Preston Mears is the Volunteer of the Month for May. Preston is an ordained and licensed Episcopalian priest, but his wife Laurie was born and raised Unitarian. Although they spent many years in the Episcopal church pursuing their common mission of social justice, after they moved to Maryland, they joined a Unitarian-Universalist church because it was more accepting of their gay daughter. They came to UUCSS looking for a church that would meet the needs of their whole family, including their three grandchildren. At church, worship is where Preston’s greatest involvement lies, because he feels that his skills and training allow him to contribute meaningfully to the life of UUCSS. Preston fills in the pulpit on short notice, as necessary. He also enjoys working with visiting ministers, encouraging them to be creative with what they bring to our pulpit, and to work with Michael Holmes to supplement the message through the music. Preston also follows and sometimes participates in the work of the Social Justice Taskforce. When meeting new members at UUCSS, Preston tries to get to know them and see what their interests or needs are. He notes that we have a lot to offer at UUCSS.
