Elizabeth Cartmell Ladd

Hello!

It is an incredible honor to serve as the Consulting Minister of Hope Unitarian Church. Here is just a taste of who I am and where I come from:

I am a fourth generation Unitarian Universalist originally from Boston. My mother is a United Church of Christ minister and my father is an active UU lay leader. I was raised as a hybrid of sorts, as the religious perspective of my family of origin lies within the generous overlap between these faith traditions. I am blessed that both of my parents and my two siblings have all found wonderful people with whom to share their lives and I am very grateful to have such a wonderfully supportive family. 

Church has always been home to me. I began teaching Religious Education classes as soon as I was deemed old enough. I was active in Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) and served in leadership positions including Continental Spirituality Development Conference Trainer, Youth Caucus Worship Coordinator and Youth Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees. As a young adult I served as the Facilitator of the Steering Committee of the Church of the Younger Fellowship for three years. Through these positions and many deep conversations with beloved friends, I began to acknowledge the call to ministry that I feel has always been with me.   

I studied Theatre and Film at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. I enjoy incorporating these skills into my ministry. I also enjoy dancing, singing, crafting, knitting, and painting. Creativity is a vital part of my spiritual life.

I received my Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. I completed my ministerial internship at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego.

I also work as the Worship Web Coordinator for the Unitarian Universalist Association. The Worship Web is an online resource aimed to deepen and enrich worship in Unitarian Universalist congregations. I am deeply committed to this mission.

I serve as the Communications Coordinator on the Steering Committee for Allies for Racial Equity (ARE). The mission of ARE is to confront racism in ways that are accountable to communities of color by creating opportunities for white Unitarian Universalists to understand white privilege and unlearn white supremacy. I believe that this is vital work in our faith and in the world.  

My partner, Seth, is also a UU minister. It can be quite a gift to share a vocation with him. He is currently serving as Intern Minister at All Souls Unitarian Church.

I love that ministry is relational. I feel so lucky that spending time getting to know people is part of my job. I encourage you to reach out to me so that we can get to know each other better. Who we are and where we come from informs who we are spiritually. Telling our stories can be quite powerful. I’d love to hear your faith journey and share more of mine with you!