Honoring the Life and Service of a Layleader

Philocrites recently drew attention to the Boston Globe’s obituary for Natalie Gulbrandsen, who served from 1985 to 1993 as moderator for the Unitarian Universalist Association. The UUA describes the role of moderator as “the UUA’s highest volunteer position.”

Gulbrandsen dedicated her life to service. She integrated caring for others into her career, as a social worker and Girl Scouts staff member. She gave her time to secular causes, including supporting the establishment of the Metco program in Wellesley, Massachusetts. And she served the Unitarian Universalist movement on the congregational, district, and association-wide levels.

The Boston Globe obituary, written by Bryan Marquard, states:

In 1943 she married Melvin Gulbrandsen and started working for the Girl Scouts of America while her husband attended dental school. Three years later, they moved to Wellesley and began attending what was then the local Unitarian church. Mrs. Gulbrandsen found her calling as she brought up her children.

From teaching Sunday school it was a quick leap to a serving on committees and holding posts such as treasurer and then president of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation and president of the International Association for Religious Freedom.

The word “calling” jumps out at me here. So often “calling” is associated with the decision to enter credentialed ministry. But lay leadership is also a calling, one that makes a profound difference in the lives of those who are so called, and in the lives of individuals and institutions they serve.

Former UUA President William Schulz has written a piece on the UUA website which further describes Gulbrandsen’s contributions to Unitarian Universalism and to the larger world.

Update 12/11/2007:

In the comments, Rev. Fred Wooden remembers Gulbrandsen:

Natalie called me on the phone over twenty years ago to ask if I would serve on the Hymnbook commission that created SLT. Not yet forty, I was the youngest member of the group.

That task, which spanned the birth of two of my sons , the death of one of them, and two household moves, remains the single most important contribution I have made to the movement.

She remembered me long after the job was done, which was quite impressive.