Lead Minister: Rev. Dr. Michelle A. Walsh

Rev. Dr. Michelle A. Walsh served for many years as a community minister in both urban and academic contexts. She also was a co-minister with her spouse, Rev. Dr. Grubbs, for a Universalist congregation in Salem and was an affiliated community minister in Braintree where her spouse also was serving. Michelle also served as the lead minister for an urban UU congregation in Taunton. Presently she is co-minister again with her spouse here in Canton as a parish minister. Michelle holds a Master in Social Work and is an LICSW.

Michelle has served in leadership roles within our larger Unitarian Universalist Association, including formerly as the Membership Director for the UU Society for Community Ministry and on the board of the UU Scholars Network and currently as a group facilitator for seminarians within the UU Ministers Association’s Ministerial Formation Network, including as a chapter liaison. She has a passionate commitment to the power of lay ministry as she spent nearly 18 years forming and leading an urban youth ministry with the UU Urban Ministry primarily as a lay person before going to seminary.

Affiliate Community Minister: Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs

Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs has served congregations in Indiana, Quebec, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, and California over the last thirty years. Clyde and his partner the Rev. Dr. Michelle Walsh also work in a community ministry in the Boston area involving coaching and spiritual direction.

Clyde has served on the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s Board. He served three years as an at-large member of the UUA Board of Trustees. Before entering the ministry, Clyde worked as a community and labor organizer. He has worked for peace, justice, and equality since he was in the Unitarian Universalist youth movement, Liberal Religious Youth.

Clyde honors his Native American heritage (Texas Cherokee), which informs his spiritual understanding and practice, and his anti-racist and anti-oppressive commitment. He has spoken extensively on the Doctrine of Discovery and participated in leading the UUA in repudiation. Clyde is active with the United American Indians of New England around efforts to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day and build solidarity with indigenous movements to defend Mother Earth.

Music Director: James Chubet

James Chubet has performed extensively as a soloist and as a chamber and orchestral musician and accompanist throughout the U.S. as well as in Italy, Spain and Iceland. Since 2004, he has been the Music Director at First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Canton where he leads the choir and plays piano and organ. Jim is also a member of the piano faculty at Boston College and the All-Newton Music School, coaches chamber music at the Wellesley College Chamber Music Center and performs regularly with the Cottage Quartet and Lavazza Chamber Ensemble. Jim has served as Principal Keyboard and Chamber Music Coordinator with the Britt Festival Orchestra in Oregon every summer since 1985 and has appeared three times as a soloist with the orchestra including performances of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the late maestro James DePreist and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Second Rhapsody with Peter Bay. He holds two Master’s Degrees in Piano Performance and Musicology from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with Gabriel Chodos.

Office Administrator: Carol Smith

Carol Smith has joined First Parish Unitarian Universalist as our Office Administrator. Carol has a diverse background as an executive assistant, office manager, accounts payable manager – having worked for various companies in Massachusetts.

Carol is a 24 year Canton resident; she volunteers her time through elderly friendship programs, most recently with MABVI (Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually impaired); as well as a former volunteer with the Big Sister Program.