Reverend Tina DeYoe was selected on May 3 as the settled minister of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos. Courtesy photo
Some of congregants of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, who voted unanimously to invite Rev. Tina (yellow blouse and turquoise necklace, first row) to become their settled minister. Courtesy photo
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF LOS ALAMOS NEWS RELEASE
Sunday, May 3 was the milestone in the history of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos. The congregation voted to invite Rev. Tina DeYoe, their minister pro tem since 2024, into fellowship with the congregation as their settled minister. Though the vote took just a few minutes, it was preceded by months of careful discernment, as the congregation considered who they were and what they wanted to become.
The discernment process revealed a church that was confident and growing under Rev. Tina’s pro tem ministry. The church is a busy place not just for Sunday services, but throughout the week. Thanks to the caring network and the minister, congregants felt cared for when they were laid up. Hospitality and potlucks drew people together, along with small group fellowships, and a wonderful mix of Sunday music. In a nutshell, “Rev. DeYoe’s superpower is her ability to connect with people.” Many congregants, not the least Rev. Tina, are active in social justice activities to combat homelessness, food insecurity, and all forms of injustice. It was clearly time to decide whether Rev. Tina should be invited to be the permanent minister for the congregation, and perhaps no surprise that the vote on her settled ministry was unanimous. She also became the first female minister in the 73-year history of the congregation.
Rev. Tina has a passion for inclusive educational models that are centered in justice & equity, interfaith learning and partnership, healing, and values-based learning and growth. She became an ordained Unitarian Universalist Minister in October 2023. Before becoming minister pro tem, she served as the Director of Lifespan Religious Education for the Los Alamos congregation for 10 years.
Rev. Tina comes from a lineage of servant leaders and ministers. She attended Princeton Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2010. Upon graduation, she spent a year in Guatemala volunteering in a women’s shelter. After returning to the US, she entered a year-long chaplain residency program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
It was during this year that Tina first found her church home in Unitarian Universalism. She loves hiking, the mountains, traveling, soaking in hot springs, visiting National Parks, cross stitch, caring for her cat and dog, and loves to sing whether it is in church or at karaoke. This spring, she played in the Los Alamos Light Opera’s Sister Act as the nun Sister Mary Bloody Mary.
Rev. Tina is inspired by her new ministry. She writes: “My ministerial style is to be present with the people, to lead from love, to preach/speak prophetically from the heart, to be authentic and genuine, to be transparent, to listen, to empower people, and to lead from a place of empathy and compassion.” She continues: “Ministry is not limited to ordained clergy but belongs to everyone. Shared ministry is about belonging. It inspires all of us to claim that sense of belonging and radically welcome new people … There are so many possibilities for growth and new ideas for deepening community connections that we as a church and wider community can explore together. How do we want to continue living out our values in the world?”
Every May, the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos celebrates their church community and their wider connection to nature during our annual ritual of a Flower Communion. This May will be the first such service under Rev. Tina’s settled ministry. The congregation and the broader community are invited to join in, and to take a flower home. The beautiful array of flowers symbolizes the diversity of the human experience, as we give thanks for a community that embraces love at the center of all that we do. Please feel free to join us on Sunday, May 17th at 10:30am at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, 1738 N Sage St, as we celebrate love, community, and the beauty of nature – and bring a flower to share.