Our full-time professional minister, Rev. Kellie C. Kelly will be taking a well-deserved sabbatical leave from January 1 through April 30, 2023. She has earned this time away through her years of service at Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Her first Sunday back in the pulpit after her break will be May, 7, 2023.
What is a ministerial sabbatical?
The Unitarian Universalist Association requires ministers to take some planned time away to make the role of minister more sustainable. Contracts guarantee our ministers one month of leave for every year served. Rev. Kellie began her service as our minister in August of 2018, earning her four months of sabbatical leave. Ministers use their time away to rest, recharge, and get re-inspired for returning to active ministry. A minister may choose to travel, study, write, or simply rest during this time.
Will we have a minister while Rev. Kellie is away?
We are very fortunate to welcome Rev. Ruth Hopkins as our part time minister while Rev. Kellie is on leave. She will be working twenty hours a week. Rev. Ruth will lead the Sunday worship service twice a month, provide pastoral care, supervise MVUUF staff, and support the board during her time with us. Rev. Ruth has been an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ (UCC) since 2011. Ruth says that she has, “…a passion for Progressive Christianity as it relates to worship and adult education.” She shares her Christian practice with the practices of Buddhism and “sprinklings of astrology and philosophy.” You can contact Rev. Ruth at 
The Worship Committee will plan services and provide guest speakers for the Sundays when Rev. Ruth isn’t with us.
How long will Rev. Kellie be gone?
She will be away for four months, from January through April 2023.
What are Rev. Kellie’s plans for her sabbatical?
She hopes to spend some of her time away rekindling her involvement in theater. In addition to inspiration and life enrichment, this will give her an opportunity to develop connections with people outside the Fellowship and other faith communities, something she has not had time to do since moving to the area in 2018.
Whom should I contact while Rev. Kellie is away?
Since Rev. Ruth is contracted for twenty hours a week, others also will be helping during Rev. Kellie’s absence.
For pastoral care, you may contact Rev. Ruth at
Or you may contact a member of our pastoral care team. Anything you choose to share with them will be confidential.
Mike Fanelli
937-231-6359
Tina Musgrove
937-204-7504
Maury Wyckoff
937-478-2993
Susan Forman
937-901-1509
Steve Steel
937-304-4087
You can also reach them at:
For building or property concerns, contact Operations Representative Jeff Bohrer at 
For a help with resolving a covenantal issue between you and another MVUUF member or friend, you may contact the Committee on Ministry at 
For “big picture” concerns, such as MVUUF’s mission and vision, policy issues, or a concern about how the congregation is doing overall while Kellie is on sabbatical, you my contact our board president, Andy Wilson (until his term expires at the end of February) at 
You may speak with Rev. Ruth Hopkins or our board president/vice-president about any of these issues if you prefer.
If you have other questions that have not been answered here, please contact the Committee on Ministry at