Our Pastor
On April 13, 2022, the United Church in Tallahassee extended a warm and enthusiastic welcome to our new settled pastor, Rev. Dr. Kim Buchanan. For nearly a year and a half, the UCT church community continued without a settled pastor. We thank our supply pastors Rev. Erin Rosica and Rev. Dr. Betsy Goehrig for their leadership during the transition period. Also, the generosity of our members in sharing their creativity and skills during this time period was unmistakable. Over 22 different members and friends of the church delivered sermons or presentations to contribute to our worship services, and to them we owe much gratitude.
Rev. Dr. Kim Buchanan, Pastor (she/her)
Pastor Kim brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm for sharing her gifts for ministry. She grew up in Newberry, Florida, and went to the University of Florida for two years before graduating with a degree in music education from Oklahoma Baptist University. Pastor Kim is a musician—she composes music and lyrics, and plays flute, Irish flute, and guitar. After teaching elementary school music for two years, Kim earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and then a Ph.D. in preaching and education from Emory University. While her denominational roots are Southern Baptist, Kim has been pastoring in the United Church of Christ tradition since 2001.
A strong influence for Pastor Kim is Parker Palmer, the founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal and a well-known activist focused on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. The term “creating space” comes from Parker Palmer’s book, To Know as We Are Known: A Spirituality of Education. Pastor Kim says, “For me, to minister is to create space where people might meet God.”
Staff Members
Quentin M. Jones, Music Director (he/him)
Quentin Jones joined the team of UCT staff as Director of Music in August 2021. An active church musician since childhood, he is grateful to have had the opportunity to share the gift of music within a church community as a violinist, pianist, choir member, worship leader, and now music director. Holding graduate degrees in both piano performance and music theory, Quentin has presented solo performances in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Sterzing/Vipiteno, Italy, and completed a master’s thesis on the piano works of Olivier Messiaen that rely on materials derived from birdsong. A native of Orlando, Florida, Quentin enjoys spending downtime exploring the many parks in Tallahassee, spending time at home with his partner, Andy, and their three cats, as well as painting and yarn crafts.
Kathryn Mareci, Office Administrator (she/her)
Kathryn Mareci (Ma-ree-see) was born in Gainesville, Florida, and started attending a Unitarian Universalist church when she was 8. She loves working at UCT because its values align with the UU’s. Kathryn was silly enough to move to Tallahassee in 2010 to be with a man, but she supposes it worked out in the end—she and her husband Cody, have been together for 12 years. She is a lifelong artist and has a mini-art supply store in her home. She considers herself a jack of all trades and has worked as a hairstylist, in veterinary medicine, the healthcare industry, Planned Parenthood, and during Covid, as an at-home school aide for digital academy students. Kathryn lives with her spouse and a rescue dog/house hippo named Tootie.
Chris Manuel, Sound Technician (he/him)
Chris Manuel received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in guitar performance from the Florida State University School of Music, where he studied with Bruce Holzman and Andrew Zohn. He has performed in the Master Classes of Antigoni Goni, Ricardo Cobo, and Adam Holzman, and has received awards in numerous guitar competitions, including the South Carolina Guitar Competition, East Carolina Guitar Competition, and The Columbus State University Guitar Competition. Recently he has performed in the orchestra for musical productions presented by the Florida State University School of Theatre, Theatre A La Carte, New Stage Theatre Works, Tallahassee Community College, and the Quincy Music Theatre. He is currently a member of multiple musical ensembles that perform in Tallahassee and across North Florida.
