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Two religious educators—Cathy Seggel and Rev. Leia Durland-Jones—were recognized at the 2026 UUA General Assembly for their longtime contributions to UU faith development with the Angus H. MacLean Award for Excellence in Religious Education.
Presenting the first of the two awards, Mx. Katharine Childs, president of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), lauded Seggel as “among the first who come to mind when I think of someone who embodies and models the values of professionalism, respect, service, and leadership as a religious educator.”
Seggel served First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island, as a full-time religious educator for thirty years. She was president of both the Unitarian Sunday School Society and LREDA, and with Gail Forsyth-Vail launched and now facilitates the LREDA Life Member Chapter. She also served on the most recent UUA Presidential Search Committee, and during this General Assembly was elected to serve on the UUA Nominating Committee. She is currently an adjunct professor of UU Faith Development at Harvard Divinity School.
Accepting the award, Seggel observed that “in these anxiety-filled, cruel times, teaching comprehensive UU faith development to ministers in formation, I feel generational responsibility and joy witnessing and sharing the evolution of our faith, stressing the life-changing importance of UU faith engagement, held by dedicated religious educators.”
“May we remain strongly connected to love-centered, inclusive leadership, committed to anti-oppression, freedom, health, and courageous action for justice and peace,” she said.
‘An Amazing, Faith-Filled Journey’
Nao Bethea, director of the UUA’s Lifespan Faith Engagement office, presented the second MacLean Award to Durland-Jones, thanking her for her “commitment to contributing both a grounding and visionary spirit in UU religious education.”
Durland-Jones is a second-generation UU who has been a religious educator for thirty-four years at the UU Congregation of Charlottesville, Virginia. She was among the first to be a credentialed religious educator and has been an advocate of shared ministry and anti-oppression work in Unitarian Universalism, Bethea said.
In addition to ongoing contributions in Charlottesville, Durland-Jones was involved in YRUU leadership as a youth, worked as a Youth Program Specialist at the UUA, was on the LREDA Integrity Team, a LREDA Large convener, co-authored the Family Ministry Training, led GA workshops, served on GA Planning Committee, and led many Sparks modules.
“What an amazing, faith-filled journey it has been and continues to be,” Durland-Jones said of her career as a religious professional, which she said started when she was just shy of 25 years old.
“May the holy work that is Unitarian Universalist religious education be recognized for just how important it is, and through it, may we all flourish,” she said.
The MacLean Award was established in 1972 and honors a person who has contributed to the quality of RE at the local and Associational level, brought dignity to the profession, and been a leader in UU faith development for all ages. Selected by a joint UUA and LREDA award committee, past recent recipients include Christina Rivera, CB Beal, Aisha K. Hauser, and Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore.