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11/09/2016 07:30 AMSince Aug. 15, Reverend Jeanne Lloyd has been the minister of Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society in Madison. She comes to Madison after serving congregations in Woodbury for eight years and in Greenfield, Massachusetts, for four years.
Growing up in a military family, Jeanne’s family moved around the country and to two different parts of France. With the constant changes, she was able to find some stability in her faith and being a part of a church.
“I have wonderful parents who were Presbyterians and my father became an elder even though we moved all over country,” says Jeanne, whose father retired from the Army as a full colonel. “Because of their influence or because there was a spirit speaking to me or because I was a child in need of some stability, I felt a connection to what was a stabilizing force or spirit in my life, so I always had a deep interest in religion.”
Jeanne recalls living in Kansas in 8th grade when she rode her bike to church. First there was a Catholic ceremony and immediately following, there was a Protestant service in the same building.
“I would watch the chaplains turn the icon and various props to prepare for the next service and it wasn’t until years later I realized that wasn’t the norm,” says Jeanne. “It seemed totally appropriate to me there would be more than one way to view God.”
While Jeanne has always felt a deep connection to church and religion, she originally studied psychology, working in the fields of mental health, disabilities, and gerontology in administrative positions. She was also an assistant professor at the University of Maine. She became frustrated by several factors in the mental health field and decided to pursue a new path.
“Due to insurance, it tended to box people into a diagnosis of what was wrong with them. I couldn’t do that any longer because it made no sense to me at a philosophical level,” says Jeanne. “At a practical level, businesses have to be run, but it was not the way I wanted to do things, so I sought out a profession of ministry that, from my perspective, calls on the strengths people bring to the table instead of judging what they can’t do.”
Jeanne spent the next six- to eight years gaining credentials in community ministry. She began by doing justice work across different regions, still focusing on those with disabilities. She also founded an interfaith organization called Congregations United for Racial Equity and Justice, which had a goal of “understanding and dismantling racism in our own congregations and in the larger community.”
Jeanne was exposed to many different religions growing up. When she married her husband Robert Hard 37 years ago, she learned more about Unitarian Universalists, but she did not immediately agree with the beliefs.
“I spent a long time trying to prove he was wrong, but realized it actually worked,” says Jeanne. “For me because of the way I was raised and who I was married to, I needed a faith I could make work in a variety of situations and I could take wherever I live, one that could have particular theology and change over time.
“As Unitarian Universalists, we are ever-growing, ever-changing. Revelation is not sealed and we can stay in the same community because we respect each other,” Jeanne adds. “We respect different faiths as long as they promote compassion and justice and treating thy neighbor as themselves.”
The Unitarian Universalist church has a strict and lengthy process for recruiting a new minister that can take up to two years. A search committee is formed and ministers apply. Those selected for the position come to the church for a week, preaching on two Sundays. On the second Sunday, the minister leaves the room and the congregation votes.
“The vote has to be 85 to 90 percent positive,” says Jeanne. “I was quite blessed and forever grateful that I was chosen unanimously.”
As minister of the congregation, Jeanne’s goals include finding every individual’s strength to create a community and she believes in working together as a group to find solutions. She will also continue working with the congregation on a variety of social justice issues. In addition, she will make pastoral visits with congregation members and coordinate the efforts of the staff, which also include a religious education director, a music leader, and an administrator.
“Our congregation is very committed to variety of social justice issues, so I want to try to be present to them and supportive of their efforts,” says Jeanne. “I also coordinate efforts through the week so our services reflect our values, are inspiring, and lift members of the congregation to try new things and take risks.”
Jeanne and Robert are avid bikers, aiming to ride 30- to 50 miles each week, and they currently live on the Farmington River Bike Path in Canton. They are in the process of moving to Madison and say finding a home accessible to biking is key. Jeanne also owns a floor loom and is looking forward to getting involved with the Guilford Art Center.
While Jeanne has lived all over the country, her husband’s family lived in Guilford for 25 years. Jeanne and Robert actually lived with family for a short time about 30 years ago. Her mother-in-law, who now lives in Madison, is a member of the congregation.
“This is a nice coming home and in our move, we will be closer to family,” says Jeanne, who is also looking forward to sailing with her husband. “It’s nice to root ourselves in the shoreline community for the rest of our lives. It’s a lovely area and the congregation is open and warm and affirming.”
Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society is located at 297 Boston Post Road, Madison. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. Religious education classes are available for grades K-12. Nursery and childcare are available. For more information, visit shorelineunitarian.org, call 203-0245-8720, or email office@shorelineunitarian.org.