UCE Staff Highlight: Liz Kennedy-Eason – by Renee Hoff

I recently posed the following question to several UCE folks: “What word(s) best describe how you feel when walking into UCE?” Some popular responses included: peaceful, serene, thankful for this beautiful space, in community, inspired, at home, renewed, remembering wonderful times. Such reactions bring a smile to Liz Kennedy-Eason’s face. Together with her husband, Steven, Liz takes great pride and joy in their joint role caring for the building. When I recently interviewed Liz, it was clear that the church is her second home. “I work with love,” explained Liz. “I strive to provide a beautiful environment where a person feels safe and welcomed when they enter our building.” One of Liz’s favorite quotes comes from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Liz relates this quote to her job: “Many people have walked through UCE’s doors and may have forgotten the details of what they heard or saw, but all will remember how the church made them feel. This is why my job is so important and why I give it my all.”

In 1998, Liz’s husband Kirk died unexpectedly and together with her 10-year old daughter, Lindsey, they began a search for spirituality and community. The first time they visited UCE was during the summer. At that time, summer services were lay led in Room 3 because that was the only air-conditioned space in the church. Margaret Shaklee led a Sufi dance that brought Liz to tears. Liz and Lindsey knew they had had found a home and Liz became a member shortly thereafter.

Fast forward a few years and we find Lindsey working part-time after school as a lobby staff person. As a teenager, Lindsey didn’t like working Saturday nights, so “Mom Liz” started filling in. At that point, Liz had worked 30 years in Human Resources and Payroll/Accounting and recalls the “a-ha” moment in the church parking lot when the trajectory of her life changed. “Right then and there, I made the decision to retire from the corporate world to embrace my ‘time’ versus my ‘stuff.’ I realized that time is life,” explained Liz. “I had enough ‘stuff’ but I didn’t know how much ‘time’ I might have.” The year was 2012 and Liz was hired on the spot as UCE’s first female sexton.

I’ve always thought it odd that churches still use the ancient word sexton to describe the duties that Steven and Liz perform. Per Wikipedia, “the words sexton and sacristan both derive from the Medieval Latin word sacristanus meaning custodian of sacred objects.” After spending time with Liz, I now think the word is a perfect description for what they do. Liz commented that “this building knows that Steven and I are here to take care of it. The church is alive – it has its own spirit.” In this Spring season, please join me in saying thank you to Steven and Liz for their hard-working and loving attention to all that is sacred at UCE.