Emily Melcher

I am a Unitarian Universalist minister and a singer and songwriter.  I was born and raised in Redlands, CA, where I participated in a youth circus, choirs, and musical theater.

I was a high school exchange student in Sweden, and went on to earn both the B.A. and M.A. degrees in Scandinavian Languages and Literature. My translations and renditions of songs by the Swedish troubadour, Evert Taube, have earned acclaim from academics and audiences alike.

Some years ago, I began writing my own songs.  I write from my experiences at the intersection of creativity, psychology and spirituality. For me, singing and songwriting are contemplative and creative practices that foster and inspire wholeness and a deepening connection to the spirit of life and love. I delight in sharing my music, and have recorded four CDs.

My call to ministry came, and was nourished, in my home congregation, the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin. I earned the Master of Divinity degree at Andover-Newton Theological School in Massachusetts, and was ordained to the UU ministry in 2009.

I found my first ministry position, and what was to be my calling for several years, in intentional interim ministry. I have served as interim minister with congregations in Vermont, Connecticut, and Washington.

In Spring, 2020, I completed my Doctorate of Ministry in Spiritual Renewal, Contemplative Practice, and Strategic Leadership at Claremont Theological School with a  Doctoral Project entitled From Striving to Surrender: A Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Journey from Burn-Out to a Sustaining and Sustainable Practice of Ministry. In the process of working on this project, I discerned a new direction for my ministry. Since September 2018, I have been happily serving in a part-time position with a lovely small congregation on beautiful Whidbey Island, WA.