Brian Calhoon grew up in a United Methodist church that emphasized mission work, but not the kind you might think of. In his late teens Brian went to two rust belt cities and a Native American reservation and fixed stuff, no preaching involved. The church of his childhood felt like home and while he learned a bit about the Bible, he perhaps learned more about being kind.
Brian went on to college and majored in French and History, that was a natural lead in to a year teaching English near Grenoble and lifelong love for skiing. Upon return, he entered the School of International Service at American University where he met his wife Charlene. After graduation, Brian went to work for a USAID contractor and saw a lot of the developing world including Haiti and West Africa.
Their home base, however, was Washington, DC and at Charlene’s instigation they started attending All Souls UUC. After a few years in DC, they moved to Silver Spring, and l ike many of us, they wanted some sort of religious education for their children Elena and Sonia. The long commute and a desire for a deeper community led them first to the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Silver Spring and then as the pandemic set in to UUCSS in the summer of 2023. At one of their first services Reverend Caitlin gave her famous Barbie sermon and they were hooked.
Brian’s philosophy can be summed up as trying to be a good person and treat others with respect. He will tell you that he reads boring non-fiction books and then get excited telling you about them. He became a baker during the depths of COVID and has a five-year sourdough starter that he will share willingly with anyone who asks. Brian finds UUCSS a place that feels like home where he can live out his values.