Rev. Barb Greve

Rev. Mr. Barb Greve is a genderqueer Unitarian Universalist minister, religious educator, and hospice chaplain. He is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. His mother worked as the Director of Religious Education at his childhood church, First Parish in Framingham, Massachusetts. This early immersion in Unitarian Universalism shaped his calling into faith leadership and ministry. Rev. Mr. Barb Greve credits his Unitarian Universalist upbringing to being able to embrace and explore his transgender identity from an early age. Coming full circle, Rev. Mr. Barb Greve is now an Affiliated Community Minister for First Parish in Framingham.

Growing up in a church which embraced him fully, it was no surprise that Mr. Barb began serving in the church at a young age. He began at age 11 as a Religious Education teacher, then later as a leader in his youth group, and then as a member of the Board of Trustees along with many other congregational leadership positions. This pattern would repeat itself over and over as Rev. Mr. Barb Greve began his career as a Unitarian Universalist institutionalist. In his early 20’s he began working in the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian,Transgender Concerns, although at that time, Transgender was not a part of the title. It was added in 1996, after Barb publicly came as transgender while on staff. This was also the year that affirming transgender Christian and religious publishing began to grow. Through his work at the Unitarian Universalist Association Rev. Mr. Barb Greve contributed to the rising tide of transgender religious authorship as the publishing editor of the anthology, Crossing Paths: Where Transgender and Religion Meet, which was released in 2003. His writing contributions continued with work on the UUA’s Welcoming Congregation Handbook and Living the Welcoming Congregation. He also lends his voice as a contributing author in: Injustice and the Care of Souls: Taking Oppression Seriously in Pastoral Care, GenderQueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary, Homosexuality & Religion: An Encyclopedia, and Women: Images & Realities, A Multicultural Anthology.

His call to ministry was a natural progression of his affinity and talent for institutional leadership and innovation. Rev. Mr. Barb Greve chose Starr King School for the Ministry for his seminary education. In part because he admired the prophetic qualities of the faculty, and their prophetic wisdom can now be heard in Rev. Mr. Barb Greve’s voice as well. Since graduating in 2007, he has served on the Board of Trustees for Starr King as Chair. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Meadville Lombard Theological School and on the Board of Trustees for the Unitarian Universalist Studies Network. UUSN works to open wide the pathways to Unitarian Universalist scholarship as, “a mutually supportive collective of academic and independent scholars, lay leaders, religious professionals, and students who aim to cultivate deeper engagement with Unitarian Universalist historical, theological, and ethical knowledge and practices as well as their intersections and interplay.” Again, Greve’s commitment to making our faith accessible to all is apparent in the institutions he serves and supports.

In 2017, Rev. Mr. Barb Greve was appointed and then elected to serve as co-moderator of Unitarian Universalist Association alongside the now ancestor Elandria Williams following the untimely death of Jim Key. They were the first co-moderators of the Unitarian Universalist Association, stretching the imagination of how this role can function, and broadening the welcome to institutional service and leadership. They served together until 2020, when their term ended. Together they intentionally brought a perspective that was radically intersectional and anti-oppressive into every part of their co-moderatorship.

Through his prophetic governance, Rev. Mr. Barb Greve calls Unitarian Universalist institutions and individuals to live into their professed values. This is especially visible in the ways he supports and encourages religious professionals, especially queer religious professionals. This is most visibly highlighted through two thriving organizations that Rev. Mr. Barb Greve helped to bring to fruition. The first was Transgender Religious professional Unitarian Universalists Together (TRUUsT) in 2004. He co-founded TRUUsT with the Rev. Sean Parker Dennison, who was in 2002 the first publicly out transgender person to be called to serve as a minister to a Unitarian Universalist parish. TRUUsT has become a lifeline for trans and nonbinary Unitarian Universalist religious professionals. It is also a voice for trans justice and equity within Unitarian Universalism. TRUUsT has offered trainings to congregations and individuals, advocated for trans healthcare coverage, and assisted with the hiring and settlement of transgender and nonbinary religious professionals in congregations. The Unitarian Universalist Association has responded in recent years with a financial commitment to TRUUsT in support of its ministries and in support of transgender and nonbinary religious professionals. At the 2024 General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association, a business resolution was passed which affirmed transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. The resolution titled “Embracing Transgender, Nonbinary, Intersex and Gender Diverse People is a Fundamental Expression of UU Religious Values” passed by 92%. While the Rev. Mr. Barb Greve was not a named proposer of the resolution, he assisted in crafting the final resolution. In countless ways, named and unnamed, his institutional influence was undoubtedly present in the creation and subsequent adoption of this resolution.

The second organization is the Association of Unitarian Universalist Transition Professionals. Rev. Mr. Barb Greve was a founding member of this organization which began as support for Interim Religious Educators and has now grown to support all Unitarian Universalist Religious Professionals serving in transitional roles. This association along with the Unitarian Universalist Studies Network both encourage and support diverse and imaginative UU ministry, leadership, and scholarship. Organizations such as these help hold Unitarian Universalism to its values of welcome and inclusion for LGBTQIIA+ people by offering multiple avenues of engagement with Unitarian Universalism in meaningful and lasting ways.

After reading all this, it is unsurprising to learn that the Rev. Mr. Barb Greve was awarded the 2021 UUA Annual Award for Distinguished Service to the cause of Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism was and continues to be life saving for Rev. Mr. Barb Greve and he wants to make sure that is as life saving as possible for others as well. His life’s work is bringing Unitarian Universalism closer and closer to its professed values and mission.

(This biographical statement written by Erin Powers for a Fall 2024 Queer & Trans Theologies class at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities from an interview with Greve and the sources below. Photo credit: Damianos Photography)

Biography Date: February 2026

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