Rev. Gerald “Jay” Williams, Ph.D.

LEAD PASTOR

Jay is a pastor, scholar, and activist. 

He is deeply committed to the work of liberation: anti-oppression, flourishing, and empowerment of the marginalized. Through his pastoral and academic work, Jay strives to help disinherited folk “come to voice” and mobilize for social transformation.

A member of Union during his college years, Rev. Dr. Jay Williams returned to Union as lead pastor in September 2012. He is an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church, and has served congregations in New York City, Boston, and San Francisco.

 Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Harvard University (2003), Master of Divinity with highest honors from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (2009), and the Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (2017). The dissertation, entitled Unholy Ghosts in the Age of Spirit: Identity, Intersectionality, and the Theological Horizons of Black Progress, develops a constructive theology of spirit that rethinks hope, courage, and vitality, premised on insights from W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Howard Thurman. 

 Rev. Dr. Jay, a queer cisgender man, lives in the Fort Hill neighborhood of Roxbury (Boston). Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Jay loves fruit snacks, working out, and the 1980s cartoon series “The Thundercats.”

Rev. Sara Garrard, D.Min.

EXECUTIVE PASTOR

A south Georgia transplant, Sara comes from a long line of Methodist pastors. She received her MDiv from the Emory University (‘13), CTM from the University of Cambridge (‘13), and DMin from Emory University (‘19). Her master’s thesis analyzed the the redemption of women and sexuality in art and her doctoral thesis dealt with reimagining churches for a more just, sustainable future. Sara is passionate about social justice and racial equity. Apart from church work, Sara loves crossfit, her dogs (Lawson + Marshall), and spending time with her wife, Tamra.

Rev. Kyle Walden

DISCIPLESHIP PASTOR

As Union seeks to live out its mission to promote Christ’s gospel of liberation, Kyle brings his creativity and organizational capacity to build sustainable ministries and nurture others’ callings to ministry. He believes that our role as the church is to live into Christ’s vision of the Kin-dom of God, being a place where we practice personal and social holiness and live in radical solidarity with one another across social barriers.

Kyle is an ordained elder in full connection in the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. He graduated from Boston University School of Theology with his Master of Divinity in May 2021. After growing up in Texan suburbs, he completed undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin (B.A. Psychology and Plan II) and served a year with Americorps in Austin.

In his free time, Kyle enjoys playing music, binge-watching “The West Wing,” and spending quality time with his partner, Angie, and family.

Rev. Nikki Renée

Preacher-in-Residence

Rev. Nikki returns to the Union Team while maintaining her full-time position as the Assistant Director of Contextual Education at the Boston University School of Theology.

She has held previous roles at Union as the Assistant Pastor, the Minister of Worship and Discipleship, and began as a student minister as part of her contextual education.

After studying English Writing and Sociology in Northern Illinois, she made her way to Boston where she earned her Masters of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. She is now a PhD candidate in Practical Theology at the same school and incorporates her studies in preaching, trauma, and feminist/womanist theologies into her work at Union.

Rev. Nikki is a provisional member of the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Rev. Ashley Renée

DEACOn-in-RESIDENCE

Rev. Ashley is a graduate of Boston University School of Theology where she earned a Master of Theological Studies degree. Prior to her current role at Union, Ashley also served as Union’s Director of Christian Education for several years and Union’s Minister of Worship and Faith Formation. She is a provisional Deacon in The United Methodist Church, called to connect community and church through the ministry of Compassion, Service, Justice, and Word.

She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, GA where she studied Psychology and Child Development. Upon Graduation in 2007, she entered the Department of Education at Brown University. She received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown and has had the pleasure of serving as an elementary school teacher for over a decade.

Rev. Ashley’s mission in life is to help young people, especially children of color, to flourish and to encourage them to listen for and respond to the voice of the Divine as we all work towards greater peace and justice in our communities and in the world.

Rev. Jane Lawrence

Congregational Care PASTOR

Rev. Jane is a retired elder in the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church.

