Meet Our Ministers and Staff
Co-Ministers, LoraKim Joyner and Meredith Garmon
Rev. LoraKim Joyner, DVM and Rev. Meredith Garmon, PhD, were called to be our ministers by unanimous congregational vote in April 2006, and began serving in August.
Both ministers were born and raised in the Southeast, and served as co-ministers to the Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso for two years before coming to Gainesville.
Rev. Meredith Garmon, PhD
Meredith is a life-long Unitarian Universalist with five degrees in four different fields:
- Bachelor of Arts, philosophy, Univ. of West Georgia, 1979
- Bachelor of Arts, English, Univ. of West Georgia, 1980
- Master of Arts, communication studies, Baylor Univ., 1985
- Master of Arts, philosophy, Univ. of Virginia, 1991
- Doctor of Philosophy, political theory, Univ. of Virginia, 1992
Meredith was an Assistant Professor of Philosophy, 1992-96, at Fisk University in Nashville before studying for the ministry at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Shaw University Divinity School, and Meadville Lombard. In addition to being a co-minister with LoraKim in El Paso, and now Gainesville, Meredith was the the half-time sole minister to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Midland, Texas for a year, 2005-06.
Meredith has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism since 2001.
Rev. LoraKim Joyner, DVM
LoraKim was an avian veterinarian before going into ministry.
- Bachelor of Science, avian sciences, University of California at Davis, 1979
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, nondomestic animal medicine, UC-Davis, 1986
- Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, avian research, UC-Davis, 1990
- Master of Divinity, Vanderbilt University, 2000
Though LoraKim doesn't practice as a veterinarian anymore, she maintains her license. She lived for almost five years in Guatemala where she worked on parrot preservation projects. She taught on the faculty of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1995-97. Prior to beginning co-ministry with Meredith, LoraKim was the full-time sole minister in El Paso for two years, 2002-04.
LoraKim is an Initiate on the Sufi path.
LoraKim and Meredith met in Nashville and married there in 2000. Meredith has two grown children: daughter Morgen is in New York studying Library Sciences, and son John is at the University of Georgia studying agricultural economics. Meredith and LoraKim have adopted two Honduran refugees who live with them: Yency Contreras (b. 1987) and Osman Sanchez (b. 1988).
Minister of Music, Ruth Lewis — B.A., '75; M.F.A., '86
Ruth Lewis received the Master of Fine Arts degree in organ performance from the University
of Florida in 1986, studying both organ and harpsichord with Willis Bodine. She also holds the Teacher's and Performer's Diplomas in piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UF. She has been an active performer in the Gainesville area, presenting concerts and recitals as soloist, chamber musician, and choral director. She especially enjoys featuring new or seldom heard works. Her programs have included such themes as "Organ Treasures from Scandinavia," "The Harpsichord — Celebrating a Century of Revival," "Music in Praise of Music," and "A Centennial Tribute to Paul Robeson."
Ruth began teaching piano at the age of 12 and has continued doing so to this day. She currently maintains a private piano studio in Gainesville. She holds state and national certification from the Music Teachers National Association. She is active in a number of musical organizations and recently completed two years as president of the Gainesville Music Teachers Association.
Ruth serves as Minister of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, where she founded and directs three choirs for adults, children and youth. Two years ago the congregation honored her for 30 years service by secretly commissioning a choral anthem, Summon Our Voices, from Unitarian Universalist composer Rev. Jason Shelton, with words by Dr. Kendyl Gibbons, both of First UU Church of Nashville and bringing the composer to Gainesville to conduct the premiere performance of the anthem.
In March 2007, Ruth organized the first Florida District Unitarian Universalist Choral Festival, with choirs from 6 congregations around the state attending Saturday rehearsals and workshops and then singing, 70 voices strong, for the Sunday service the following morning. The 2008 Second Annual Florida District UU Choral Festival was held in Orlando with ten groups participating! The Annual Choral Festival has become an important event in the Florida district.
Director of Religious Education, Jane Edwards
Jane Edwards has a Masters in Creative Writing and for twenty years taught literature and writing to students in middle school through college, as well as basic skills to brain-damaged and emotionally disturbed children.
She has been socially active as a VISTA in Appalachia in the '70s, organizer of an environmental conference featuring keynote speaker Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and member of the board of the Mental Health Coalition of North Florida. She has received recognition for her work with the homeless mentally ill.
She has been a "closet UU" throughout her life and stepped out of the closet when she came to UUFG.
Music Associate, Eddie Neimann
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