My name is Dee Evans. She/they are my pronouns. I am delighted that the Eliot Chapel Board approved me as your new community minister. Let me introduce myself.

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. The working class community passed on two values that helped me have a successful career—work hard and get an education. I graduated with a degree in psychology and then went to work. I subsequently earned a masters degree and a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. Much of my career was spent in the forensic division of the Illinois Department of Mental Health. I loved my work.

I was married to a brilliant and funny man for nearly 48 years. He retired as a robotics engineer in industrial automation. We were supportive of each other despite our very different interests. Toward the end of his life, I was his caretaker. He was easy to care for because he had such a good attitude. Sadly, he died in 2016. My friends helped me navigate this difficult time in my life.

My spiritual journey was long and somewhat rambling. My parents were Roman Catholics. My education in Catholic schools led me to feel that I had a calling. I entered the convent in my teen years and eventually took my first vows. During the year, ironically due to the excellent education that the convent provided, I realized that I could no longer be a Roman Catholic. Of course, that meant that I had to leave the convent. It is from my convent years that I developed an understanding of the importance of community.

After I left the convent, I did not attend any church for several years. I began a trek through various Protestant denominations. I did join a Unitarian Universalist congregation, even serving on the board. When we returned to Chicago, I did not seek out another UU church. I continued my trek through Christian Protestant denominations and began studying Tibetan Buddhism.

When I moved to this area to take a position at Alton Mental Health Center, one of the employees invited me to the First Unitarian Church of Alton. I told her that I was a seeker, and my experience with the UU congregation I had belonged to was that UUs did not like questions. With great surprise, she assured me that her church allowed their congregants to question. Within a year, I became a Unitarian Universalist and still continue to ask questions. I was on the board of our congregation and became board president. That position was more involved and challenging than I ever imagined.

The call I felt in my teen years never went away. But I ignored it believing I was misreading what I was experiencing. Then two interim ministers came to our congregation. I saw something in them that led me to ministry. So, I entered seminary. I was continually asking myself what I was doing taking this path. Then Rev. Krista Taves became the leader of the UU House of Students at Eden Theological Seminary. She asked us what we wanted to do. After I floundered around saying what I wanted to do, she said, “You want to be a community minister.” That statement set me on a ministerial path that several years later ended up with my asking Eliot for affiliation.

So, this is a new adventure for me led by Spirit and the mentoring of the ministers in this area. I am so glad your congregation is allowing me to share this adventure of the Spirit with you.