Deborah Holder

Full name: Rev. Deborah Holder

Telephone: (505) 231-7724

Photo of Rev Deborah Holder

The Reverend Deborah Holder is a Unitarian Universalist community minister. She lives in an agricultural community in Colorado on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains with her dog Rocky and treasures the intercultural relationships of rural life in the intermountain west.

She is passionate about religion and human transformation and is energized by the company of UU leaders attending RLLS every year. Many among us sense a spiritual awakening happening in our congregations and larger Association fueled by the active vision of midwifing beloved community; moving from “I” church to “we” church, to Beloved Community. Old ways of being and doing church are dying and giving way to new and exciting imaginations of shared ministry within and beyond congregational walls. In order to adapt to changing times, religious leaders need clarity of vision and mission, the courage to say no, and risky collaborative approaches to equipping others called to serve the mission and community building power of congregations. Prior to entering the professional ministry, Deb was a professional community organizer and social justice funder with the UU Veatch program at Shelter Rock. As a social justice grantmaker, she gained a bird’s eye view of the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. social movements and believes UU congregations, when grounded in religious identity and practice, have important contributions to make as social change partners in our local communities.

Deb grew up in Virginia and came of age in the desegregating south, first born child to working class parents and first in her extended family to graduate college. She loves to cook and share meals with friends and family. She loves pie. Lemon meringue and sweet potato pie are irresistible and can be effectively used to influence her judgment.