Vanessa Southern
Vanessa Rush Southern (born 1968) is an American Unitarian minister in New Jersey notable for increasing church membership[1] as well as being a progressive liberal advocate of issues such as reproductive health care options for women,[3] diversity and racial tolerance,[4] affordable housing including projects for Habitat for Humanity,[1][5] human rights,[3] and remembrance of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King.[6] She is minister of the Unitarian Church in Summit[1] and has presided over high-profile weddings[7] as well as local community discussions on topics such as diversity and tolerance[8] and the "achievement gap" between low–income and high–income families.[9] Her father was the director of an acting school in New York City called the School for Film and Television and her mother was a hematology technologist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.[2] She was married in 1999 to Rohit Menzes.[2] She wrote a book entitled, This Piece of Eden.
Ministry
Southern was minister of the Universalist National Memorial Church in Washington from 1996 to 2001.[1] During her years as minister in Summit, from 2001 to the present, congregation membership grew from 100 to 500 members, and childrens' education expanded to 200 members, according to a report in the Independent Press.[1] The congregation supported relief efforts in Darfur, Haiti, New Orleans, Pakistan, Guatemala and elsewhere, as well as social action projects including tutoring sessions in an Irvington school, local food banks, a program entitled Summit Helping Its People, a transition program for homeless people called Homefirst, house-building efforts, and other charitable projects.[1] In 2010, Southern's congregation was honored by the Unitarian national assembly as being one of four "breakthrough congregations" in North America for increases in membership and charitable activity.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Staff writer (December 26, 2011). "Summit Unitarian pastor celebrates 10th anniversary". Independent Press. http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2011/12/summit_unitarian_pastor_celebr.html. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ^ a b c "WEDDINGS; Vanessa Southern, Rohit Menezes". The New York Times. May 2, 1999. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/02/style/weddings-vanessa-southern-rohit-menezes.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "The Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern ... graduated from Stanford University and received a master's degree in divinity from Harvard University."
- ^ a b "Summit Unitarians support reproductive-health spending". Independent Press. June 14, 2011. http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2011/06/summit_unitarians_support_repr.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... reproductive health care services ... Parish Minister Vanessa Southern stated: “These cuts are shortsighted ... This is a human rights issue.“"
- ^ Staff reporters (January 17, 2011). "N.J. plans Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations". Newark Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/new_jersey_celebrates_holds_ev.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... Program of Remembrance, sermon by the Rev. Vanessa Southern of the Unitarian Church of Summit and song by Continuo Arts Foundation commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s contributions to all people"
- ^ Liz Keill (January 5, 2011). "Summit's first Habitat structure rises on Morris Avenue". Independent Press. http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2011/01/summits_first_habitat_structur.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... "When the framing goes up it will be magical,” said Vanessa Southern, rector of The Unitarian Church in Summit. ..."
- ^ "Martin Luther King Day of Service launches 10-year initiative; spotlights Latino community". Independent Press. January 13, 2011. http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2011/01/martin_luther_king_day_of_serv.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... A Program of Remembrance ... with a sermon by The Rev. Vanessa Southern of The Unitarian Church of Summit"
- ^ "WEDDINGS; Grace Kim, Erin Caddell". The New York Times. March 25, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/25/style/weddings-grace-kim-erin-caddell.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "The Rev. Vanessa Southern, a Unitarian Universalist minister, participated in the service."
- ^ Barbara Rybolt (August 10, 2009). "Prime Time Calendar of Events for the Week of August 12, 2009". Independent Press. http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2009/08/prime_time_calendar_of_events_2.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... There will be a community discussion on the book ... The leader will be Vanessa Southern from the Summit Unitarian Church"
- ^ Heather Collura (October 22, 2009). "Mayor Holds Monthly Diversity Forum". SummitPatch. http://summit.patch.com/articles/mayor-holds-monthly-diversity-forum. Retrieved 2011-07-31. "... Vanessa Southern, Unitarian Minister, said she's read that the achievement gap widens during the summer when some families cannot afford to have their children participate in enrichment activities."
External links
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Southern, Vanessa |
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1968 |
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