Ministers
Rev. Chris Jimmerson and Rev. Michelle LaGrave serve the First UU Church of Austin as Co-Lead Ministers. You can read more about each of them in their bios below. If you’d like to reach both of them, you can email them at ministers@austinuu.org.
Rev. Chris Jimmerson, Co-Lead Minister for Values & Mission
Email: chris.jimmerson@austinuu.org
Rev. Chris Jimmerson (he/him) has a strong calling toward anti-oppression, interfaith and social justice work and has been especially involved in immigrant rights and racial justice. He also loves leading worship and the pastoral work of ministry.
Before becoming a minister, he served for seven years as executive director of American Gateways, a non-profit organization that assists immigrants with their immigration legal needs.
He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Houston and a Masters of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard School of Theology.
He began full-time ministry with First UU Church of Austin in September 2014 as the Minister for Program Development. The church ordained him in February of 2015.
He lives in Austin with his spouse, Wayne Bockmon, and two extremely spoiled Basenji dogs, named Louisa Mae Alcott and Benjamin Franklin.
Rev. Michelle LaGrave, Co-Lead Interim Minister
Rev. Michelle joined First UU in August 2023 as an interim minister.
I am a New England native boldly adventuring around the country and serving our UU congregations as an Accredited Interim Minister. (AIM), a calling I embrace whole-heartedly. I have served congregations in Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Prior to pursuing my calling to ministry, I worked in a variety of non-profit early education, museum, and hospice settings. I see my calling to interim ministry as a natural culmination of my life’s interest in working with and empowering people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
I met my spouse, Micah, in seminary where we happened to take the same class on pastoral care for GLBTQ people. After almost a year of dating, Micah came out as transgender and began the long process of transitioning from female to male. We were married a couple of years later in a joyous celebration on the beach. We now share a home with our well-loved cats and, until recently, my service dog, Bella, who assisted me with mobility, and died a few months ago. I am now waiting to be matched with a successor service dog.
I enjoy spending time on the beach, reading mysteries, doing puzzles, and playing card and board games at home with Micah. Micah and I have both been actively involved in local LGBTQ organizations and served as adult leaders to a LGBTQ youth group, supported a Sister Church relationship, engaged in anti-racism work, and volunteered at local food pantries.
I was raised in a Congregational (UCC) church, considered converting to Judaism, and ultimately joined a Unitarian Universalist congregation in northern Maine as a young adult. While in seminary I enjoyed studying Hebrew and worshiping with a local Jewish Renewal congregation. My spiritual practices currently include meditative art and writing.
Micah is a member of Unity Church and is working toward ordination in that denomination while serving as the intern minister at Unity of Austin and working as a pastoral care coordinator (remotely) for Unity of Houston.
Brent Baldwin, Director of Music
Brent Baldwin (he/him) is an award-winning conductor, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, and composer, and we are fortunate to have him as the First UU Director of Music and First UU Adult Choir conductor since 1999. He is co-artistic director of CONVERGENCE, a professional contemporary arts performance organization dedicated to inter-arts collaboration. He holds a Master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Texas at Austin where he was assistant conductor for the Early Music Ensemble, New Music Ensemble, Longhorn Singers, Concert Chorale, and the Chamber Singers.
Email: brent.baldwin@austinuu.org
photo credit: Greg Coleman, LensPortraits Photography
Katrina Saporsantos, Assistant Director of Music & Children’s Choir Director
Katrina Saporsantos (she/her/siya) is an award-winning soprano, a pianist, conductor, voice instructor, and arts administrator. She is active in the Austin classical music scene and performs with LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists), Inversion Ensemble, Panoramic Voices, and Convergence, among others, and is a member of VAMP, an all-female vocal quintet, which champions music by women and living composers. Katrina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Voice from the University of the Philippines, and a Master’s degree and Professional Studies Certificate in Classical Voice Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
Email: katrina.saporsantos@austinuu.org
photo credit: Raul Supnet
Chantel Mead, Youth Choir Director
Chantel Mead (she/her) has been creating joyful, inspired experiences for youth in the Vocal Arts for over 15 years. With a BFA in Musical Theater and graduate work in Vocal Pedagogy, Chantel uses the performing arts as a vehicle for self empowerment and community building in all areas of her teaching. She’s worn many hats through the years, including children’s choir director, general music teacher (private schools in NYC and Austin), directing musicals and show choirs, and private voice instructor in her home studio.
Email: chantel.mead@austinuu.org
Kelly Stokes, Director of Lifespan Religious Education
Kelly Stokes (she/her) has joyfully our Religious Education and Family Ministry programs at First UU since 2019. She brings past experiences of school librarian, yoga teacher, youth program organizer, art camp teacher, and First UU parent to her role.
Kelly, along with her husband and eight-year-old twins, likes to hike, swing, sing, dance, read, swim, and marvel at the wonder of living things.
Email: kelly.stokes@austinuu.org
Kinsey Shackelford, Religious Education Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, and OWL Coordinator
Kinsey Shackelford (she/her) has been an Austinite for 8 years and attended First UU for 2 years before joining the staff in 2022. Since graduating from UT Austin with a BA in Theatre for Youth and Communities, she has taught young people of all ages how to turn their creative ideas into self-expression and artistry!
Julia Heilrayne, Child Care Coordinator
Alberta Reyes (she/her) has provided loving and creative child care in our nursery since 2015. During the week she works for AISD as the Childcare Director at Uphaus Early Childhood Center. She often brings her three-year-old on Sunday mornings, and is so glad to be part of this community.
Email: childcare@austinuu.org
Sasha Lorenzo, Office Manager
Email: sasha.lorenzo@austinuu.org
Abrey Moore, Kitchen Manager
Email: kitchenkitchen@austinuu.org
Rev. Meg Barnhouse, Minister Emerita
Ordained in 1981, the Reverend Meg 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.
Meg served as First UU’s Senior Minister from 2010-2022, when she retired from congregational ministry and was voted Minister Emerita. She lives in Bryan, Texas, with her wife, Rev. Kiya Heartwood, the minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley.
You can find Meg’s books at Amazon.com or on the UUA bookstore.
