First Parish Bedford UU Announces New Senior Minister 

Reverend Jamie Hinson-Rieger. Courtesy Image

Submitted by The First Parish in Bedford – Unitarian Universalist

The First Parish in Bedford – Unitarian Universalist announces that Reverend Jamie Hinson-Rieger is the congregation’s new Senior Minister. 

Rev. Hinson-Rieger was “called” by a unanimous vote at a congregational meeting of its members on May 7. He will start his ministry at First Parish on Aug. 1, following the 31-year ministry of The Reverend John E. Gibbons, who retired in June 2021 as the Minister Emeritus of First Parish. 

Under the guidance of Interim Ministers Rev. Wendy Bell and Rev. Annie Gonzalez, parishioners have been involved in a two-year transition and ministerial search process. 

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Rev. Hinson-Rieger currently serves at the UU Church of Indianapolis, IN, where he has been a member since 2006. He has a degree in history and economics from the University of Indiana, and graduated from the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. 

He came to Unitarian Universalism in 2006 and, with his wife, Susanne, raised their three children in the Indianapolis UU church. 

Before his ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2021, Rev. Hinson-Rieger worked for 18 years in the banking profession in Indianapolis, concentrating on affordable housing. He served as the solo worship leader of his UU congregation for nine years. 

Social justice work has been central to Rev. Hinson-Rieger’s ministry with a notable focus on issues of climate justice and anti-racism. With his support, the UUI congregation has an ongoing, strong commitment to renewable energy – resulting in their campus being nearly 100 percent solar powered. He has also actively supported the Black Lives Matter movement in Indianapolis. 

Additionally, through his involvement with Faith in Indiana, an interfaith group that focuses on racial and economic equity on a state level, Rev. Hinson-Rieger organized and publicly addressed such issues as health care for all, comprehensive gun violence reduction, expanded mental health and addiction care, and the need for expanded mass transit. 

Rev. Hinson-Rieger is the author of The Ant Farmer and Other Stories, illustrated by Claudia Brooks, which contains 26 tales exploring lessons about cooperation, identity, tolerance, change, and conflict. 

He and his wife are looking forward to their move to Bedford, learning more about its history and community, and exploring the natural beauty of Massachusetts and New England.

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