Elizabeth Ellis is an ordained minister with standing in the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Northeast Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) She has worked in urban social justice ministry for 28 years; 24 years in Boston with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry and four in Pennsylvania, where she served as the director of Social Witness Programs at Pendle Hill, the Quaker study center, and is now serving part time at the Main Line Unitarian church as the Social Action minister. This fall she began a program for spiritual direction at the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth at Wernersville, Pa. She has been involved with Ignatian spirituality for over 20 years.
Elizabeth was ordained at the First Church in Lexington, Ma. in 1978, then Elizabeth Adams, and then called to the Benevolent Fraternity of Unitarian Churches (now dba the UU Urban Ministry) as Associate minister at large, In the tradition of the ministry at large, founded by the Rev. Joseph Tuckerman in 1834, Rev. Ellis lived in Boston and worked with others to respond to issues of poverty and discrimination, and to establish ministry programs in low income communities. As associate minister she focused on women’s issues, and founded Renewal House, a shelter for women who are battered and their children. Renewal House recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, sadly still serving the same population. She also co-founded the Church of the United Community in Roxbury, serving a very diverse congregation with a deliberately liberation theology, and a strong outreach program to substance abusers. At that time she was granted ordained standing with the Christian Church (Disciples.)
In 1989 Elizabeth was called as the Senior Minister and Executive Director of the UUUM. Under her leadership staff was hired and programs developed in response to youth gang violence; programs were begun to address domestic violence and poverty in the Asian community; a faith based legislative coalition was created to address issues impacting urban children. Elizabeth also participated in several citywide coalitions to address social justice issues, and led a capital campaign to restore the historic First Church in Roxbury, the site of the UUUM’s several youth programs.
In 2002 she was hired by Pendle Hill to start a youth program in neighboring Chester, and to supervise a program of social justice internships. She and the staff she supervised focused on youth at risk, especially youth on probation. As Social Action minister at the Main Line Unitarian church Elizabeth works with several task forces of the church to address international and local issues.
She received her ministry education through the Independent Study Program of the Unitarian Universalist Association, with coursework at Harvard Divinity School and the Boston Theological Institute. She has taught at Meadville Lombard School for the Ministry in Chicago and at Harvard Divinity School. She recently completed a three year fellowship program for urban ministers at HDS.
Elizabeth is the mother of a son and daughter and grandmother of three. She lives in Chester.