First UU Church of Austin is proud to have the Reverend Meg Barnhouse as its new settled minister. Ordained in 1981, Rev. Barnhouse is a well-known Unitarian Universalist writer, singer-songwriter and speaker. She came into parish ministry from ministry as a college chaplain and a pastoral counselor. After graduating with a degree in Political Science and Psychology from Duke University, she trained at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she won the Grier-Davies Preaching Prize and the Bible Knowledge Contest. As a college chaplain, she taught World Religions, Church History, Human Sexuality and Public Speaking.
She has two sons, Sam and Ned Durrett. Sam is in medical school, is married to Emily, who teaches high school biology, and he raises bees. Ned is a senior at University of South Carolina, and he and his band “Ned Durrett and the Kindly Gents” are popular in the Southeast. Meg’s life partner, Kiya Heartwood, is an award-winning singer-songwriter and composer.
Contact Reverend Barnhouse via her email at or via telephone at (512) 452-6168 ext. 304.