Members
Rabbi Rob Abramovitz
Rev. Miranda Bermes
Spirit of Grace ELCA/UMC
Rev. Bermes is the Pastor of the Spirit of Grace, a blend of Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and the United Methodist Church (UMC). Pastor Miranda graduated from Luther Seminary and moved St Paul, MN to Hood River at the beginning of August 2021 to start her ministry with Spirit of Grace.
Originally from the south suburbs of Chicago, Miranda fell in love with the Pacific Northwest during her 14 months volunteering at Holden Village after graduating from Valparaiso University with a double major in Theology and Global Service in 2016. After 4 years of seminary in the Twin Cities, she is thrilled to return to the PNW.
Rev. John Boonstra
Rev. John Boonstra is a clergy person in the United Church of Christ. He is currently doing climate and creation justice ministry in partnership with the Mount Adams Ministerial Association and the Gorge Ecumenical Ministries. He is a former pastor in White Salmon (Bethel UCC) and was Executive Minister of the Washington Association of Churches from 1989 until 2005. He is based now with the Columbia Gorge Climate Action Network.
Fr. Solomon Covarrubias
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
Father Salomon previously served at St. Peter Claver Parish in Wapato, WA. He has experience as a teacher and enjoys reading books on many subjects.
Brook Maurer
Bahá’ís in the Columbia River Gorge
Brook is a member of the Baha’i Faith whose main tenet is that we are all one human family. She serves on the Baha’i Local Spiritual Assembly of Klickitat County.
Brook has lived in Lyle for 40 years, where she raised her two sons. She developed the Pre-college program at Columbia Gorge Community College and taught there for over 30 years.
Rev. Kelly Mahon
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Paul “Kelly” Mahon is a native of San Diego, CA. He is a lifelong Episcopalian who sang as a chorister and served as an acolyte as a young person. After several years of discernment in community, Kelly relocated to Austin, Texas in August 2015 to attend seminary, graduating with an M.Div. from Seminary of the Southwest in 2018.
He began serving St. Mark’s as a deacon in August of 2018, and was ordained to the priesthood here by Bishop Patrick Bell in November of 2018.
Rev. Barbara Prose
The Mid-Columbia Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
After earning her Master of Divinity degree from Bangor Theological Seminary in 2009, Rev. Prose served at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 2010 to 2023. As the Executive Minister of this 2,000-member congregation (one of the largest UU churches in the US), she led a staff of 20 or more. Rev. Prose moved to Hood River over a year ago to serve MCUUF.
Cheraga Kalama Reuter
Kalama Reuter has been involved with Sufism since 1976. She was drawn by the acceptance of all paths to Spirit, the inclusion of body prayer, music and sound that both the Sufi Ruhaniat International and the Mevlevi Order of America expound. She teaches Sufi classes in Portland and is moving toward the Oneness with every breath.
Ven. Kozen Sampson
Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple
Thich Minh Tinh has been transmitted in the Vietnamese Rinzai Zen line of Thich Thien An and Thich An Giao.
In addition, he has studied in Japan with Nanrei Kabori Roshi, then in the US with Soyu Mastsuoka Roshi, then in Japan with Doki Suda Roshi. Matsuoka Roshi later transmitted Kozen after a period of time as the Long Beach Zen Center’s administrative assistant.
Rev. Alicia Speidel
Hood River Valley Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
Reverend Alicia Speidel is pastor of Hood River Valley Christian Church. In addition, she is involved in the Gorge Youth Collective which brings together six youth groups from around the Gorge. She also supports the Hood River Warming Shelter.
Rev. Kirk Thomas
White Mountain Druid Sanctuary
Rev. Kirk Thomas is a Senior Priest and former Archdruid of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF). ADF Druidry is a Neopagan religion of reciprocity – we give to the Spirits in order that They might give back to us.
Rev. Thomas holds public rituals at the Sanctuary for each of the 8 High Holidays.
Pastor Andy Wade
Bethel Congregational Church, UCC
Pastor Andy Wade is an ordained pastor with the Mennonite Church, serving the past four years as the pastor of Bethel Congregational Church (UCC) in White Salmon, WA.
He lives in a multigenerational house in his hometown of Hood River, OR, with his wife, Susan, his mother, and one of his two adult sons. Andy thrives outdoors and can often be found dispersed camping in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest or working in his garden in concert with creation.