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

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

Keith Plumley

Director of Music

An active Friend of UUCS for several years,
Keith Plumley has been our official Director of Music since October 2009. The Board describes him as “competent, experienced, and passionate about music at UUCS.”

Keith is responsible for the overall direction, planning and implementation of the music program, working in coordination with our minister and the Worship Committee. He accompanies the worship services most Sundays, directs the adult choir with the goal of twice-monthly anthem performances, and arranges for occasional guest musicians/musical programs.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate, Keith had his first experience as an accompanist as a teenager in a church in his hometown, Landrum. He also accompanied and directed a traveling singing group during college, under the auspices of the SC United Methodist Conference. Keith says: “I am most excited about this position at UUCS because of the opportunity to be part of a congregation with diverse religious backgrounds where the presentation of music from any genre is accepted and appreciated.”

Contact Keith Plumley music@uucs.org

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.