Minister & Staff

Rev. Dr. Linda Barnes came to New Hampshire from the Midwest in 2016. Her life has been a rich tapestry of experience that includes nearly twenty years as a community college biology professor and organic farmer. Linda received a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1996 from Iowa State University and a Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago in 2015. Her studies included a two-year internship at First Unitarian Church of Des Moines. She also served as a chaplain at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. She was ordained in April 2016. Contact Linda.

Sarah Dan has been a UU professional musician since 2003 and has been with Starr King UU since 2013. Her mission is to “spread the Unitarian Universalist faith through music, which I do by empowering congregational singing, shared ministry and active participation in the UUA.”

Sarah Dan’s instruments include piano, guitar, flute, voice and djembe. She holds a BA in Music Performance from North Georgia College and State University. E-mail Sarah Dan or visit her website.

Grace Kennedy has always had education at the center of her career and is passionate about finding creative ways to communicate complex ideas. She has focused her time on the fields of environmental and outdoor education, as well as science communication. Her love of nature and curiosity about the mystery of life spill into all she does.

Grace grew up on the coast of Maine, attending the Sanford UU Church and in 2015 she moved to Monteverde, Costa Rica. There, she co-founded a non-profit, Palo Vivo, that conducts environmental education and reforestation in her community. She is a certified Our Whole Lives instructor, has been a counselor at Ferry Beach Camp and Conference Center’s kids camp, and is thrilled to now serve as the Director of Religious Education at the Starr King UU Fellowship.

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Grace can be reached at dre@starrkingfellowship.org

Sharon Warga is our office administrator.  

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Sharon can be contacted at admin@starrkingfellowship.org

Margaret Rieser is our Ministerial Intern. She is taking the final steps in her journey to graduate from Meadville Lombard Theological School with a master's degree in Divinity in 2024 with the goal of becoming a UU minister.

Margaret grew up in Philadelphia, PA, graduating from Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College with a master’s degree in social work, and one in law and social policy. She has lived in rural New Hampshire since 1996. She was a clinical social worker for many years, ending this career as the area director of a community mental health center. After a stint as a stay-at-home parent -during which she had a large garden, raised pigs, volunteered in many capacities in her community, and fell in love with Unitarian Universalism at her home congregation in Tamworth, NH - Margaret decided to attend seminary and has not regretted this decision for even one second. Margaret can be contacted at intern@starrkingfellowship.org.