Minister & Staff
Rev. Misty-Dawn Shelly, Minister
A graduate of Andover Newton Theological School, Rev. Misty-Dawn Shelly was ordained in 2011 by her home church in Brimfield, MA and First Parish in Northborough, MA where she had interned. She served as settled minister from 2012 – 2022 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before returning to Massachusetts in 2022. Since then, Misty-Dawn has served the federated congregation of First Parish Church, Berlin, MA as a three-quarter contract minister.
Misty-Dawn enjoys gardening, walking, yoga, the occasional hike in the woods, and needle work (knitting, crochet, embroidery). She lives in Worcester, MA with her family which includes her wife and Misty-Dawn’s mother.
Kala Farnham, Music Director
Kala is an award-winning singer/songwriter/instrumentalist. She brings a world of experience in many aspects of music such as a pianist, cantor, piano and guitar teacher, vocal coach, accompanist, composer, choir director and music theater director. Kala has studied music creation, music performance, and a variety of aspects of vocal performance.
When asked why she felt called to be a music director at a Unitarian Universalist congregation Kala said, “I believe music has a distinct power to unify us and elevate us to a spiritual state, and it’s an honor for me to share the gift of music with others through my work.” Regarding Unitarian Universalism, she continued, “After being introduced to Unitarian Universalism by a friend I felt a strong resonance between my personal beliefs and Unitarian Universalism. That led me to the UUCSW congregation.” (kalafarnham.com)
Colleen Munson, Director of Religious Exploration & Office Administrator
Colleen Munson has worked for several years in church administration, in various denominations. She was very involved with UU Religious Education programs for many years when her children were young; having taught UU RE classes and being an advisor to the Jr. High Youth Group at her home parish. Colleen loves bringing these skills together at UUCSW! She is currently on the board for the New England Region of LREDA (Liberal Religious Educators’ Association).
Colleen’s biggest social justice passion is disability rights, particularly autism awareness. She taught yoga for 11 years and specialized in teaching classes for people with disabilities. Colleen has been a choir girl most of her life, is currently learning guitar, and generally enjoys all kinds of music. She’s also a huge baseball fan! Colleen lives in Worcester with her family and two dogs.