Beth Lefever to be ordained into Unitarian Universalist ministry

ELKHART -- Beth Lefever, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart since 1997, will be ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry in a ceremony at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, at her home church, 1732 Garden St., Elkhart, Indiana
Participants in the ordination service will include the Rev. Amy DeBeck, pastor at UUFE; the Rev. Gordon Gibson, minister emeritus of the church; as well as a number of ministers from within and outside the denomination.

In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, when a person is called to the ministry, there is a stringent process by which they proceed through training. A candidate must earn a Master of Divinity degree, complete chaplaincy training and an internship, and pass “the boards” -- which includes meeting with the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Ministerial Fellowshipping Committee (MFC), the body which determines competency for UU professional ministry.
Only Unitarian Universalist congregation can ordain a person. UU congregations govern themselves by congregational polity, with no authoritative diocese or synod. UUFE decided that that it did see in Beth a minister on whom to bestow the title “Reverend.”
Beth intends to seek full-time ministry at a UU congregation.
Beth was born and raised in Elkhart, Ind. She attended Indiana University South Bend, earning the Student Excellence Award in Sociology for 2005-06. She graduated in May 2011 with a Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago.
Beth served four years as the half-time Religious Leader at the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in St. Joseph, Mich., prior to and during her seminary training. She has led worship services at numerous churches throughout southern Michigan and northern and central Indiana. Beth is married to Evan Lefever.
Before beginning her religious studies, Beth was a 911 dispatcher at the Elkhart City Communication Center for many years, eventually becoming the training director and later, the assistant director. After leaving that job, she served two years on the city of Elkhart’s Board of Public Safety.
Interview requests can be made by calling 574-264-6525.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart
1732 Garden St., Elkhart, IN 46514
www.uufe.org or www.facebook.com/UUFElkhart