Our Minister and Staff
Core Staff
Rev. Stefan Jonasson (he/him), Consulting Minister
Rev. Stefan Jonasson is a journalist, historian, folklorist, and Unitarian minister. He is presently Editor of Lögberg-Heimskringla, the Icelandic community newspaper that has been published in Winnipeg since 1886. Prior to this, he was a member of the professional staff of the Boston-based Unitarian Universalist Association for 24 years, serving successively as District Executive for Western Canada, Director for Large Congregations, and Director of Growth Strategies. He also served as minister to the historically Icelandic Unitarian congregations in Arborg and Gimli, Manitoba.
Contact Rev. Jonasson at minister(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca.
Ann LeDuc (she/her), Community Coordinator
Ann has been a Unitarian Universalist (UU) since 1995. She finds joy in sharing all that UUism has to offer. Before joining our staff in 2023 as the Community Coordinator, she was the Connections Coordinator for 6 years at the UU Church of Bloomington Indiana.As our Community Coordinator, she works with the congregation in welcoming newcomers and finding meaningful engagement for all within our UU community.
Contact Ann at community(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca.
Ana Gabriela Castañeda Aguilera (she/her), Coordinator of Lifespan Religious Education (CLRE)
Contact Ana at clre(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca or through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Darlene Payne (she/her), Lay Chaplain
A former teacher, Darlene Payne has been a Lay Chaplain at First UU Winnipeg since 2020 and looks forward to helping you design your special rite of passage. With her compassion, warmth and easy-going nature she will work with you to plan your unique, personalized, spiritual and enjoyable wedding, design a meaningful Celebration of Life for your deceased loved one, or create a cherished Child Naming/Dedication for your child(ren).
Contact Darlene through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Andre Vanderstoep (He/Him), Pastoral Care Coordinator
Simerjit Kaur (she/her), Rental Director
Contact Simerjit through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Music
Daniel Clark, Accompanist
Contact Daniel through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Joseph Nguyen, Music Director
Contact Joseph at music(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca or through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Technical Support Staff
Karin Carlson (she/her), Website Administrator
Karin has been the web administrator at the First UU Church of Winnipeg for over 15 years. She has seen the website through many versions as web technologies evolve, from the first HTML responsive site to Joomla!, and in 2020 to a WordPress site built with the accessible WordPress template from the UUA. When she isn’t working on our website, Karin is a freelance instructional designer, accessibility tester and consultant, and software/accessibility trainer. She is also a sought-after professional trombonist, arranger and vocalist in Winnipeg, lending her musical skills to several R & B, Latin, and Swing bands in the city.
Contact Karin using this form or at webmaster(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca.
Ashlyn Noble (they/them), Zoom Specialist Staff
Ashlyn Noble (she/they) is our Zoom Specialist who develops and coordinates the digital elements for each Sunday Service. Ashlyn has been a multimedia artist, community activist, and podcaster for over ten years. They’ve gotten really into gardening — if not in the yard, you can find her at the nearby community garden plot during daylight hours. Ashlyn is really stoked to make our services look beautiful and run well with maximum fun and efficiency.
Contact Ashlyn through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Arthur Burstow (he/him), A/V Technician
Arthur Burstow (he/him) is our A/V Technician who works on Sunday mornings from the sanctuary. He integrates the new AV system into the services and other events, and trains volunteers to use it in a way that’s simple and easy to understand. In the past, Arthur has worked as a cook at a hotel, a warehouse worker at the MTS centre, and has a degree in Electrical Engineering. He likes making beats on the computer with friends and painting with watercolours.
Please contact Arthur through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Dayvid Racette-Campbell, AV Tech
Contact Dayvid through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Support Staff
Michael Thiessen (he/him), Caretaker
Contact Michael through the Church Office at 204-474-1261.
Larry Phillips (he/him), Volunteer Office Administrator
Contact Larry through using the Church Office contact form, at office(at)uuwinnipeg.mb.ca, or at 204-474-1261.