Rev. Gray will lead her first worship service on September 13 during the congregation’s annual Ingathering & Water Communion
Reading, MA — The Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading (UUCR) is pleased to announce the arrival of its new minister, Rev. Laurel Gray, who started August 1st.
Rev. Laurel is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist (UU) and has experienced many different UU congregations both growing up and as a minister. She did her ministerial internship at First Parish in Concord, spent five years as the Solo Minister in Westborough, MA, and most recently served as the Assistant Minister in Newburyport, MA. She has a degree in sociology from Middlebury College and a master’s in divinity from Yale Divinity School.
Before ministry, she lived and worked in San Francisco, CA in the wedding industry, overseeing showroom operations for a national linen rental company that specialized in sequin tablecloths. She had a brief stint working for a costume study in New York City and in the editorial crafts department at Martha Stewart magazine.
Beth Murray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading (UUCR) Governing Board, states, “UUCR is poised to make a difference in Reading and surrounding communities. With Rev. Laurel, we’ve gained the expanse of her expertise as both a minister and as a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. This will serve UUCR well as we continue to learn and grow as a congregation in service to the communities beyond our church walls. I look forward to working with Rev. Laurel as she leads us to fostering and building a loving community that embraces and serves all humankind.”
Rev. Laurel will lead her first worship service with the congregation on Sunday, September 13th at 10:00am during UUCR’s annual Ingathering & Water Communion service, which marks the beginning of the church’s new church year.
Members, friends, and community members of the congregation are invited to bring water representing a place or experience that was meaningful to them over the summer. During the service, these waters will be combined as a symbol of the many journeys and experiences that bring the community together. All are welcome.
Ingathering & Water Communion
Sunday, September 13, 2026 @ 10:00am
Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
239 Woburn Street
Reading, MA 01867
About the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading is a welcoming and inclusive congregation serving Reading and surrounding communities. UUCR brings people together through worship, community, social justice, religious exploration, music, and fellowship.
