Meet the Academic Council

The Rev. R. Keith Stuart, PhD. former Senior Minister at Dover Congregational United Church of Christ, holds advanced degrees in homiletics and systematic theology. While pursuing is Ph.D, Stuart studied in South Africa, spending time with Alan Paton, author of Cry, the Beloved Country. It was during that season that Stuart began to fashion a different understanding of the Jesus Way as a response to the evils of apartheid, racism, and exclusion. Later, while leading churches in Missouri and Ohio, Stuart led congregations consider faith beyond literalism and to exploring the freedom of theological metaphor as the interpretive lens to God and scripture. Stuart has contributed articles to numerous periodicals. He published his first book, Letting Go of True Belief: A Spiritual Memoir of Two Friends Who Found a Different Understanding of God. Since his retirement in 2022, he is working on his second book, a novel that traces racism through a series of three events that interweave through the lives of multiple families. Stuart is married to Cynthia. They have two children, Laura and Joseph and twin grandsons, Julian and Eli.

Rev. Roberto Ochoa (el, he, him, his) is originally from East Los Angeles, CA and currently is an ordained clergyperson and Minister for Ethnic Inclusion & Congregational Support for Rural and Small Churches for the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and is a member of Mt Zion Congregational UCC in Cleveland, OH.

Roberto serves congregations and provides UCC and ecumenical resources for congregational assessment, support, and advancement, especially for rural, ethnic identified and congregations of Color. Prior to his call in 2018, Roberto pastored Lake View Congregational Church, UCC for seven years in Worcester, MA

Roberto serves with multiple covenanted partners at the local, Association, Conference, National and ecumenical settings. Roberto is a certified facilitator for UCC’s Sacred Conversations to Erase Racism and UCC Our Whole Lives curriculums and a level 2 Congregational Coach trained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

Roberto earned his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School (2017) with Certificates in Ethics and Social Justice; and inSpiritual and Pastoral Care. He is currently working on his D.Min. on Prophetic Leadership at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, CO. Roberto did his undergraduate work in Macalester College, St. Paul, MN and Becker College, Worcester, MA.

Roberto lived with his husband of 25 years (nine years married), Jim, of blessed memory.

The Rev. Dr. Julie Mavity Maddalena is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Ulrich Ethicist in Residence, and University Chaplain at Lakeland University in Plymouth, WI. Previously, she was the interim pastor at First Congregational of Georgetown, Massachusetts and before that served as School Minister and Director of Christian Education at the Brooks School, North Andover, MA. She completed a Ph.D. in Religious Ethics from Southern Methodist University. She also consults with churches, community groups, and schools doing cultural competency education around race, gender, sexuality, ability, and intersectionality. Julie lives with her spouse, Mike, and their two sons. They love spending time in the mountains and at the ocean.

Dr. Vanessee Burns, an ordained Methodist Elder retired after 30 years of Pastoral/Clinical  Services. She presently serves in two positions at Georgetown University, Washington, DC: 1)  Resident Minister to graduate students where she supports the spiritual and religious needs of  students of all religions, beliefs, and identities to connect their faith, spirituality, and values with  curricular and co-curricular opportunities and 2) Advisor For Spiritual Care, a pilot position, in  which she works in close collaboration with the Director for Mission Integration, as well as  other chaplains, and staff and the 55H Residential Educational team. As Advisor, she provides  group and individual spiritual care and programming to the students, faculty and staff for  Georgetown’s Capital Campus Community.  

Her retirement now allows her to focus on Marketplace Ministry as the Apostolic Leader of  Kingdom First Ministries (KFM): a Global Marketplace Ministry with the perfect balance of  intellectual, spiritual and mental well being. In KFM the gifts for ministry are fully operational  until the body of Christ is edified. KFM serves as the covering for individuals, ministries and  churches that seek to grow and operate in their gifts through teaching, missions and outreach  and provides educational certification, licensure and ordination. 

Dr. Burns received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia in Athens,  Georgia; a Master of Divinity from the Phillips School of Theology at the Interdenominational  Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia with a concentration in Biblical Languages and Old  Testament; and a Doctorate of Ministry from Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC. Dr.  Burns is a lifelong scholar who pursues excellence and inspires others to as well. She has a  Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from NorthCentral University  and has been accepted into the Graduate Certificate Program in Adaptive and Innovative  Leadership at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.  

She is a Certified Clinical Counselor (ACPE) and served as a full-time Prison Chaplain at Perry  Correctional Institute with the South Carolina Department of Corrections and did resident  training with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, Anderson, SC., the Georgia  Department of Corrections and the VA Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia. Most recently, she was  selected by Georgia State University, “The Garden Initiative for Black Women’s Religious  Activism”, as a mentor in its mentorship program as well as appointed to Pathways Academic  Council of the United Church of Christ.  

She has authored two books, 30 Days of Meditation, a spiritual guide through life lessons  coupled with meditative prayers and scriptures, and Let’s Talk About Tongues, an exploration