Welcoming New Staff

We are excited to introduce two new members of the UCC National Staff team. Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund has joined the Wholeness Advocacy Team of Justice and Local Church Ministries, serving as Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice, a new part-time position. Roberto (Robert) Ochoa will join the National Staff this month as Program Associate for Congregations of Color.

Introducing Rev. Sarah Lund

Sarah is an authorized minister in the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with more than 15 years of professional experience serving the church in various roles as a congregational pastor, judicatory leader, and seminary senior administrator. She holds degrees from Trinity University (BA), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), Rutgers University (MSW) and McCormick Theological Seminary (DMin). Sarah is a nationally sought after mental health educator, author of the acclaimed book Blessed are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence of Mental Illness, Family and Church (Chalice Press, 2014) and has served on the Board of Directors for the UCC Mental Health Network since 2013. Sarah is an Open and Affirming Consultant for the Indiana-Kentucky Conference and serves as pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Get to know Roberto (Robert) Ochoa

Robert has been with the United Church of Christ for 20 years and served most recently as the Lay Pastor for Lake View Congregational Church, an Open and Affirming Congregation in Worcester, MA since 2012 and as Outreach Minister for Worcester Fellowship, an out-door Church ministry to the homeless, the economic poor and marginalized communities since 2016. He has over 30 years’ experience in the areas of Latinx, Communities of Color, LGBTQA+ and cross cultural ministries within the Christian Church and Multi-Faith settings. He earned his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theo-logical School in 2017 with Certificates in Ethics and Social Justice; and for Spiritual and Pastoral Care. Robert looks forward to supporting the UCC’s congregational vitality efforts.