Meet Rev. Sam

NOTE:  Rev. Sam is on sabbatical until April. For pastoral care in his absence, please contact interim minister Rev. Vahisha Hasan at hello@vahishahasan.com

Rev. Sam Teitel spent the first decade of his life as a farm kid, and was taught to always look out for the people around him and take care of the Earth on which we live. These values formed the foundation of his Unitarian Universalist faith and they are still important to him.

As a teen and young adult, he lived in and attended college in the Boston area. (He likes strong coffee and the Boston Red Sox.) After college, and a few years performing and touring as a slam poet, he entered Andover Newton Theological School and earned a Master's of Divinity and a Master's of Arts in Global Interreligious Leadership. 

Rev. Sam was called to The Church of the River in 2017. He's married to Rev. Sandra Summers, and they have two young children, Gideon and Juniper.

Public Office Hours:

Mondays, 2:30pm to 4:30pm at French Truck Coffee in Crosstown

Tuesday, 11:00am to 1:00pm at The Church of the River

Wednesdays, 11:00am to 1:00pm at The Church of the River

Schedule a Private Meeting

Meet Our Team

Jessica Laikeman
  • Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development
James Westerfield
  • Director of Music
Debbie Heath
  • Office Administrator/Pianist
Monica Clark-Robinson
  • Ministerial Intern
Rev. Vahisha Hasan
  • Interim Minister
Kaya Lewis
  • Youth Coordinator
Andrew Travis
  • Elementary Teacher
Elizabeth Turner
  • Nursery Supervisor
Chris Sullivan
  • Sexton
Kyle McGowan
  • Bookkeper
Melzar Abram
  • Security
Rev. Burton Carley
  • Minister Emeritus

Board of Trustees

Our church is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of 13 elected congregation members and the minister, who is a non-voting member.

Current Board members are:

  • Matt Holladay, President
  • Gordon Bradley, Vice-President
  • Lisa Jennings, Treasurer
  • Carol Fourmy, Secretary
  • Christopher Douglas
  • Porter Feild
  • Paul Herman
  • Lynette Larkins
  • Jay Martin
  • Ron Peck
  • Paula Turner
  • 2 positions currently open