Leslie Takahashi, MDiv 2004

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, I was an unplanned “blessing” for my parents who were struggling with the challenges of a multiracial marriage at a time when such a union was not legally recognized in many state. I lived in four states before I was 10, ultimately graduating high school in New Jersey. Formative for me was my discovery of the power of writing, my love of nature and my growing sense of the joy that can be found in relationship with other people. These helped balance some of the context of my early years including my parents’ divorce, my mother’s serious and life-threatening struggles with depression and my father’s alcoholism. Writing, photography and music alone with the wonders available through learning all sustained me.

An avid student journalist in high school, I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I was an English and Journalism major and where I dabbled in campus politics. Little did I know when I moved there at age 17 that I was to spend more than two decades of my life in North Carolina, growing several statewide networks of friends and colleagues. North Carolina’s less developed environs allowed me to explore canoeing, hiking, camping and even windsurfing and hang-gliding, while providing a wonderful canvass for art, photography and the writing which remained my touchstone. Though I dabbled in journalism, I decided to redirect my interest to public policy and even before completing my dual masters’ degrees from Duke University, I was engaged in economic and educational equity issues which were the focus of my professional work until I entered theological school. I was also fortunate to gain nonprofit management experience and to travel extensively in the Caribbean and across the United States and its wildest areas. My non-ministerial professional work encompassed a decade and a half of nonprofit management experience as well as a high-level state government appointment and culminated with serving as the executive director of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative which brought together a diverse group of young leaders to work to better human relations in the state.

Unitarian Universalism entered my life in a sustained way when I was in my mid-20s and I became an enthusiastic participant in the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship during the years when the Rev. Arvid Straube led the congregation through an amazing period of growth. My first activities in the congregation were being part of the social justice committee, the finance committee and singing in the choir. I served as the youngest president in the congregation’s history at age 29 and ran a successful canvass drive the year following my presidency—always grateful for the culture of leadership in that congregation which supported lay leaders so well. As a lay leader, I contributed numerous hours, started a liturgical drama group known as the Mundane Players and sang with a pick-up band.

In 2005, I was part of a team selected by Skinner House Books to produce a history of anti-racism efforts in the Unitarian Universalist Association which resulted in the publication in 2009 of the Arc of the Universe. This was tied to my leadership within a number of communities of UUs of color as well as consulting work done with the Unitarian Universalist Association in the areas of multiculturalism and various leadership roles.

Since being asked to join as affiliated faculty at Meadville Lombard Theological School, I have come to truly value the opportunity to be with emerging ministers and some of the best minds in Unitarian Universalism. Over the last years, Meadville has become a laboratory for some of the most interesting work in the country about what high-quality ministry means and what it means for the emerging world.

Through my appointment as affiliated faculty, I am part of the teaching teams for two of the core classes required for the M.Div. degree. I also co-teach two half-credit classes with Mark Hicks, the Angus MacLean Professor of Religious Education.

I often tell colleagues that the opportunity to teach is the best form of on-going continuing education because it requires me to keep learning and growing and gives me access to resources to do so.