Carol Conger Miller

Carol Conger Miller

When my children were little, a colleague handed me a brochure about Unitarian Universalism and that simple act changed my life. 

I joined the Montclair UU Congregation in 1989 when my kids were pre-schoolers and we went almost every week through their high school years. The congregation was my anchor as I went through a divorce and spent many years muddling through single-parenthood. I know how life-changing a strong UU congregation can be. 

In 2003, I met my husband Norm, who has been a long-time member of Beacon. I straddled the two congregations for a few years, before making a commitment to Beacon and I’m glad I did.
A minister once said to me, “You won’t get much out of church if all you do is show up on Sunday Morning”.  I could give you a list of activities, but I’d like to talk about something more personal.

Recently, I heard someone say, “I didn’t realize that pastoral care at Beacon was so strong until something happened to me.” When my family was in crisis this past summer, Rev. Robin dropped everything to meet with me. Both she and Rev Emilie provided the much needed support over the following days, while encouraging me to make use of outside resources for the longer term. This ministry goes unnoticed, since these confidential conversations are not announced in Spark or posted on Facebook.

I serve on Beacon’s Board of Trustees and what motivates me is knowing how life-changing a strong UU congregation can be. Years ago, my 18-year-old son was in a horrible car accident that put him in a coma. After a few agonizing days, he began waking up, while the minister and I sat at his bedside. He was intubated so couldn’t speak, but signaled that he wanted to write something. I was moved beyond measure when I read, “I want to get out of here. I want to go to my church.”  At the core of his being, what mattered most was his congregation. To quote a MasterCard commercial, “Priceless.” 

Now, 17 years later, my son is pursuing a master’s degree and my daughter is now a UU minister. “Priceless.”