Turn Back from “Pernicious Nonsense”
The realities of today’s world call on us as UUs to deepen our commitment to our 7th principle and to flatten the hierarchy of speciesism. We are all part of life; and for Life to serve all of us, we must join with Life to create a healthy, holy planet.
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Clergy couple Mel Hoover and Rose Edington are co-ministers emeriti of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Charleston West Virginia. Their shared connection to Appalachia with its beauty and challenges led them to the Charleston congregation in 2002. Retired from congregational ministry in 2014, they continue their ministry through MelRose Ministries for Positive Transformative Change, emphasizing the intersectionalism of racism, classism, sexism and environmental justice.
Wanting to be closer to their daughter’s family, especially their granddaughter, they moved to Bellingham, Washington in August 2020. They quickly became involved with the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship’s Beloved Community efforts and the Social and Environmental Justice Committee. They co-led a 12 week Widening the Circle reflection/action group and continue to resource BUF committees seeking to implement the congregation’s adoption of a Covenant for Beloved Community. Currently active in wider community efforts of environmental justice and indigenous issues, they participated in the Lummi Nation’s 2021 Red Totem Pole Blessing Service, when the pole, a gift from the Lummi people in the State of Washington to President Biden in Washington DC, began its cross country journey to raise environmental justice issues and their impact on Indigenous peoples. In March 2022 they led prayers in the World Water Day observation, which included remembering Sk’aliCh’elhtenaut (SKAL-lee-CHUCK-tah-NOT) the orca taken fifty years ago and held in captivity by Sea World in Florida for her performance value. Recently retired from performing, the prayers called for her to be freed to return to her home and relatives in the Salish Sea and her above water relatives, the Lummi people.
Initially hired by the UUA in 1987, Mel worked as an internal change agent for the faith, directing its national justice work, overseeing the antiracism, anti-oppression and multicultural ministries programs and serving on President Bill Clinton’s One America Task Force. In 2003 the DRUUMM (Direct and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries) organization created the Mel Hoover Beloved Community Award, presented annually at GA. In 2013 he received the UUA’s Annual Distinguished Service Award. They are both founding members of the Steering Committee for the WV chapter of Interfaith Power and Light. Mel served on the Board of UU Ministry for Earth. Rose served as Board member and president of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.
Mel graduated from the Ohio State University in 1968 with a B.S. in Social Work and from the Episcopal seminary (then located in Rochester NY), Bexley Hall in 1972 with a Master of Divinity in Ethics. He received an honorary Doctor of Ministry from the then Rochester Association of Community Churches. His post-graduate work included Education Administration at State University of New York and Organization Development with University Associates of San Diego. Rose graduated with a BA in Humanities from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi WV in 1969 and received her Master of Divinity in Theology from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1972. Her Doctor of Ministry in Feminist Liberation Theologies from Episcopal Divinity School in 1998 focused on the role of the parish minister in UU congregational antiracism work. They met in seminary and married on December 18, 1970. Originally Episcopalian, Mel was ordained to the Diaconate in 1971. Rose was ordained an American Baptist minister in 1975. In 1984 they transferred their ordinations to the UUA.
Their first born and youngest child Melanie was born in 1978. In 1981 their family expanded by the adoption of brothers Len, born 1969 and James, born 1971. Granddaughter Brighton, daughter of Melanie and Winston Liu joined the family in 2015.