Minister, Reverend Rebecca Hinds
Rev. Rebecca is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. She grew up in Duluth, MN and experienced a call to the ministry at a young age. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature from the University of Minnesota, and a Masters of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, MA. Rev. Rebecca was ordained in 2014 and has been serving Unitarian Universalism ever since. Before being called to Charleston in 2021, she served congregations in New England and the Midwest. Rev. Rebecca and her elementary-aged daughter love to explore Charleston and enjoy spending time outside.
E-mail: rebecca@charlestonuu.org
Church Administrator, Lily Colburn
Lily is a third generation Unitarian who recently moved to Charleston, SC. Prior to her move to Charleston, she lived in Washington, DC where she worked for US Representative Sharice Davids as an operations manager, scheduler, and staff assistant. Borna and raised in the tallgrass prairies of Kansas, she has degrees in political science, environmental science, and nonprofit leadership from Kansas State University and loves to bake and go on walks around her Park Circle neighborhood.
E-mail: lily@charlestonuu.org
Lifetime Religious Education Coordinator, Emily White
Emily grew up and went to college in Massachusetts and has lived in Charleston for 12 years. Spirituality and the path of the soul are her guiding forces. She has always been drawn to children and nurturing their growth. She’s a yoga & meditation teacher, a beach person, and a mom as well.
Email: emily@charlestonuu.org
Membership Coordinator, Julie Standish
Julie was born and raised in the rolling hills of Southern Ohio and has lived in Charleston off and on for the past 8 years. She has a masters degree in library and information science, and an undergraduate degree in communications. She loves all things nature, reading, traveling, and spending time with her dog, Homer, and her cat, Pinecone.
Email: julie@charlestonuu.org
Music Director, Ryan Pagels
Ryan Pagels is a highly sought-after conductor, composer and pianist. Before moving to Charleston, Ryan was the Director of Music at St. John's Episcopal, Interim and then Assistant Artistic Director for the Cumberland Choral Arts, and Collaborative Pianist at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. Ryan has music directed throughout the region, working on productions including Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, The Fantasticks, The Last 5 Years, and Songs for a New World. In 2010, he made his Carnegie debut, collaborated on recitals with faculty from Julliard, and was the pianist for the opening ceremonies of the World Equestrian Games. In 2011, he made his international debut, concertizing in Italy as part of the Orfeo Music Festival.
E-mail: ryan@charlestonuu.org
Director of Finance and Human Resources, Christine Magnarella Ray
Christine joined the church staff in February of 2020, a year and a half after she and her family moved from Colorado. Having been UU's for almost 20 years, one of their top priorities in relocating was to find an active UU congregation. They received a warm welcome here and joined as members within a month of arriving. Christine also owns Do Good Books, helping small nonprofits with their bookkeeping. Previously, Christine worked in various roles for the Unitarian Congregation of Asheville. Christine is an avid amateur naturalist and loves the outdoors, good food, books and movies. She and her husband David live on James Island with their cats, Mochi and Wiley.
E-mail: christine@charlestonuu.org
Wedding & Event Coordinator, Susan Findlay
A lifelong Unitarian, Sue has been a part of our congregation since 1996. She has held the on-site wedding coordinator since 2008 and has worked with many couples who have chosen our beautiful church for their wedding ceremonies. In the past, Sue has taught Religious Education and served on various committees including the Religious Education Committee and the Music Committee. She is currently a member of the choir. While not coordinating weddings, Sue works as a technology teacher at Harbor View Elementary School. She is also a member of the Charleston Symphony Chorus and plays keyboards in a band with other members of the congregation.
Email: weddings@charlestonuu.org
AV Technician, Skyler Waddell
Email: avtech@charlestonuu.org
Minister Emerita, Reverend Jacqueline Collins
The Rev. Jacqueline Collins retired in 2005 after a sixteen year ministry at UCC. Jacqueline graduated from the Starr King School for the ministry in Berkeley CA. She describes herself as a Religious Humanist influenced by Martin Buber and Thich Nhat Hanh. In Charleston, Jacqueline was on the board of the YWCA for many years, and was active in the Memminger school program, the NAACP, and a group of ministers at the time when LGBTs were rejected outright. She participated in the March for Women’s Lives in 2004.
Born in France, Jacqueline lived in Paris during the WWII German occupation, emigrating to the U.S. in 1956. When in California, she enjoyed backpacking in the Sierras with her four daughters. In retirement Jacqueline published the translation of the diary of an officer POW in Germany, published by her father, prisoner in the same camp.
Community Minister, Reverend Nathan Woodliff-Stanley
The Rev. Nathan Woodliff-Stanley (he/him) is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who currently serves as Executive Director of the South Carolina UU Justice Alliance (SCUUJA). Nathan moved to Charleston in 2021 after his wife Ruth became the first woman elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. Originally from Iowa, Nathan completed academic degrees from Swarthmore College, Yale Divinity School, and the Yale School of Management. He served as the founding director of the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits for ten years, as a social justice minister at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Colorado for eight years, and as Executive Director of the ACLU of Colorado for more than seven years, along with consulting ministry with two other Colorado UU congregations. His current volunteer commitments include leadership in the Abolish Slavery National Network (seeking to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime), the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, and Charleston Area Justice Ministry. He affiliated as a Community Minister with the Unitarian Church in Charleston in October, 2022. Nathan enjoys hiking or walks, vegan cooking, music, puzzles, and reading. Nathan and Ruth have two young adult sons, John in St. Louis, and George here in Charleston.
