Minister

Reverend Bill Clark

Ministry is a second career for our minister, The Reverend Bill Clark. Bill received a B.A. from Emerson College in Boston and went into the teaching of deaf children. He received his M.A. from New York University in Deaf Education. He remained in that career for 25 years.

After walking into his first Unitarian Universalist house of worship in Provincetown, MA, he quickly became the sign language interpreter on Sundays. He was also working with the Provincetown AIDS Ministry.

In 1995 the call to the ministry became loud and clear as Bill was accepted to Harvard Divinity School, graduating in 1999.

Rev Bill took up his first ministry with the Henry David Thoreau UU Congregation of Fort Bend County, Texas. He went as part of the New Congregation Program of the UUA, and he served there for five years while the congregation grew and bought land to build.

Missing his roots in New England Rev Bill was called to First Parish in Lexington, MA in 2004. As he was beginning his fourth year, health and heart concerns made him resign his position and he returned home to Provincetown.

After healing and recuperating for a few years, Rev Bill returned to guest preaching and became the sabbatical minister for two three- month stints at the UU Church in Barnstable.

He was invited out to the Vineyard to preach and he quickly became a regular guest minister with UUSMV. Rev Bill was hired as a contract minister for two years and was later called as the Unitarian-Universalist Society of Martha’s Vineyard’s called minister in 2016.

It is a love fest caught fire!!!

Music Director

Sean McMahon

Sean earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in  Boston and has studied    sacred music of various world religions. Sean explores and finds his spirituality in music.  He and his brother Griffin share their music with churches on the Island and the entire Island with their Sunday night “Holy Rock and Roll Revival.” Sean also works with the Wampanoag tribe teaching group music classes to the children.

Sean grew up in Long Meadow, Massachusetts with his three siblings, who are all in the creative arts. He came to Martha’s Vineyard to visit his brother, Griffin, and here he met and fell in love with Siren Mayhew. He moved here in the fall of 2017. Sean and Siren have a beautiful ten-month old daughter, Isla.

Sean’s journey to the UUSMV feels like a match made in… the Island community. Knowing his quest for music ministry, many Island folks told him about the UUSMV.

Religious Exploration Director

Rick Bausman

Rick Bausman came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1980 to volunteer at Camp Jabberwocky.  He has studied and performed West African, Haitian, Cuban and Brazillian drumming over thirty years.  He is the leader of Drummers on the Beach and the Beetlebung Steel Band, in which he plays steel pan.  He has played with numerous other bands including Entrain and Jonathan Edwards.

Rick is the founder and director of Rhythm of Life.  Rhythm of Life is a non-profit corporation that provides drumming workshops to groups of all ages and levels of ability.  He is very active here in the Martha’s Vineyard community, working in the schools and with the elderly.  He has traveled extensively across the United States and abroad, including most recently Missouri, Israel, and Zambia.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with you and your children.  For me, drumming has always been my ministry, and I am looking forward to expanding my heart and spirit in other ways with you.” -Rick

Administrative Assistant

Lori Shaller

Lori has been privileged to serve UUSMV as its Administrative Assistant since 2011. In that capacity, she maintains the Society’s membership and other files, communications media including updating this website, and publishing the Sunday bulletin and weekly congregational emails and monthly newsletters. She manages rentals of the Chapel, does a tiny bit of bookkeeping, and does much of the purchasing for the Society.

In her other life she is known as “Rabbi Lori,” and in this capacity she is occasionally found on the UUSMV pulpit, as well as various synagogue pulpits as the guest Rabbi. Rabbi Lori and Rev Bill together lead a yearly Passover Seder at UUSMV. She is also a Spiritual Director and the Chaplain for Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard.