Meet LJ Williams, Our Ministerial Intern

We are thrilled to introduce LJ Williams (she/they) as the inaugural Ministerial Intern at Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). Originally from Bellwood, IL, and now based in Orange County, NY, LJ is an aspiring Unitarian Universalist minister in their final year at Starr King School for the Ministry. With a passion for embodied worship, revolutionary movements, and the history of the African diaspora, LJ brings invaluable experience and dedication to our community. A long-time member of the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism, LJ has coordinated Chicago’s vibrant BLUUHaven and currently serves as the board president of the Young Adult Revival Network. Their previous role as Worship Learning Fellow at the Church of the Larger Fellowship (2021-2023) highlights their commitment to fostering inclusive and dynamic worship spaces. 

This milestone marks the launch of our new Ministerial Internship Program, the DRUUMM Fellowship. Designed for seminarians, students, and religious professionals passionate about social justice, the Fellowship offers a one-year remote commitment with the possibility of renewal. Fellows will engage in anti-racism work, pastoral care, and community organizing, exploring portfolios in Community Ministry or Pastoral Care. Supported by a competitive stipend and home office allowance, this program empowers leaders to drive transformational change. 

A special thanks to Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel, our Steering Committee Vice President, for her vision and dedication in creating this transformative program. We are excited for the journey ahead and the impactful leadership LJ will bring to DRUUMM!

Message from LJ:

Hello Beloveds,

It is my honor and privilege to serve as your inaugural Ministerial Intern. I’m so excited to learn with and from you. Over this past year, my family and I have been aligning ourselves in Jewish time, connecting more deeply with bodies, ourselves, the planet and our communities. It feels fitting that I arrive to you in the spiritually potent month of Elul. This month can be preparation for the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah, the new year, and the cycles it brings to Yom Kippur, a day of repair and accountability.

This practice is a blessing for several reasons. One. I love the idea of an on ramp for the sacred. We can take the time to reflect, rest, and reimagine how we would like to be together. We can stretch and ease into sacred space so that when the time comes, we can create meaningful rituals for ourselves that are relevant and potent. Two. It reminds me of the power of meaning made in a community, of which there can be so many configurations! Forgiveness, appreciation, mentorship, curiosity of spirit, death and rebirth.

In our faith tradition and around the world there are many divisions, death, destruction and rebirth. I believe in the mission of DRUUMM to craft and foster sacred space that centers the experiences of BIPOC communities. From Palestine, to Kanaky, from Burkino Faso to the Philippines, we the people of color, often downtrodden, left to bear the brunt of colonialism at the hands of the United States and its allies, have stories that will be remembered, that will be told. I encourage you to be on the lookout for DRUUMM Beat our newsletter or join our DRUUMM Slack, for ways to be in community. Over the course of this year, I hope together we can breathe fire into Unitarian Universalism.