Hello! I’m Rev. Krista Taves (she/her), the Lead Minister of Eliot Chapel. I joined Eliot Chapel in 2020 as the Minister of Congregational Life and began serving in the Lead Minister position in 2023. It is a joy and honor to serve this vibrant congregation. 

I fell in love with Unitarian Universalism in 1997 when, as a queer woman, I discovered this faith and its acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people. This was a big deal in 1997. I fell in love with our deep valuing of each person, our commitment to justice and peace, our commitment to covenant, our approach to life as an interdependent web, and our centering of love in all that we do. I was also drawn to UUism because it welcomes diversity and the many ways we name and experience sacredness. There was theological room for me here. My life became more whole and centered as a Unitarian Universalist. In 1999 I felt the call to the Unitarian Universalist ministry. I entered seminary at the University of Toronto School of Theology and was credentialed and ordained in 2004. 

I am passionate about social justice. My spouse and I enjoy our time gardening, volunteering at a senior dog shelter, reading, trying new gluten free recipes, and being outdoors. We adopt old rescue dogs. We love them to pieces as they enjoy their senior years basking in doggie luxury.

For those for whom it’s important, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Waterloo with a focus on Canadian political and social history. I earned a Master of Arts in History at York University specializing in immigration and religious and cultural history. I’m one of many ABD (All But Dissertation) doctoral students. If I had completed my thesis it would have been titled, “The Politics of Memory in the Canadian Russian Mennonite Community 1923-1945.” I am proud to have published two articles that made a valuable contribution to the field of Mennonite history. In my 3rd year of doctoral work, I experienced the call and transferred to the University of Toronto School of Theology to complete a Masters of Divinity. I’ve never looked back. 

I’ve served 9 congregations: The Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Toronto (student minister), The Unitarian Congregation of Guelph ON (student minister), The First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans (interim minister), Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel, Ellisville MO (settled minister), The First Unitarian Congregation of Springfield MO (contract minister), the Quincy Unitarian Church IL (consulting minister), the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of La Crosse WI (consulting minister), The Unitarian Church of Alton IL (contract minister), and Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel (supporting minister and settled lead minister). Each ministry has been a blessing that I will treasure always.