Rev. Stephen Ames established the Pastoral Associates (PA) program at UUCE in the spring of 2008. PAs are selected and trained by the minister to visit church members and friends in times of transition and those unable to attend church regularly, such as those in nursing homes with limited mobility. Meetings every other month are provided to help them deepen their art of spiritual listening. The content of their visits is shared only as needed for supervision, and anything shared is kept confidential.

Nine UUCE members took the PA training in April 2008, and the following are active as Pastoral Associates in May 2009: Kathy Dillon and Fred Schultz, co-chairs; Bob Coleman, Sally DeCou, and Dianne Watson. Additional training took place in October of 2009 and Leora White was added to the group. Kathy Dillon is currently the coordinator.

If you would like a visit from a Pastoral Associate, or know someone who might, tell the Pastoral Associate Coordinator or email them at PastoralAssociates@uueugene.org.

The Pastoral Associate visiting you comes not as a professional counselor or social worker but as a spiritual listener. She or he is there to listen with compassion, and perhaps help you engage your situation spiritually, with your deepest or best self. Visits are up to an hour, with conversations varying from person to person. In the hospital or similar situations, visits are usually briefer and more of a check-in. While the minister still provides direct pastoral care, this program enables far more people to receive compassionate one-to-one visits.

PAs are careful to work within their limitations, making referrals as appropriate. They coordinate with the Caring Committee, which provides people in transition with practical short-term assistance, such as rides to the hospital or home-cooked meals to people following the death of a family member. Please see Bob Coleman, chair of the Caring Committee, if you know of someone who could use their assistance.

More Pastoral Associates were selected and trained in 2010. If you are a UUCE member interested in becoming a Pastoral Associate, please fill out an application and return it to the office. Over the years, dozens of members will be trained in the art of spiritual listening, which will have ripple effects of kindness and mindfulness throughout our community and beyond.

In faith and gratitude,
Rev. Stephen Ames

To reach a Pastoral Associate, use:    PastoralAssociates@uueugene.org or phone them directly:

Current Team:
The PA Coordinator through March of 2010 is Kathy Dillon 541-689-1620.
Bob Coleman 541-461-0956, Dianne Watson 345-5241, Sally DeCou 541-998-2110,
Fred Schultz 441-654-0554, and Leora White 541-337-5001 make up the rest of the current team.

Our Care Team can help with casseroles, transportation, shopping, reading, visits, daily phone calls, and such. To reach the Care Team, use:   care@uueugene.org

PA Mission Statement