Our Staff

Minister, Rev. Ron Phares

I’ve been drawn to things spiritual since I was little, long, long before I was introduced to Unitarian Universalism. I was raised in a liberal methodist church but eventually found I had to do too many theological gymnastics to make it work. So I rejected the whole institution of religion while still being keenly interested in its poetics.

My pendulum swung toward the material, working in politics and getting a master’s degree in international management. I learned so much from those false starts, mostly, that they were not who I was. I’m a nerd for spirit, for the ecstasy of meaningfulness. But it wasn’t until I attended a UU church that I found my proverbial team to play for. I’ve dedicated my life to it ever since.

The thing I think I’d most like you to know about me is that I feel deeply called to aid and abet the shifting of our paradigm from one of separation and control to one of partnership and mutual care. The two primary places I try to do that are in my family and in my ministry.

I am a father, a husband, and an ordained minister in the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition since 2010. Before that I was a long-haul student, aspiring writer, and knockabout and paid the rent doing things long-haul students, aspiring writers, and knockabouts do. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, I have lived in and learned from New York, Australia, China, Washington, D.C., Austin, Tucson, and North Vancouver, B.C.

My twin girls, Minnie and Cora, are the light of my life and my greatest teachers and Katie, my spouse, is the perfect partner and co-conspirator for me. While the former impacts my ministry without knowing it, Katie and I are equally called to vision and work for the shift the world seems to be asking for. It is a rich life.

I currently reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado with my family, which includes those mentioned above as well as my mother, Jill, our dog, Ruby, and our cats, Cosmos and Phoebe.

Contact Rev. Ron

Music Director, Jay Thomas

Jay has lived in Pueblo for nearly two years after growing up in Dayton, OH (where his family belonged to a Unitarian church and he was a member of LRY) and spent nearly all of his adult life in Northeast Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1979, Music Certification in Choral and General Music in 1998, and a Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction in 2007, all while attending the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. So, suffice to say, he is a musician and a teacher.

He taught choir and/or general music at the elementary and middle school levels for 15 years and was choral director at a 2-year UW campus for five. He was music director for the Oneida Nation summer music camp for three seasons and provided piano and voice lessons there as well. Jay has maintained a private music studio for over 20 years and  was the Music Director at the Fox Valley UU Fellowship in Appleton, WI for 9 wonderful years.

He is looking forward to creating music and memories at All Souls!

Contact Jay

Office Administrator, Kathryn Lane

Kat (Kathryn) Lane is fortunate, and deeply grateful, to be a native of Colorado.

She chose to serve within the nonprofit sector her entire career, functioning as a fund-raiser and as an administrator. She generated funding for several diverse organizations in Colorado and Pennsylvania, including: a respiratory and research medical center; a victims’ service provider; an optometric center for under-served; a public benefit flying service; a canine rescue and sanctuary; and a zoological park. She was a member of senior management teams and undertook responsibilities as interim director for two nonprofit organizations during critical transitions in executive leadership.

She has also served two faith communities in administration and operations. One of which was All Souls from 2011 to 2017. She returned to All Souls on Halloween, 2022.

This is an exciting time for us here at All Souls as we excitedly create a new future, and she says she’s delighted to be back with this inspiring, welcoming, and inclusive community!

Contact Kat

Director of Religious Exploration,  Molly Dewell

Molly moved to Colorado Springs 3 years ago, with her husband and their twin daughters. Prior to moving to the Springs, she lived in the Omaha, NE area for 11 years, where she was an active member of First Unitarian Church of Omaha.

Molly has taught at various colleges, including Pike’s Peak Community College, as an adjunct philosophy instructor. Molly also has experience working in early childhood education.  Molly earned her B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Religious Studies from Western Illinois University. She also has an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Molly is ready to start a new and exciting journey at All Souls!

Contact Molly

Minister Emerita, The Reverend Dr. Ellen Johnson-Fay

The Rev. Dr. Ellen Johnson-Fay was called to be the Senior Minister at All Souls in 1999. She retired in July of 2006 after more than forty years of service in the areas of religious education and parish ministry. At her retirement, All Souls voted to confer upon Ellen the title of “Minister Emerita,” a first for All Souls in its history, which spans more than a century!

 

Ellen and her husband, Barry, have remained in Colorado Springs, and are involved with various groups both locally and nationally. Ellen continues to be a member of several Unitarian Universalist Association boards and commissions.