Our General Council & Leadership Team
Rev. Dr. Shannon Rogers
Senior Pastor and President.
Ordained Minister-UCCA.
Dr. Rogers has spent a large part of his life in and around various ministries of Christianity. He was baptized in 1973 into a Southern Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He remained a member of that church until he moved to the General Baptist Denomination in 1990.
Over the years, he has served various churches as Sunday School Teachers at all levels, Children’s Church Pastor, Church Trustee, Sunday School Superintendent, Outreach Minister to the Elderly, and various others.
From 1997 until December 2009, he served as Non-Denomination Chaplin for three local retirement homes simultaneously. He provided typical Chaplaincy duties and preached a Sunday message each week at each facility. In 2010, Dr. Rogers became an Ordained Unitarian Minister and has remained active in that faith to this day. Within his Unitarian Christian faith, he has advanced through various positions to become the Senior Pastor and President of the Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA).
He is considered by many to be an authority on the 21st Century Unitarian Christian Faith and is the author of various church writings. He is currently in the process of professionally publishing some projects that he has been composing for several years.
Dr. Rogers has studied at various universities and schools over his more than fifty years of work history, including Harvard Graduate School of Design, University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, and others. His Doctor of Divinity degree is from the Metropolitan Theological Seminary. He is retired from the Architectural and Engineering professions, where he created and ran a successful A&E firm for over thirty years.
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John-Marc Ormechea (they/them)
Director of Education, General Programs and Services.
John-Marc Ormechea (they/them) is a Unitarian Christian rooted in public theology and theologies of liberation, John-Marc brings a passionate commitment to accessible, justice-centered faith. They are currently completing a Master of Arts in Ministry at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
Their academic and ministerial work explores the Prophetic Orientation as a Religious Orientation, drawing connections between early American Unitarians such as Joseph Tuckerman, Dorothea Dix, Theodore Parker, and James Freeman Clarke, and the Latin American liberation theologians Jon Sobrino, Leonardo Boff, and Gustavo Gutiérrez, understanding these voices, both past and present, as part of a shared lineage of resistance, pastoral care, and radical love.
Their ministry centers on liberation, spiritual formation, and community care. They are currently working to launch The Way Fellowship, a Unitarian Christian Church grounded in the teachings of Jesus and the wisdom of the Prophets. Outside of ministry, John-Marc is a game designer, co-editor of Altar Punk, a zine exploring theologies and spiritualities of resistance, and author of Foundational Explorations (available here).
They live in Lansing, Michigan, with their partner and two children. Their hope is to show that following Jesus is a way of life: doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
Rick Van Natta
Director of Membership Management
Rick Van Natta has spent a lifetime searching for a spiritual home that truly resonates and found that in the Unitarian Christian Church of America.
Along the way, Rick explored and participated in several different faith traditions. It was a delightful surprise when, upon discovering the UCCA, Rick finally found a welcoming community—a place to grow, support from others, and learning together while embracing the teachings of Jesus, loving God and neighbor, and using the gift of reason in the world we've been given. Rick's passion for the ministry of the UCCA and its members inspired Rick to join our efforts.
After a fulfilling career in the US Navy, Rick made Texas home. He has a wonderful spouse and several beloved dogs. Rick enjoys photography and, together with his wife, a professional dog trainer and animal behavioral specialist, trains and competes with their dogs in a variety of dog sports.
With over 40 years of experience in assessment, people development, and integrated talent management, Rick also works as a Performance and Assessment Consultant. He holds degrees and graduate certificates in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Management, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, and Environmental Management.
At heart, Rick is dedicated to simply helping people become the best they can be. We are excited to welcome Rick to our ministry.
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Rev. Brian Kelley
Director of Ministry Resources and Publications
Brian Kelley (he/him) is an ordained UCCA minister since June 2023, Brian brings a deep commitment to thoughtful, accessible theology and to equipping others for spiritual growth outside the bounds of dogma or rigid tradition.
With a background in teaching, theology, and technology, Brian’s ministry centers on devotional writing, spiritual formation, and the quiet strength of contemplative Christianity. He curates and develops resources to support lay leaders, Unitarian ministries, and seekers who long for a Gospel rooted in love, simplicity, inclusion, and the oneness of God.
Brian’s work is shaped by a blend of Christian Universalism, progressive theology, contemplative prayer, and the historic Unitarian Christian tradition, particularly as embodied in thinkers such as William Ellery Channing and James Freeman Clarke. He is currently completing a Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in Information Technology, with research interests in ethical design, digital ministry, and data transparency.
Brian lives in Georgia with his family and is in the early stages of launching a digitally focused ministry for spiritual outcasts, introverts, and those longing for a faith grounded in grace and permission. His hope is to help others reconnect with a Jesus who does not demand conformity or extroversion, but offers rest, belonging, and renewal.
Mr. Carroll Fossett
Director of Public Relations and Information
Mr. Fossett received his early Christian Education at the Wellesley (MA) Congregational Church
and subsequent to the birth of his two children, he became an active member in United Church of Christ (UCC) churches in Windham, NH and in the Reading, PA area.
Disillusioned with Trinitarian theology, he retired from active church membership in 2015 and soon recognized that his religious beliefs were more aligned with Unitarian theology. He made contact with Dr. Rogers of the UCCA in early 2025 and has found him to be a thoughtful and enlightening mentor in Unitarian beliefs.
He attended Wellesley Public Schools and earned a BA in Psychology from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance and Investments from the George Washington University.
He served as an officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers with non-combat roles in Germany, Tunisia and Vietnam. Awards include the Army Commendation Medal (2 times), Vietnam
service, and the Tunisian Chevalier Order of the Republic—a Knight of the Republic.
His working career focused on budgeting and cost control and management of operations in small businesses. Now retired, he has two adult children, doing well, and four granddaughters, two each in the Reading, PA and Denver, CO areas. He volunteers with the Reading Area Food Bank and as a youth tennis coach. In addition to coaching, he enjoys playing (tennis) and officiating youth tennis, walking, hiking and road trips to Colorado with his wife of 48 years.
Tom Powell
Senior Advisor to the Council.
and Lay Minister
Rev. Don Adams
Senior Advisor to the Council.
Ordained Minister-UCCA
Rev. Dr. Graham Louden
Senior Advisor for UK & European Liaison. Ordained Minister-UCCA
A FAITH WHOSE TIME HAS COME
A FAITH FOR TODAY
MEMBERS ARE LEADERS TOO
Just as our leaders dedicate their time, resources, and knowledge to the ministry of the UCCA, our members also contribute what they can. This is true for all churches and religious institutions. The financial and other needs of the work are met by those who believe in its mission, purpose, and, most of all, what God has placed in their hearts. The efforts to sustain our ministry and foster its growth begin with the work of both leaders and members. It’s a team effort; both must do their part to ensure the UCCA aligns with God's will and accomplishes all that God desires. Don’t join us just to be a member; join because God has called you to make a difference in a world that has lost its way, and deep inside, you know you are called to do whatever you can to guide them home. Begin your ministry, your work, by giving what you are able, and join us as we gather God’s children.