Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Rev. Dr. Janet Newman
Interim Minister
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-Unitarian Universalist

Rev. Dr. Janet Newman has accepted our call to become the Interim Minister of TJMC-UU!

Dr. Newman is a graduate of Smith College, and holds both her master of divinity and her doctorate of ministry. After college she worked as a computer programmer/analyst in Northern Virginia for ten years. She and her husband were active in the UU Church of Arlington, VA where she served on the Board of Trustees and sang in the choir. After the death of her husband in an automobile accident, Dr. Newman followed her call to the ministry. She previously  served as Interim Minister at First UU Church of Austin, TX, a congregation of over 700.

Rev. Dr. Janet Newman, is a career interim minister, whose life work focuses on congregations without a settled minister.  “As a part of my calling, I am a builder of consensus even amidst contention. I assist congregations rediscover their own confidence and unity when they find themselves drifting away from their cohesive roots. My specialty is not to serve as a temporary caretaker while a congregation goes on about its business, but to lend a highlytrained, authoritative, guiding hand when such is needed to preserve a congregation’s success. My love of the ministry, especially as I practice it in congregations that are in challenging situations, is evident in all that I do.”

She was the unanimous first choice of the Interim Search Committee, who had four outstanding candidates from whom to choose. We chose Janet for her warmth, her commitment to each congregation she serves, her vitality, and her collaborative style - and the opinion of many that we would be lucky to have her.

Janet has a reputation as a very strong interim; she has often been called upon to lead congregations in conflict. She will be coming to us after a year in Austin (TX) UU. TJMCUU will be her nineteenth interim ministry position. We expect that Janet will help us reaffirm our confidence and deepen our unity, while enhancing our leadership skills. She will have two concurrent agendas: to be our minister, and to prepare us to confidently find our settled minister.