A message from our new minister, Rev. Danielle Garrett!

More info on the Search/Welcome Team Page.

April 13, 2025
Dear First Church in Salem,

I am so thrilled to be joining you as your new minister this August. From my very first rich and lively conversation with the search team, I could feel the spirit leading me to Salem. 

I am no stranger to historic towns. I grew up in Virginia, attending the College of William and Mary, right in the middle of Colonial Williamsburg. So when I visited your beautiful city, I felt both comfortably at home and alive with new possibilities.

Through conversations with your search team, I came to admire the earnestness, thoughtfulness and dedication with which you have approached the interim ministry period. One of my favorite hymns in our hymnals is “Where Do We Come From?” It’s inspired by a Paul Gauguin painting and asks, “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?” To me it encapsulates the very essence of why we come together as faith communities. These are questions we can never hope to answer definitively, but I believe we come closest to understanding the sacred when we are wrestling with them in community. And these are the questions I see you all ready and willing to take on. How can you honor your long, rich history? How do you want to be together in the work of shared ministry we’re called to in the present? How can you move this historic, beloved church into the future?

I can’t imagine more exciting, fulfilling and meaningful work. It will be an honor to join you to undertake it together. 

It’s been a joy getting to know Laura, John, Anna, Peter and Chris and I can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you. Our first chance will be May 9th through the 12th when my wife Mari and I will be visiting for the weekend. I will begin officially on August 8 and my first priority will be getting to know you, learning more about why you love First Church, and hearing about your hopes for the future.

I look forward, with hope and gratitude, to this journey together.

In faith,
Danielle

Bio

Danielle Garrett is a Unitarian Universalist minister who feels called to ground her work for justice in the rich fabric of congregational life. She believes in a spirit of love and liberation and the transformative power of a good church potluck. Danielle currently serves as the Assistant Minister at the First Unitarian Church of Portland in Portland, OR.

​​Before following a call to ministry, Danielle spent ten years working in health care policy and advocacy in Washington, D.C. at organizations including the National Women’s Law Center, The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and Community Catalyst. While living in D.C., she discovered Unitarian Universalism at All Souls Church and became an active lay leader—teaching children’s religious education, chairing the adult spiritual development committee, and serving on the leadership team for the Reproductive Justice Initiative. 

Danielle feels deeply called to parish ministry and there is almost no facet of church life she doesn’t love. She especially enjoys connecting with congregants, crafting meaningful worship, building networks of care and expanding our hearts and minds through theological exploration and spiritual practices. She is also a pilgrimage scholar and enthusiast, having accompanied UU congregations on long-distance treks through Spain and Scotland. 

 Danielle is a proud graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she received the Founder’s Medal for first honors. She also holds a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas. She lives with her wife Mari, who works in renewable energy policy, and their very spirited terrier mix, Josephine (Jo) March. 

You can find more information about Danielle, listen to her sermons and read some of her writing by visiting her website!

Rev. Danielle was ordained on June 7, 2025 at the First Unitarian Church in Portland, Oregon. The service was recorded and can be viewed online.