First Unitarian Church of Baltimore
Unitarian Universalist
Organized 1817
Rev. Phyllis L. Hubbell
Rev. John P. Manwell
Co-Ministers
Corner of Charles and Franklin Streets in Downtown Baltimore
Mailing address:
1 West Hamilton Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
P: 410-685-2330
Fax: 410-685-4133
Office E-mail
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Our ChurchPastoral Biographies
John Parker Manwell, a lifelong Unitarian, grew up in Syracuse, NY and was ordained in 1990 by All Souls Church (Unitarian) in Washington, D.C. He holds degrees from Oberlin College, the Harvard Law School, and Washington's Wesley Theological Seminary. While practicing law, Rev. Manwell was an active member in All Souls Church. Before coming to Baltimore, he served as minister of the Unitarian Congregation of South Peel, in Mississauga, Ontario for four years. Rev. Manwell has three children by a previous marriage, all living in the Washington area. Rev. Phyllis LeNoir Hubbell and Rev. John Parker Manwell were married in 1992 in Canada. They now have five wonderful grandchildren.
Reverend Phyllis LeNoir Hubbell 
On graduating from the Starr School for the Ministry in Berkeley, Phyllis LeNoir Hubbell was ordained by the London (Ontario) Unitarian Fellowship in 1993. A native of Chicago, Rev. Hubbell received her B.A. from Illinois State University, her M.A. in educational research from the University of Chicago, and a law degree from the University of Illinois. Rev. Hubbell served as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice for 14 years before she left to pursue the ministry. After her ordination, she served briefly as interim minister of the Unitarian Fellowship of North West Toronto. There she preached a sermon on violence against women for which she received the denomination's prestigious Skinner Award in 1993 for the year's best sermon on a social justice issue.
Community Minister Dale Lantz earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Methodist Theological School in Ohio and received final fellowship from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee of the UUA in 2002. He earned a Master of Social Work degree from Delaware State in 1992. He recently retired after working for 11 1/2 years as a hospice chaplain. He is currently the Vice President of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s “Society for Community Ministers.”
Affiliate Minister Mike Franch has been involved with our church since 1984 after serving as Leader (minister) of the Baltimore Ethical Society for nine years. At First Unitarian, Mike performs weddings/unions, memorial services, and is available for other pastoral needs. He coordinates our Book Discussion Group, helps plan the Winter and Spring Celebration services, and is active in the Religious Education program. In 2007 he retired from his day job as health policy analyst in the Medicaid Program of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Mike earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Maryland. His articles on Baltimore history have appeared in the Maryland Historical Magazine, The Sun Magazine, and in the book, Maryland: Unity in Diversity. He also speaks on historical and cultural issues for the Maryland Humanities Council and is active in the Baltimore Folk Music Society.
The congregation of The First Unitarian Church of Baltimore commissioned Harry Woosley as Affiliate Minister for the deaf on May 2, 2004. We believe that our church made history as the first UU church to commission a minister for the deaf. Originally ordained in a Christian denomination, Rev. Woosley recently retired from a career working with the deaf/AIDS population, most recently with the Family Service Foundation. His UU commissioning is formal recognition of his already active deaf ministry. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of our church.
