The Reverend Rodney E. Thompson
Reverend Rod Thompson
Rev. Rod Thompson became the Interim Minister in this church in August, 2010. Six years ago he entered a new phase in his ministerial career, becoming the Interim Minister of the 500+ membership Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Raleigh, NC, then for the 200+ membership Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka in Wayzata, MN, then for the 300+ First Unitarian Church in Toledo, OH, and for the past two years he served the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
For seven years prior to that Rev. Thompson took on the role of resource person and consultant to 46 congregations in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York as the District Consultant/Executive of the Ohio-Meadville District.
Rod grew up in Canton, Ohio, has degrees from Hiram College (1963) and Lexington (KY) Theological Seminary (1968); and received Ministerial Fellowship from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1985. He has served churches in Corbin, Kentucky, and the Panama Canal Zone, as a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Minister; and Unitarian Universalist Congregations in Kent, Ohio, Augusta, Georgia, and Adelphi, Maryland. Between these two periods of ministry Rod was active in sales, management, and sports broadcasting for radio stations in Ohio and Indiana, as a public school teacher, and as a Mental Health Counselor.
One of many ways to enliven a sermon!
Rev. Rod has been active in district work over his 38 years in the Unitarian Universalist movement, specializing in leadership development. He was also quite active at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, near Highlands, NC, where he has served on their Board of Directors, as Dean and faculty member of their UU Leadership School, and Minister in Residence among other roles.
Rod and his wife, Mary, a retired nurse and social worker, and now an active folk musician, have five grown children, nine grandchildren, and maintain a permanent residence in Ravenna, Ohio.
