 1 in Basel, Switzerland. An award winning songwriter (JAZZIZ Magazine,) her songs have been recorded by Debbie Duncan, Three Hits and a Miss, The Girls, and Lori Dokken. You can often hear cuts from Judi’s two solo CD’s, “Sink or Swing” with the Wolverines, and “Ballads and Bossas” with Judi Cliff ‘n’ Daves on MPR, KLBB, and KBEM Jazz FM.
Jess Drenth, Electronic Communications Coordinator	Jess Drenth joined Unity Christ Church as the part-time Electronic Communications Coordinator in November 2011. For the past 3 years, Jess has been offering web design and marketing services for visionary leaders, ecopreneurs, and social change agents through her website at jessdrenth.com. Jess oversees the work of the Communications Ministry at Unity Christ Church, and serves as the Team Leader for the EarthCare Ministry. She is on a personal mission to help raise the social, environmental, and spiritual consciousness of the planet, starting with the transformation of ourselves. Please contact Jess at jess@unitychristchurch or by calling 763-521-4793 x24.