Speaker

CommUnity on the Hill enjoys a wide variety of speakers for our Sunday service.

These are some of our frequent presentors. Listen to a sample meditation or message.

	Rev LaFayette Seymour Rev Seymour, an ordained Unity Minister for over twenty years, is the senior minister of our sister DC congregation, Unity Center of Truth. Rev Seymour provides extended ministerial services to our congregation. In addition to speaking once a month, Rev Seymour holds classes, conducts our new member orientations, officiates at weddings, baptisms, re-commitmet ceremonies and funerals. He is a beloved and gentle soul who is always a pleasure to be with. Rev Seymour began his ministerial work at the Harvard School of Divinity and worked for many years for the Peace Corp in the middle and far east. After exhausting his calling within the Baptist Church, Rev Seymour was called to the New Thought teachings and subsequently became a Unity Minister. He has served in many capacities within the Unity School of Christianity and the International New Thought Alliance. Rev Seymour is married to his beloved wife, Barbara and is blessed to still have children and grand children living in the Washington area.
	Rev EJ Niles - Embracing the Bible - Email Rev Niles is a a beloved speaker at COTH. She was the Senior Minister at Unity of Fairfax for over ten years and has subsequently relocated with her husband, Harv Morrow, to Lee Summit, Missouri to teach at Unity Institute. The founder of Embracing the Bible, she and Harv use the concepts of Spiral Dynamics, by Dr. Don Beck, to more clearly show the evoluation of man's spirituality through time as depicted in a restructured Bible. Her workshop, Exploration into Our Consciousness of God details the evolutional understanding from primative man's Instinctive-level God to the Integreative-level God of our understanding today.
	Grady Poulard Nationally known motivational speaker, President and owner of GPA, Grady Poulard Associates, a human relations consulting firm since 1975, Grady Emory Poulard grew up in Crowley, Louisiana. Poulard graduated from Southern University in 1957, and received a Rockefeller Fellowship, earning his M.A. degree from Yale University in philosophy and religion thereafter. Poulard also earned his M.A. degree in urban affairs at Columbia University, and is a graduate of the Pacific Institute Graduate Trainer Program. After college, Poulard began working as an assistant to minister and civil rights activist Dr. Gardner Taylor and held the position of Director of Education at the Concord Church of Brooklyn, New York. He, then, served as International Field Representative of the U.S. Student Christian Movement in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Between 1962 and 1964, Poulard served as Dean of the Chapel at Christian Medical College in Vellore, South India. In 1965, Poulard became pastor of Peoples Congregational Church in Washington, D.C. He soon became involved in the civil rights movement as a field executive for the Council of Federated Civil Rights Organizations. This included the NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. He is single, and the father of two sons, Kenneth and Michael, and resides in Washington, DC.
	Rev Charlette Manning - Website - Email Charlette Manning is a successful spiritual coach, lecturer, minister, and corporate trainer. Ms. Manning performs weddings, holy unions, spiritual workshops, christenings, and memorial services, and speaks at churches and organizations throughout the country. She recently published her first book, The 4 Ingredients to Spiritual Peace, a wonderful book about Forgiveness, Faith, Gratitiude and Love. Over 20 years ago, Charlette Manning embarked on a quest to find more meaning in her life by blending her business experience with the spiritual path that was unfolding before her. Five years of intense study brought her in closer communication with the spirit within her, allowing that presence to more clearly guide her along her journey. In 1995, Charlette answered the call to her ministry and was ordained in Seattle, Washington. This ministry blended all the facets from her traditional roots, mystic training, and metaphysical unfoldment into an ability to deeply connect with people and help guide them to find their own answers within themselves. She developed a friendship with Marianne Williamson, the spiritual leader of The Church of Today, and with her spiritual encouragement, Charlette was offered a position at the Church as Director of Special Events and Director of Volunteer Services. Her position in the church allowed her ministry to flourish and her love of New Thought principles and practices grew. Charlette has conducted parent groups, meditation circles, and workshops and continues to speak at Unity churches and at women's retreats. Charlette is single with two adult sons and resides in Virginia.
	Rev Karen Gray - Website - Email Rev. Gray blends her roles as life coach, an interfaith minister and a jazz vocalist beautifully. She has an MBA in Organizational Behavior and had worked in Career and Organizational Development for major companies. Spirituality is very personal. Karen chose Interfaith Ministry so that she could work with anyone who wants to honor and develop their relationship with the Divine. It's not defined or limited by the teachings or requirements of any particular religion. She believes that it is the experience of Reverence that is so powerful. And it is expressed in many wonderful ways. Karen had her first professional gig as a jazz vocalist in 1997 after 20 years of singing the great popular tunes of the 30s, 40s and 50s in the shower. She now HYPERLINK "http://www.karengray.com/musician/performances.html" performss regularly around Washington, DC. Karen earned a BA from George Washington University, Washington, DC and an MBA from Columbia University, New York, NY. She graduated from Interfaith Studies at All Faiths Seminary International, New York, NY and was ordained in August 2003. Karen is a Volunteer Caregiver for HYPERLINK "http://hospicecaring.org" Hospice Caring, Inc., in Montgomery County, Maryland. She is available to speak at worship services, officiate at weddings or holy unions, conduct new home or business blessings, baby blessings, and naming ceremonies, provide pastoral or bereavement care, plan and conduct funeral or memorial services. If you want a special treat ask Rev Gray about a Jazz Worship service.
	Rev Robert MacMillan
	Rev Jane St John- Website - Email Jane is a native of Northern Virginia. After years in the corporate world in administration, training, and management she left to attend Unity Ministerial School. She became an ordained Unity Minister in 1990. While still in the Kansas City area she completed 1 ½ years of residency as a hospital chaplain, served as Chaplain for Unity Village Chapel, and as a hospice bereavement counselor. Since returning to Virginia in 1994 she has served as co-minister at Unity of Fairfax, Acting Minister at Unity life Center in Chantilly, and is currently serving as Associate Pastoral Care Minister at Unity of Fairfax.