The First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo is pleased to have the
services of a consulting minister. Rev. Karen is in the pulpit two
Sundays a month (usually the first and third Sundays—see the newsletter
for details). In addition, Rev. Karen supports the various ministries of
the fellowship, providing spiritual depth and practical assistance. She
is also available to lead rites of passage, such as weddings, memorials,
and infant dedications.
Rev. Karen was ordained by the Unitarian Church of Vancouver in
September of 2008, following her graduation from Vancouver School of
Theology. During her training Karen interned with Unitarian
congregations in Kelowna and Kamloops, BC and Hamilton, Ontario. She
also spent time in a mission church in Vancouver’s downtown eastside and
completed a basic unit of hospital chaplaincy training.
Prior to entering the ministry, Karen specialized in adult education.
Her original training was in the field of architectural history. She
received a Masters degree in Art History from the University of East
Anglia in 1995, and was working in a museum when she felt a calling to a
different type of work, the work that eventually became Unitarian
ministry.
Rev. Karen lives in Nanaimo with her husband, musician, composer and
producer Paul Gitlitz.
Contact Rev. Karen Fraser Gitlitz by telephone (250-616-8674) or email
FUFON-minister@shawbiz.ca
A Message From Karen...
Where do you draw strength and sustenance in times of suffering? How
do you cultivate that small voice that speaks to your soul? Where do you
celebrate the joy and wonder of life?
In our Unitarian communities we sing and play together, encourage each
other in our spiritual development, challenge each other to act on our
beliefs, and support each other through the turbulence of life.
I was raised in the Unitarian church as a child, but left in my youth to
pursue sports and the arts. It wasn’t until I was in my 20s, craving a
greater sense of belonging and a place where I could give voice to the
stirrings of my soul, that I walked back into a Unitarian congregation.
Immediately I was struck by the community—people reached out and
welcomed me. Sermons inspired me, and worship moved me. I explored Wicca
and Christianity, Taoism and Evolutionary theology. I met people who
listened to my questions and shared their own in return. People who had
different religious backgrounds, but who agreed with me that the most
useful thing we can do in the world today is to learn to get along
together despite differences. I met people who cared about each other,
and about human rights everywhere; people who were in distress at the
state of our planet but who refused to be immobilized by despair.
I had found a community that valued the life of the mind and the
unnamable source of creativity, a community that I could call home.
Wherever you are in your life journey, I invite you to get to know us,
and find out if this could be a home for you, too.
Karen
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