Colleen McDonald , Minister of Religious Education

The Rev. Colleen M. McDonald is our Minister of Religious Education. Colleen received her BS in Education from Northwestern University in 1978 and, earned a Graduate Certificate in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981.

While working as an OTR in Richmond, Va, Colleen became an active member of the First Unitarian Church in that city. She found the role of the Minister of Religious Education in that church very appealing, and decided that this was the career for her. She entered the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, from which she received her Masters in Religious Education in 1987, and concurrently entered the UUA's Independent Study Program for Religious Educators to earn Unitarian Universalist credentials. She served internships in the Unitarian Churches in Richmond and Madison, WI and received her ISP Certificate in 1988. She was Ordained to the Ministry of Religious Education in 1988 by the Madison Congregation, which she served as Interim MRE during 1988-89.

In the Fall of 1989 Colleen became Minister of Religious Education of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Rockford. She has been active denominationally as Treasurer of the Liberal Religious Educators Association, and as Secretary-Treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association.

She has served as advisor to several people preparing for the Ministry of Religious Education. Colleen is the author of "We Are Many; We Are One," a religious education curriculum for four and five year olds that was published by the UUA.

Colleen is married to Jerry Brickey, and they are parents to Kathy & Sandra.