She began her ministry in the summer of 1963 as a youth director at First UMC in Rusk, Texas. Life then brought her to the Boston area where she worked with local community organizations in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. After years of volunteering with youth both in the church and through the City Lights program, Rev. Lawrence answered her own call to ministry, being ordained a Deacon in 1993 and an Elder in 1998. She has served appointments at Pentecost UMC (Brockton), First UMC (Greenfield), Taunton Memorial UMC, and retired from Union UMC (Fall River). Since retirement, she has provided pulpit supply and an interim pastorate in Texas, before returning to the Boston area.

J.J. Martinez

creative engagement + Student minister

J.J. Martinez is a graduate student at the Boston University School of Theology pursuing a Master of Divinity on the pastoral ministry track. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from The University of Texas at El Paso, graduating summa cum laude with honors. He will pursue a Ph.D. after graduating.

J.J. is a declared candidate for ordination in the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church, hoping to pastor once he completes his education.

Plamen Karadonev

Director of Music

Born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, Plamen Karadonev comes from a musical family. His father Dinko Karadonev was a choir director, educator, and accordionist. Plamen started playing the accordion at age five. He later fell in love with Bulgarian folk music and soon began playing the piano.
A Berklee College of Music Scholarship brought Plamen to Boston in January 2001 where he found a whole new world of musical adventures. In the United States he has performed with some of the most respected jazz musicians currently on the scene including Randy Brecker, Gene Perla, George Garzone, Hal Crook, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Cobb, Richie Barshay and many more.

Solomon Teye Alipoh

Candidate for Ordained Ministry

Solomon Teye Alipoh hails from Ghana, West Africa, and currently lives in the Roxbury area of Boston. He is a third and final year Master of Divinity (MDiv) student at the Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) while also pursuing ordination in The United Methodist Church.

Solomon became Lay minister in Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) International after he graduated with a diploma in Theology from Christ Apostolic University College (CAUC), serving in two local
assemblies of the church from 2016 to 2018. (CAC is a Ghanaian Pentecostal and first indigenous church in Ghana and has several branches all over the world.) Being a television and radio panel guest, Solomon featured in theological and pastoral ministry discussions on shows like the “Eti Sen Show” on one of Ghana’s national media stations while in Ghana.

Solomon is the founder of the Teye Alipoh Worldwide Ministries, a non-denominational outreach
ministry started in 2015, geared to preaching Christ and making disciples for Christ through meeting the material and financial needs of the poor and needy in the hinterlands and deprived communities in Ghana. Alipoh has a strong appetite for education through which he seeks to make the world a better place for all.

Fabio Pirozzolo

Percussionist

Fabio Pirozzolo is an Italian drummer, multi-percussionist and singer. Originally from Terracina, Italy, he started his career as a folk percussionist, playing Italian frame drums tamburello and tammorra, in one of the most famous folk groups in his area. This experience gave him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, playing concerts and giving lectures on regional Italian frame drum techniques. A summa cum laude Berklee College of Music graduated, he performs in virtually any genre of music from jazz to world music to rock.

David Twiddy

Operations Manager

David is at the heart of all we do at the Union Combined Parish. He tackles Administration, Operations, and Community Engagement. If you would like to schedule an event or meeting at our Old West location, please contact him.

Olga Lipina, Ph.D.

Minister of Music and Arts

Dr. Olga Lipina is Minister of Music and Arts at the Old West site of the Union Combined Parish. Her ministry integrates practical involvement in the life of the church with theological and theoretical exploration of arts as a source for congregational development. Dr. Lipinaʼs experience and expertise is summarized in her dissertation, The Role of Arts in the Process of Leadership Formation and Ecclesial Transformation. This dissertation demonstrates that art, as an expression of faith, brings renewal and leads the religious community in the process of a holistic transformation.

Dr. Lipina received an extended training in the area of arts and theology. Her formal education includes following degrees received from the Boston University School of Theology: Master of Sacred Music (1999), Master of Divinity (2005), Master of Sacred Theology (2007), and Doctor of Ministry (2010). She also holds degree of Master of Arts in Conducting and Choral Arts from the Latvia Conservatory of Music, Riga, Latvia.