We are excited to welcome our new minister, Rev. Beau Rivers. She will lead her first worship service at Ingathering on Sunday, Sept. 8. Here is a profile of her that we have created based on the essays she provided to us during the application and interview process.
Rev. Beau answered her call to ministry after a 15-year career in retail management and a 15-year career in social work and community mental health. The daughter of French-Canadian immigrants and descendants of the Wolastoqiyik [Wall-a-stow-key-ick] First Nations of Canada, she grew up in Lewiston, Maine and settled in Portland, Maine upon completion of her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Southern Maine.
She earned her M.Div. at The Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, MA. She was ordained on International Women’s Day in 2020 and has served as contract minister at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Weymouth, MA and as WorshipWeb assistant and chaplain coordinator at The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in Boston, MA. She was the sabbatical minister at The United First Parish Church of Quincy, MA during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. She then went on to serve as senior/solo minister at All Souls UU Church in Braintree, MA from 2021 to 2024, where she helped them assess their resources emerging from the pandemic and supported their decision-making regarding a reduction in ministry and programming going forward.
Rev. Beau views ministry as a communal endeavor; she sees herself as a “catalyst” in the life of the congregation. She values collaboration and egalitarian, inclusive decision-making. She has worked with churches to create desired congregational change around attracting young families through “child friendly” open houses and vibrant RE programs. She fosters healthy communication through the conscious development and implementation of group covenants that transform interpersonal tension into deeper understanding and mutual appreciation.
She is excited about many opportunities to learn and grow parish ministry, from pastoral care, to community building and long-range planning. She is eager to explore the meaning of life with children, youth, and adults and loves to bring worship themes to life through the use of visual and performing arts. She is passionate about social justice in the public sphere, interfaith coalitions, and support for our immigrant and Native American neighbors.
Rev. Beau welcomes the use of technology to enhance the worship experience. She created many different kinds of online gatherings for her congregations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, from intimate gatherings for lighting Candles of Remembrance to full worship services. She is no stranger to the intricacies and logistics of Zoom and PowerPoint.
She brings a calm and grounding personal presence to her ministry, infused with her lifelong meditation practice and Reiki training. She identifies as a mystic who is open to the “transcendent mystery of life and love,” reveres Nature as the Cathedral of Her Heart, and relates best to the tenets of Process Theology. She is someone who can lead and who can also observe and listen and hold space for others to grow into their best selves. She honors and supports each individual’s personal beliefs. She understands the importance of self-care, and she nourishes her spirit through participating in retreats, workshops, collegial gatherings, study leave, and daily practices of meditation and physical exercise.
Rev. Beau is a sincere, compassionate, dedicated, fully-embodied person and spiritual leader. We welcome her to our congregation with open arms! You may read more about Rev. Beau on her website at: beaurivers.org.
