|
|
|
10441 Shaver Road • Portage Michigan • 269.324.7262 | ||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
our faith |
Reverend Gary M. Gallun
 Rev. Gallun grew up in a secular Jewish home. When he graduated from high school he attended St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD and Santa Fe, NM (the “Great Books” college) for three years studying philosophy, math, languages and science from original sources. In 1968, however, and Plato and Euclid and Spinoza simply did not seem “relevant” (the buzz word at the time) so he transferred to Towson State College in Towson, MD intending to become a math teacher. When he got a “C” in Calculus II he changed his major to Psychology and I went on to receive a B.S. degree and an M.A. degree in Psychology at Towson. He then served two years as a Psychiatric Social Worker at Shady Grove State Psychiatric Hospital in Catonsville, Maryland as a Conscientious Objector during Viet Nam. Following that he worked for several years as a beauty salon designer and equipment salesman as well as warehouse manager for his uncle who owned a beautician’s supply company. It was during this period that he discovered the Unitarian Universalist church when seeking a religious education for his young son. He quickly became very active in the church, serving on the Building & Grounds, Worship and Finance Committees. In a few years he was elected to the Church Board. It was then that he decided to return to school to become a UU minister. He attended Meadville/Lombard Theological School for a year then transferred to Chicago Theological Seminary where he graduated with an M.Div. in 1981. Upon graduation he entered the Extension Ministry program and served churches in Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, and Indianapolis, IN. He served as a District Extension Minister in Baltimore, MD, Winchester, VA and Gaithersburg, MD. The Gaithersburg church could only afford a half-time minister, however, and he began working for a teacher’s union as a membership coordinator. As part of that job he taught himself computer programming and, after the Gaithersburg church could no longer afford a minister, continued to gain skill as a programmer. He worked for a decade at various government agencies as a computer programmer for government contracting companies. During this period he continued his ministry as a an Affiliate Minister with the River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda, MD. In addition to offering adult education courses he preached at many different churches and fellowships in the Washington, DC area and performed numerous weddings and funerals. Following the devastation and misery caused by Katrina he felt the needed to return to full-time parish ministry and entered the UU Interim Ministry program. He served churches in Boone, NC and Muskegon, MI as an Interim Minister and is currently serving a second year in Muskegon along with consulting ministry with UUCC. He expects to complete his training as an Accredited Interim Minister (AIM) in the next year. Contact Reverend Gallun (study) 324-5881 (office) 324-7262 (email) minister@uucommunitychurch.org |