Minister

Rev. Joe Rettenmaier

I am Rev. Joe Rettenmaier and I’m honored to be serving as Evergreen's new minister as of August 1st, 2022.

I was born and raised in Kansas. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, I moved to Seattle in 1988 and began working in corporate communications. For the next 25 years, video would be my primary storytelling tool as I served design firms, community non-profits, tribal organizations, and high-tech corporations in our Salish Sea. I discovered Unitarian Universalism in 2009 and found fertile soil for developing beloved community, and decided to redirect my vocation to fulfill my growing call to UU ministry. In 2019, I received a Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School; I’m currently in Preliminary Fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association. (Continue reading here.)

My online hours are 9:30am to 1:30pm and 5pm to 7pm Wed thru Sun. I can also be available for evening meetings on those days, and I’m always available 24/7 for pastoral emergencies.

Rev. Joe Rettenmaier smiles at the camera in his pastoral robes.

Contact Me

Dreaming Together

As I shared with you last Sunday, I find inspiration in equinox's celestial balance of twelve-hours of day and night. That inspiration is still inviting me all these days later to take notice of our balance of spiritual readiness as a congregation. Readiness isn't just about finding our next long-term home or pinning our hopes and imaginings up on the walls. Readiness is about the home we build through our shared promises, our covenants we make and honor with one another.

From the Minister

Rev. Joe Rettenmaier

Sep 273 min read

Welcome to summer, Evergreen!

To say this has been an active spring for all of us seems like such an understatement! We’ve experienced myriad events unfolding throughout our communities and world; myriad issues calling us to “show up,” infusing our Sunday morning worship with soul-centering conversations. As this month’s highly engaged Pride outreach and advocacy draws to a close, my heart is full of pride for all the ways you chose to contribute to Evergreen’s livelihood this church year.

From the Minister

Rev. Joe Rettenmaier

Jun 272 min read

Listen to Rev. Joe's past sermons on Soundcloud!

Click here if you'd prefer to listen directly on Soundcloud