“Honoring and celebrating our Magical and Bright Souls with PRIDE” with Rita Brown

“Honoring and celebrating our Magical and Bright Souls with PRIDE” with Rita Brown
We are a Welcoming Congregation, committed to creating a spiritual home where people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are embraced, celebrated, and cherished. Here, every identity is sacred, every story honored, and every person is welcomed in love. We call them magical because they reveal something sacred that many of us were never taught to see. They remind us that diversity is not a problem to solve-it is a wonder to celebrate. Our faith is more faithful when it celebrates the full spectrum of human possibility.
Rita Brown has been a proud member of this congregation for 24 years. Fulfilling a dream of President Sarah Shepard, she served as co- leader with Judy Crawford to develop the process for UUSMV to become a UUA recognized Welcoming
Congregation in 2004. Rita served as our President from January 2018-January 2026 and now serves as a Trustee. The privilege to serve this diverse congregation, with many other members, has been her greatest joy. Prior to coming to MV, Rita spent 20 years directing 2 YWCA’s in New York State. In 2001, with her partner in life and work, Rita and Jan (Casey) embarked on a new mission buying a bakery in OB and became known as the “donut ladies”. They worked to make the island the sweetest place to get (Back Door) donuts and apple fritters for 17 years.
View our Order of Service here: UUSMV OOS June 7, 2026