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Ministers

John Buehrens, Minister

Rev. John A. Buehrens

John Buehrens has served as the Minister of the First Parish in Needham since 2002. From 1993 to 2001 he was the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Ordained in 1973, he served congregations in Tennessee, Texas, and New York City prior to his election to that office.

A graduate of Harvard College and of Harvard Divinity School, John is author or co-author of:

  • Universalists and Unitarians in America: A People's History (Skinner, 2011)
  • A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion for the 21st Century with Rebecca Parker (Beacon Press, 2010).
  • Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals (2002). 
  • A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism with Forest Church (1989, 1996)

Cited as a “scholar, organizer, but above all, pastor,” John has been awarded three honorary doctorates. He has taught seminary courses in history, theology, preaching, and the practice of ministry. Long a leader in interfaith cooperation for peace and justice, John currently serves as national co-chair for Freedom to Marry (www.freedomtomarry.org). He also serves on the Board of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (www.uusc.org), and as UU Denominational Counselor and Instructor in UU Polity and Practices at Harvard Divinity School.

John has been married since 1972 to the Reverend Gwen Langdoc Buehrens, a priest in the Episcopal Church. They live in Needham. John and Gwen have two daughters, both now married, and are now discovering the joys of grandparenthood. John loves to cook Northern Italian cuisine, a habit that goes back to a high school year as an exchange student in Milan. He and Gwen enjoy travel, music, and dance. He has visited all 50 states and some 26 countries overseas. In the summer of 2009, he traveled to Israel and the Occupied Territories as part of an interfaith delegation. This winter he and Gwen will be returning to Central America.

Newcomers should know that John is the kind of pastoral minister who enjoys meeting over coffee or in people's homes. He is assisted in his pastoral work by a very caring group of Pastoral Care Associates who are trained to provide support and a caring presence.

Most of John's sermons at First Parish are available as both print and audio files on our website. There are also YouTube videos of John preaching at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa and speaking with Father Bryan Hehir on "Spirituality in Public Service" at a recent Harvard University Kennedy School seminar.

First Parish's Intern Ministers

First Parish in Needham is an outstanding "teaching congregation," regularly training seminarians and recent seminary graduates for successful service as Unitarian Universalist ministers. The Rev. John Buehrens has supervised some twenty ministerial students over his career, and the commitment of the Parish to its role as a "teaching congregation" is embodied in a dedicated Internship Committee. Intern Ministers during Reverend Buehrens' tenure have included

Christian Schmidt (2011-13)

Christian Schmidt, our Intern Minister and Youth Advisor, brings multiple gifts. He graduated from college in 2004 and began working as a journalist and newspaper editor in his native Texas. In his local UU congregation he taught Sunday school, advised the youth group, chaired the worship committee, and became a lay preacher and a trustee.

Christian is now a student candidate for UU ministry at Andover Newton Theological School. Christian has worked part-time as membership coordinator and youth advisor for UU congregations in the area, and for the UU World. His wife, the Rev. Kristin Grassel, was ordained to the UU ministry in the Spring of 2011 and is now assistant minister at Boston’s King’s Chapel. Christian and Kristin live in North Quincy..

With a passionate call to help people grow spiritually and to do the work of making the world a better place, Christian has a strong sense of what it takes to make multigenerational religious community thrive.