Video of First Parish Search Team’s announcement during worship service April 7
Video of Rev. Jennifer Johnson’s greeting to First Parish

Join us in welcoming Reverend Jennifer Johnson!

Rev. Jennifer’s ministry is grounded in the vision and promise of the Beloved Community. In all of her ministerial endeavors, she strives to foster individual thriving and collective flourishing. Drawing on experience with congregations and staff teams of all sizes, Jennifer embraces a collaborative approach to ministerial leadership.

Following her internship in nearby Chelmsford, she completed a two year Learning Fellowship with the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) and its prison ministry program, Worthy Now. The Church of the Larger Fellowship is the largest congregation in the UU denomination, a church “without walls” and with global reach. For the past three years, Jennifer has served as minister of First Parish Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where she helped the congregation rebound from the COVID crisis and develop greater capacity for its ministries.

Prior to ministry, Jennifer spent a decade building and directing the Communications and Outreach department at Advocates, a leading nonprofit social services agency in Massachusetts.

A lover of all things literary, Jennifer holds degrees in English Literature from the University of New Hampshire (a Bachelors) and Tufts University (a Masters). While serving as a lay worship leader at her home congregation, she was delighted to discover that sermon writing is her favorite creative outlet. Her passion for worship led her to Meadville Lombard Theological School, where she earned a Master of Divinity in 2020.

Born in Boston to New England transplants, Jennifer laid down roots here with her husband Dave and their two daughters, Amelia and Carly. Together they enjoy hiking New England’s woodland trails with their rescue pup, Cooper; sharing their eclectic music and movie tastes; and engaging in lively dinner-table debates.

The Search Team is grateful to all of you for entrusting us with this process and decision. We are thrilled with the outcome!

– Sara Ballard, Jeff Clanon, Kristin Haddad, Peter Lowitt, Kristin Moore, Eric Van Loon, Lora Venesy