Pastors & Staff

Cameron was called to serve United Church of Chapel Hill in March 2018 after serving progressive, justice-seeking congregations in Grinnell and Des Moines, Iowa. In the Chapel Hill communities where our church is present, Cameron has become an active participant in conversations about racial equity, immigration, and housing. He is especially an advocate for the Inter-Faith Council’s mission to address the root causes of poverty and homelessness in our community. His service to our denomination, the United Church of Christ, includes a two year term as chair of the national Board of Directors from 2021 to 2023. Cameron is a graduate of Davidson College and Vanderbilt Divinity School, and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Cameron and his husband, Jackson den Herder, an architect with the firm BNIM, reside in the Rogerson-Oakwood neighborhood of Chapel Hill.

Email: cbarr@unitedchurch.org
Phone: 919-942-3540, ext. 108
Direct Line: 919-338-7917

Mary Elizabeth Hill Hanchey grew up in North Carolina, the child of Baptist pastors, living in communities across the state. She has degrees from UNC (BA, JD) and Duke (MDiv), and earned one unit of CPE at Duke. Ordained at Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, she has served congregations throughout the Triangle. Mary Elizabeth is known for her writing, preaching, teaching about religious liberty, teaching about grief (especially fertility grief), and her commitments to social justice. She lives in Durham with her husband and three children, and a rescue dog that turns out not to be a lab.

Email: mehanchey@unitedchurch.org
Phone: 919-942-3540, ext. 106
Direct Line: 919-338-7919

Jenny Shultz-Thomas has returned to United Church of Chapel Hill after having served as Associate Pastor for Youth & Young Adults from 2009 to 2016. She has served as Sr. Pastor of two UCC congregations; Community UCC in Raleigh, NC, and First Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC in Denver, CO. Jenny’s Doctor of Ministry research explores the impact of the Maker Movement on congregational vitality with a particular focus on worship and community engagement. Her research interest, love of the arts and passion for supporting social change brought her back to the Triangle, where she serves as the Executive Director for The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Jenny, her wife Shannon, and their two children live in Durham, NC.

Email: jshultzthomas@unitedchurch.org

A North Carolina native, Anitra earned a B.S. degree in Child Development from Meredith College and has more than 25 years experience nurturing children and families in our community. She has been a member of our congregation for more than 10 years and has spent a bulk of that time supporting the work of children and family ministry. Anitra believes deeply in offering a safe space for children, youth, and families to discover and expand upon their faith journey while offering deep respect and love to all of God’s children. Anitra and her husband, Neil, enjoying spending time with their two children and their dog in Hillsborough, NC.

Email: agrove@unitedchurch.org

Phone: 919-942-3540

Alan is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Manhattan School of Music. Early in his career, he was tutored by Marie-Claire Alain, a distinguished scholar and teacher of the organ in Paris. Alan has a long resume of organ and other musical leadership crossing multiple denominational traditions. For nine years he served as Associate Director of Music and Organist at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, and for more than a decade he served Roman Catholic parishes in the Charleston area. Since returning to his childhood home in Louisburg, Alan has served several congregations in Raleigh, including White Memorial Presbyterian Church and St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, an African American parish.

Email: adavis@unitedchurch.org

Phone: 919-942-3540

Jenny received a BA and MAT in Music from Rollins College in Florida. In the 1990’s she lived in England, where she directed choirs, taught primary school music and maintained a large voice studio. She moved to Chapel Hill in 2000 and began directing the Chancel Choir at United Church in 2001, while teaching elementary and middle school music as her day job. In 2011 she became the United Church Director of Music, directing the Children’s, Youth and Chancel Choirs and coordinating a diverse and rich music program.

Email: janderson@unitedchurch.org
Phone:919-942-3540, ext. 105
Direct Line: 919-338-1718

Email: mmee@unitedchurch.org

Direct Line: 919-338-7915

Email: kruark@unitedchurch.org
Phone: 919-942-3540, ext. 104
Direct Line: 919-338-7921

Email: dgilbert@unitedchurch.org
Phone: 919-942-3540, ext. 103
Direct Line: 919-338-7920

UCP is a half-day preschool program that services the United Church community.

Email: Director@unitedchurchpreschool.org
Phone: 919-338-7916