Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Lead Chaplain, he/him (through 2023)

Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti serves as Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is a co-editor of the 2018-2019 UUA common read, Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and the Environment. He has served extensively in Unitarian Universalist leadership, including as a member of the UUA Board of Trustees; President of DRUUMM; Commissioner on the UUA Commission on Appraisal, co-authoring its report Engaging Our Theological Diversity; Secretary of the Board of Starr King School for the Ministry; and as an author and advocate of the 2007 General Assembly resolution confronting gender identity-related discrimination. He brings to the ministry his multicultural experience serving as a U.S. diplomat during the Clinton administration.

Rev. John Crestwell, Chaplain Team Member, he/him (through 2024)

Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr. is a called “minister of equal standing” at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. He was the founder and lead organizer of UUCA’s AWAKE Ministries, an innovative approach to worship and small groups where he sought and successfully broadened the emotional, racial, and intercultural competencies of children and adults through contemporary worship, music, mentoring, life coaching, and community service. Rev. John is a UUA President’s Council member and on the Intramural Review Board (IRB) under the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He formerly served on boards for Hospice of the Chesapeake, the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland (UULM-MD), where he was briefly the Director of Outreach, and on boards for United Methodist Reporter Communications in Dallas, Texas, and the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF). Previously, Rev. John was an affiliated faculty professor at the UU seminary, Meadville Lombard Theological in Chicago, and also an adjunct professor at Potomac College in Washington, DC, teaching Comparative Religion, African American History, and Public Speaking.

Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, DRUUMM Consulting Minister & Chaplain Coordinator, he/they

Joseph Santos-Lyons (he/him pronouns) is a biracial Asian-American (Chinese and Czech) organizer and minister based in Antipolo City, The Philippines. With a background serving youth and young adult ministry in the UUA, and leading APANO, an Asian and Pacific Islander community based organization, Joseph’s current calling is in cultivating a new cohousing, chapel and retreat space in Southeast Asia through the Center for Organizing, Renewal and Leadership. A second generation UU, Joseph’s theology is grounded in mutuality, liberation and the unknown. Joseph is the past president of DRUUMM, and working on a doctor of ministry with the Pacific School of Religion. He and his partner Aimee co-parent their three children, and stay engaged with the UU Church of the Philippines and the Church of the Larger Fellowship.

Rev. Sangye Hawke is a recent graduate of the progressive Unitarian Universalist Seminary, Starr King School for the Ministry of Oakland.

Sangye graduated UC Berkeley at age 20, married, and became a stay-at-home mother of two daughters. Sangye also received the Bodhisattva Vow in Karma Kagyu Buddhism, became a Martial Arts instructor, and a historic cemetery preservationist in the city of Santa Cruz, California. It was here that the Call to Unitarian Universalism Ministry and a passion for local history guided Sangye as they/she unearthed new discoveries of Unitarian ancestry and activism in “pre-statehood” California. In early 2021, after receiving her/their Master of Divinity, Sangye was welcomed into Fellowship by the UUA and ordained by two congregations, each historically part of California’s history: the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County, California. Sangye also identifies as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous Person of Color) and serves as an active executive member of Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM).

Rev. Xolani Kacela, Chaplain Team Member, he/him (through 2024)


The Rev. Xolani “xk” Kacela, Ph.D. serves as the interim Senior Minister of the First UU Church of San Jose, California. Previously he served as the minister of the UU Church of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Eno River UU Fellowship in Durham, North Carolina, and the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Texas. 

Rev. Claudia Jimenez

Rev. Claudia Jimenez, UU Congregation of Asheville NC Minister of Faith Development since 2018, is deeply devoted to pastoral care and Congregational Care ministry. With a rich background including serving as the Director of Religious Education in Vero Beach, a decade of international teaching experience, and roles on the Indian River County School Board, she’s also a certified Religious Educator and sexuality educator. Revered for her compassionate counseling, she collaborates with a team of Pastoral Visitors to offer support via phone, email, or in person. Outside her ministry, she is a proud mother of two adult daughters.

Rev. Katie Romano Griffin

Rev. Katie roots her ministry in relationships, and in the belief that each person is inherently good and worthy of love. She currently serves as the Senior Minister at All Souls Indy in Indianapolis, IN. Prior to being called to All Souls Indy, Rev. Katie served Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in the DC Metro as an Associate Minister. Before entering professional ministry, she served as a lay campus minister at Florida Gulf Coast University, had a rich career as a nurse, and worked as the co-owner of a marketing and public relations company. She has a background in coaching and hypnosis, too. Crafting our monthly video meditations is a passion of hers.

Rev. Katie is a 2017 graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School. She serves as a Civil Air Patrol Chaplain with an emphasis on providing emergency/disaster ministry. She serves as a member of the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee, the UU Trauma Response Ministry and she has worked with the Sophia Lyon Fahs Educational Collaborative in developing multi-faith, multicultural curriculum.  She is a co-author of the book, Class Action: The Struggle with Classism in Unitarian Universalism and has been a contributor to the blog Braver/Wiser.  

Rev. Katie hails from a very loving, incredibly boisterous, multiracial family. One of her grandparents came to the US from Argentina, and while she identifies culturally as Latina and Italian, she reports that her biological roots trace to the Mediterranean, Middle-East, Africa and India.  Her mother’s family spoke Spanish, Italian and English mostly at the same time. The result is that she speaks some Spanish, a tiny bit of Italian and a whole lot of English with a New York accent. She lives in Indy with her husband Sean and her dog Baxter.  Her two adult children live in the DC Metro area and she visits with them often.  Rev. Katie loves to unwind at the gym, on the dance floor, eating at a favorite vegan restaurant, reading or writing a book, or creating a meal or baked treat for loved ones.

Rev. Cathy Chang (she/her)

The Rev. Cathy Chang (she/her) is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and chaplain. She currently works at Ascension Health as a Director of Spiritual Care. Cathy graduated with a bachelors of arts degree from Columbia University, and received her masters of divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School. She is a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Cathy enjoys hanging out with her spouse, children and dog, reading, and playing card, board and video games. 

Rev. Marta I. Valentín, Chaplain Team Member, she/her (through 2024)

Rev. Marta I. Valentín is the Professional Development Director in the Ministry and Faith Development staff group at the UUA. She has ministered in several churches of all sizes, but her most memorable was her first: First UU Church in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She brings experience from other UUA-wide positions: New England Regional Staff, former staff group, Identity-based Ministries, Public Information Office, and Beacon Press. She has shared her gifts as well with the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s (UUMA) CENTER continuing education team and as a chaplain with DRUUMM and Finding Our Way Home. Her meditation manual “A Long Time Blooming” was the first by a sole BIPOC author, and her work has appeared in many anthologies. She was a Berry Street “Essayist” with the longest poem she ever wrote in 2017 and was the Sunday morning worship leader and preacher at the 2019 General Assembly in Spokane, WA. She lives in Metro West Boston with her spouse Alison, daughter Jaiya, poodle mix Jack, and the queen of the house, Siamese cat Cleo.