Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg

Ministry

Rev. Kate Seitz Bortner
Consulting Minister

Kate is the affiliated community minister at the UU Congregation of York (UUCY), PA. This congregation sponsored her through seminary for the eight years it took her to work full time and study part time. She graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary, a liberal UCC school in historic Lancaster, PA, in June of 2000, and was ordained by the UUCY.

Kate retired in the Spring of 2008 as Crime Prevention Coordinator for the York City Police Dept., a position she held for 22 years.

As the consulting minister with UUG, Kate conducts one worship service per month, meets with leaders and committees to build programming and is available to members by appointment for pastoral care. This is a very part-time position with two trips to Gettysburg per month.

Call the church office to leave your number to have Rev. Kate call you for a conversation or listening ear.

She preaches in UU churches throughout the Joseph Priestley District, conducts weddings, memorial services and child dedications.

Kate has been active in The Interfaith Alliance, York County Community Against Racism and the York Hospital's Pastoral Care Professional Consultation Committee. She is an adjunct professor on UU History and Polity at her alma mater, conducts Safety and Security in Houses of Worship training and serves on the Central PA CISM Team for First Responders. Her relationship with the York Congregation is guided by a covenant of agreement, supported by a ministry support team, and Parish Minister, Rev. Bob Renjilian.

Weaving relationships is the center of her ministry in the world. She is pleased to be joining us here at UUG.

Reverend Ron Crawford
Minister Emeritus

Rev. Ronald B. Crawford grew up in an Episcopalian family in New Haven. As a youth, he graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, PA and entered Yale University at the age of 17. With the outbreak of the Korean War, he entered the army and was sent for 18 months to the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Yale, completing the program as a linguist in Mandarin Chinese. During his 4 years of military duty, he was sent to Korea where he served for 15 months in intelligence work.

Rev. Crawford returned to Yale after the completion of his military service and graduated with a BA degree two years later. Then followed a long and varied business career before he decided upon devoting his life to a Unitarian Universalist ministry. He engaged in industrial personnel work for the Borg Warner Corporation in Ithaca, NY and later for Ingersoll Rand Corporation. For six years in between, he and his wife Nancy operated a lumber yard and building supply company in New Jersey owned by Nancy¹s father. Subsequently he was branch manager for a local bank before returning to upper New York state and Borg Warner, and moving on to Ingersoll Rand.

Settled in Spencer, a small town below Ithaca, he subsequently was involved in real estate work for 7 years in Ithaca. He served as County Supervisor from 1983 to 1987, a candidate endorsed by both the Republican and Democratic Parties. For 12 years he also served on an EMT emergency unit in Ithaca.

During the 1980s, Rev. Crawford became active in the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca, established in 1843. This marked a change from the Episcopalian background of his family and, more significantly, underscored the break he had earlier made as a Candidate for Holy Orders at an Episcopalian seminary operated by the Episcopalian Diocese of New Jersey.

When his wife Nancy accepted a library position in Baltimore, the Crawfords moved to Catonsville, then to Frederick in 1993 and Thurmont in 1998. In Frederick, he engaged once more in real estate work and ultimately was elected President of the Board of Realtors in Frederick.

Concurrently, he became active in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, where he became a close associate of the Rev. John T. Morehouse. He declared his interest in devoting his life now to the ministry and, with the guidance of Rev. Morehouse, engaged in independent study in Unitarian Universalism for 2 to 3 years. On June 1, 2002 he was ordained as Pastoral Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick. He is today listed with the Unitarian Universalist Association as an unassociated ordained minister. During these same years he and his wife Nancy were closely involved in the organizing of the Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg and Rev. Crawford conducted services frequently for UUG.

Rev. Crawford and his wife Nancy have 5 children and 8 grandchildren. His working life and ministerial career have filled his days for many years. He describes himself as happiest when he is working, for this is when both his vocation and avocation are joined. He is particularly devoted to working on the growth and development of churches. He is an avid reader, hikes five miles a day in the early morning, loves to plant trees, and has been involved in Rotary Club.

Current as of January 2008