Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones (she/her)
Minister
In January 2024, Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones joined the shared ministries of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett as our part-time minister. To UUCG, she brings the joy, hope, and struggle of her experiences as a minister, author, artist, and community organizer. She believes in the power of people, grounded in our various faiths and united in one sacred web of solidarity and Love, to dismantle oppressive systems and create communities that cherish the beauty and dignity of all. She is co-author with Karin Lin of Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism and co-editor with the Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley of Soul Work: Anti-racist Theologies in Dialogue.
In the 1990s, after 20 years devoted to her twin vocations as a professional actress and freelance book editor, Nancy found her new spiritual home at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in New York City, and within a few months she felt a call to ministry. Graduating from Harvard Divinity School, she served Unitarian Universalist congregations in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, and Freeport, New York, before becoming the Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of San José. There she served for 17 years (2005-2022) and was elected Minister Emerita in June 2022. From 2022-2023, she initiated the role of Director of Faith Leader Organizing with People Acting in Community Together (a Faith in Action community-organizing affiliate).
What common threads weave through all these vocations? Rev. Nancy says, “Whether as an actor, writer, minister, or organizer, I want to witness to the transformative power of story to show us who we are and who we can be as human beings, in all our beauty and our heartbreak! As we build beloved community, we have stories to share and stories to create together. These stories, in turn, help us translate the Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion of UUCG’s mission into tangible everyday actions that help to heal the world. I hope you’ll find your spiritual home at UUCG and join us on our journey toward more meaningful, just, and joyful lives.”