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
Meet Our Team
- Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development
- Director of Music
- Ministerial Intern
- Interim Minister
- Youth Coordinator
- Elementary Teacher
- Nursery Supervisor
- Sexton
- Bookkeper
- Security
- 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
