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Burton Carley has been a Unitarian Universalist parish minister for 36 years. After graduating from Boston University School of Theology (Master of Theology), he was ordained in 1974 at First Church of Christ, Unitarian, Lancaster MA, where he served one year as the Assistant Minister. From 1975-1983 he was the first full-time minister of All Soul Unitarian Universalist Church, Shreveport LA. Since June of 1983 he has served the First Unitarian Church of Memphis TN. Overlooking the high bluff on the Mississippi River, the congregation is also known as The Church of the River in Memphis. He has lead the congregation through two expansions and the establishment of a second suburban church. The Rev. Burton Carley will deliver the keynote address “What Binds Us Together?” at the 2010 Metro NY District Annual Meeting. His address will focus on how we might understand our center as a people of faith and deepen the quality of our spiritual bonds.
Rev. Carley is a liberal religious leader in the Memphis community and is a past president of the Memphis Ministers Association. His congregation was a founding member of the first southern Industrial Areas Foundation organization, Shelby County Interfaith (SCI). He served on the leadership council of SCI for a decade.
Also an active leader in the Southwestern UU Conference, Rev. Carley has served twice on the district board, was program director of the Summer Institute, and served as the Settlement Representative to the district. He is a past president of the UU Ministers Association chapter, and currently continues in the role of Good Offices. He has been an internship supervisor and continues various mentoring relationships. He was an organizer of the Free Church Conference, is active in Prairie Group, and delivered the 2005 Berry Street essay, The Way Home. Recently he published two prayers in a meditation anthology With or Without Candlelight, Skinner House Books, 2009. Currently he is working with Laurel Hallman on a training workshop for colleagues to deepen their theological conversations and spiritual connections in a UU Ministers Association program titled Whose Are We?
For 10 years, Rev. Carley served on the UUA Board of Trustees. As a trustee he was a member of the Finance Committee, the Holdeen India Advisory Board, the Fellowship Committee, and the General Assembly and the Mission of the Association Partnership Task Force. He has served on two other UUA Board task forces, and chaired the Greater New Orleans Strategic Planning Group in the aftermath of the Katrina Hurricane.
Rev. Carley is married to Betsy Mandel-Carley, a clinical social worker in private practice. He has one adult step-son who was raised in the Reformed Jewish tradition and two beautiful granddaughters.The Rev. Burton Carley will deliver the keynote address “What Binds Us Together?” at the 2010 Metro NY District Annual Meeting. His address will focus on how we might understand our center as a people of faith and deepen the quality of our spiritual bonds |
