Scott Neely

UUCS Minister, August 2017

Scott J. Neely began his ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg (UUCS) in mid-August, 2017. Scott is a Spartanburg native and Wofford College graduate, holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge MA.
From 2006-2015, he served at First Presbyterian Church as Director of Mission and then as Pastoral Executive. In 2015, he founded the Project for Community Transformation, a faith-based initiative to help strengthen congregations in addressing poverty and combating racism.

Scott is a founding board member for Speaking Down Barriers, a non-profit whose purpose is to bridge differences among people and build connections through community gatherings, dialogue, training, teaching, and presentations. With the support and encouragement of UUCS, he will continue his work with this organization whose values and mission align with those of the Church.

A gifted teacher who has taught courses at USC-Upstate and Wofford, Scott will facilitate religious education classes for adults at UUCS. He is also an artist with 17 solo or groups shows and installations. And he completed a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 6 months!

Contact Scott minister@uucs.org

Minister Office Hours: 10 am – 2 pm; Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Anne Garner

UUCS Ministerial Intern

Hospitality, justice, and radical love have defined Anne Garner’s work for the last two decades. She is a graduate of Furman University and earned her Master of Divinity from the progressive Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN. A lifelong member of First Baptist Church-Greenville, SC, she has served there for many years, both as support staff and in various volunteer capacities, including the chair of deacons. What began in September 2018 as a one-year Supervised Ministry as part of her theological training evolved into Anne serving here at UUCS ever since, focusing on social justice, pastoral care and worship leadership. Her goal is to help build the Beloved Community wherever she is. She has co-developed and leads the LGBTQ Theologies project (www.lgbtqtheologies.org), a network of people of faith and congregations building support for the LGBTQ+ community in Upstate SC. Her colleagues describe her as a “theological logistician”: a visionary whose gift of practicality brings what we dream of to life.

Contact Anne intern@uucs.org

Sybil Argintar

UUCS Director of Religious Education

A native of Asheville, NC, Sybil comes to us with a wealth of experience—she has been a RE parent herself and more recently she served 7 years as the RE Director at the UU Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley.

Tuesdays will be my regular day in the office. I would love to meet each of you and your children/youth and will be happy to hear any suggestions or concerns you have about the program. Drop-ins can be anytime between 1 – 5 on Tuesdays, and other times that day by appointment. You can also talk with me after the church service on Sundays if that works better.

Contact Sybil dre@uucs.org

DRE Office Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Monday and Tuesday

Pat Landry

Office Administrator

Pat began work at UUCS in August 2011 and is a member of Association of Unitarian Universalist Administrators (AUUA). As Office Administrator, she manages the church office, is responsible for general administrative tasks, and serves as the communication “hub.” Questions on your contribution statement, need to update your contact information or looking to rent space for a private event, email office@uucs.org.

Originally from Massachusetts, Pat and family now reside in Spartanburg.

Contact Pat Landry office@uucs.org

Office Administrator Office Hours: 10 am – 2 pm, Monday and Friday

Ron Fowler

Sexton

Ron Fowler began work as our sexton officially in July 2013. He is responsible for the cleanup and basic security of the church building, primarily on Sundays after worship services and Wednesday evenings (two hours each), and may be asked to work additional hours at all-church and/or rental events.

Originally from Spartanburg, Ron has also lived in Key West, Florida, where he was a musician in various clubs, and in West Virginia, where he attended adult education and received his diploma in carpentry. Since moving back to Spartanburg, he has worked in carpentry and masonry and, more recently, as a quality control inspector. He has been part of the UUCS community since 2010.