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Meet the Minister

Rev. Dr. Morris Hudgins
Interim Minister
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-Unitarian Universalist

Reverend Morris Hudgins has accepted our call to become the Interim Minister of TJMC-UU!

Read or listen to sermons by Morris.

Read Morris’ Musings.

His career includes 32 years as settled minister in Boca Raton, Delaware County, PA, Raleigh and Cincinnati followed by interim positions in Richmond and Chapel Hill. This Fall he will become an Accredited Interim Minister, a designation available after training and three years’ experience in interim ministry.

Meeting Our Criteria
Morris meets all the criteria the Board and Interim Search Task Force developed. (Comments derive from phone interviews and, when in quotation marks, from references.)

  • Preaching strength, ability to inspire: His sermons “said something important … simple and clear.” His services are “cohesive, readings support the message, clear focus, includes the personal.”
  • Collegial collaborator, team-player style: Morris has a gentle persuasive style. He does not try to shake things up. “He listens actively, gives sage advice, lives our values, and provides a lesson in everything we do. He has become an integral part of the church community without ever being overbearing.”
  • Spiritual philosophy supportive of a variety of traditions: Morris calls himself a spiritual humanist. His B.S. degree is in religion and philosophy. He draws on a variety of spiritual traditions.
  • Energy: “…he works incredibly hard.” He has missed one scheduled Sunday in 36 years.
  • Compassion/caring: “He is an excellent listener. He is compassionate and caring in a really nice way that is calm and centered.”
  • Experience as Interim Minister
    Certified Interim Minister
  • Comfort in Chief of Staff role: “Has helped … with role definition of … staff. …willing to ask the tough questions …and deal with harder issues.”
  • Skilled at building financial base: Morris stresses the importance of a well designed and run canvass. He works hard to increase funding through capital campaign and endowment.
  • Demonstrated ability to set boundaries re workload: Morris’ recreational passion is golf. He limits evening meetings to 3 or 4 per week and sets aside 1½ days a week for recreation.
  • Supportive of social action programming: Social action cannot be separate from religion – it must be in the forefront.
  • Experience in congregations growing from medium to large size: He has had 3 congregations in the 300-600 size range.
  • Experience in congregations in transition: “His focus was on the transition to the settled minister.” “Morris has assimilated remarkably quickly. While he has not dismissed any of our issues, he uses them as a springboard to move forward.” “His experience and his ability to see all sides of an issue have quickly built trust and a high comfort level with the advice he provides.”

Reverend Morris will be joined in Charlottesville by his wife of 13 years, Marti Toms. Marti has been a hospice nurse. She has been very active in SUUSI (Southeast UU Summer Institute).

Morris typically hits the ground running when he comes to a new church, scheduling many cottage meetings in the first month or two with the aim of meeting and hearing everyone in the congregation. He also makes an effort to attend a meeting of each committee. So there will be many opportunities to meet and get to know him.

Morris’ Sermons

© - denotes text of sermon is available  Ω - denotes audio of sermon is available

Morris’ Musings