By Scott Cullen, CrossCurrents Editor

This month, we’re pleased to introduce Jo Wiedman, a relatively new member of the UUCWC community who officially joined in December 2023 but whose sense of belonging began much earlier. After hearing about UUCWC from their partner, Colin Campbell, Jo attended their first service and immediately felt at home. “I knew I had found my place,” they recall—a sentiment that captures the heart of their faith journey, which they describe as “a homecoming.”

Jo brings a rich personal history shaped by a pluralistic upbringing, a deep appreciation for diverse spiritual stories, and a lifelong curiosity about the world. Whether participating in reading groups, serving on the Visioning Committee, or attending the Trans Day of Remembrance, they find meaning in community and the shared commitment to justice and healing.

With warmth, insight, and a reverence for ritual (ask Jo about their family’s fiercely competitive Danish rice pudding tradition!), Jo is a vibrant and welcome presence at UUCWC. Let’s get to know they/them better.

What inspired you to visit UUCWC for the first time?

Jo: My partner, Colin Campbell, told me a lot about the church and how meaningful the community is for him and his family. I was ready to join after my first visit. After that, I read a lot of books, attended church virtually almost weekly, and did the Pathways class.

What religion were you brought up in?

Jo: My mother was raised Danish Lutheran, and my father was German Catholic. My parents rejected religion as adults, so my brother and I were not raised in a formal religion or religious community. My mom read to me every night before bed as a child, and we read many books about different cultures, religious stories, myths, and ways of understanding the world. Those stories greatly informed my sense of pluralism and valuing diversity. Looking back, my mom raised us with the UU values, but not explicitly stated as such. I learned about the Shaker community around 10 when visiting Hancock Village in Massachusetts, and had my first deeply spiritual experience. I could hear the voices raised in song, footsteps as they walked the halls, and I felt a deep sense of belonging that has stuck with me.

What committees/ministries at UUCWC have you participated in during your time here?

Jo: I was part of the Visioning Committee, Building Beloved Community Beyond the Binary conference, and attended multiple reading groups. I am looking to get more involved with UU Faith in Action Ministry.

What do you like best about being a member of UUCWC?

Jo: The community at UUCWC is very healing as I am seen, valued, and celebrated for who I am.

What’s one thing about our church community that makes you feel at home?

Jo: The commitment to building safety, community, and a more just world.

What’s a favorite hymn or worship song that brings you comfort?

Jo: “There’s a River Flowing in My Soul.” When we sang it at The Trans Day of Remembrance in 2023 and the memorial for Nex Benedict in 2024, it brought me to tears and does to this day. It is the song I find myself singing when I feel most myself.

Do you have a favorite church memory that always makes you smile?

Jo: When Robin Pugh held up that gigantic pumpkin over her head as Rev. Kim was talking about the gift of the pumpkin seeds as earth teachers.

If you could switch roles with someone in the church for a day, who would it be and why?

Jo: Wendy Stasolla, because I think it would be really interesting to see the whole picture of what goes on a day-to-day basis and big picture sense with the congregation.

What do you do for fun when you’re not at church?

Jo: I love to be outdoors, so that includes hiking, kayaking, swimming in rivers and lakes, and reading under a tree. I love the National Park System and am working on visiting all 360+ National Park Service sites. When I visit them, I do the Junior Ranger program, which is designed for youth under age 12. It guides kids and adults in activities and deeper learning at the park. I have 45 and counting Junior Ranger badges.

I visit my mom in Vermont, my brother and his family in Connecticut, and friends and their children in South Jersey as often as possible. I have gotten into folk punk over the past few years and love attending shows in Philly and New Jersey. When home I am usually in the kitchen trying out new recipes.

What’s one piece of advice that has stuck with you throughout your life?

Jo: “Have courage and be kind” – Cinderella (Disney Live Action version)

What’s a simple act of kindness that has significantly impacted your life?

Jo: In March 2010, I was 22 and at the lowest point in my life, and felt completely alone in a sea of fellow activists at a national conference. I was deeply broken emotionally and physically, and I was ready to end my life. An older and deeply respected comrade happened to walk past me at the train station, smiled in recognition, and said hello. He didn’t know my name, but he acknowledged me as someone who matters and belongs. I decided in that moment to fight for my life and got the mental health care I needed and deep dove into treatment for my chronic Lyme disease. I used to be terrified to speak, especially in public, and after that, I have not stopped talking.

What’s your go-to comfort food after a long day?

Jo: Indian food, in particular South Indian dosas.

What’s one skill or talent you have that most people don’t know about?

Jo: Cooking Indian food and baking.

What’s a tradition in your family that you cherish?

Jo: It is a Danish tradition that the main dessert on Christmas Eve is a boozy and rich rice pudding called Risalamande. A whole almond is hidden in the pudding, and the person who gets the almond gets a prize. Traditionally, it is a marzipan pig, but in my family, it is usually a very silly Christmas item; one year, it was a Santa Claus sippy cup filled with M&Ms. We are very competitive about who gets the almond. This is a tradition my mom grew up with, and now her grandchildren look forward to every year.

If you could learn a new language overnight, which would you choose?

Jo: Danish.

What was the last book you read that you enjoyed?

Jo: Nonfiction: How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibrahim X. Kendi, Fiction: Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby.

In the spirit of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Colbert Questionert, if you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Jo: Bill Collector’s Theme Song by Apes of the State.

What’s one thing you’re grateful for this week?

Jo: My partner Colin and our cats Pippin and Lilith (Lilly).