A Regional Church Serving Communities North of Boston
welcoming people of all ages, religious backgrounds, cultural origins, differing abilities, political views, and sexual orientations


About Our Minister
Read a personal message of welcome from Rev. Tim

Reverend Tim Kutmark

Reverend Tim Kutmark

Our minister, the ReverendTim Kutzmark, is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, where he received the prestigious Hopkins Shareholder Award for academic and ministerial accomplishment.

Rev. Tim previously served as minister of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Glen Allen, VA, a congregation in the suburbs of Richmond. Under his leadership, that congregation became one of the fastest growing Unitarian Universalist Congregations in the nation. Rev. Tim's time there had a special emphasis on ministry to families and children, and to those with no church affiliation who were looking for a welcoming place to explore their spiritual questions. Through Rev. Tim's encouragement, the church became a champion for social justice issues in the greater Richmond area.

Prior to his ministry at the Glen Allen congregation, Rev. Tim served as Assistant Minister at Second Parish in Hingham, MA. He joined the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reading from his most recent appointment as Chaplain at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI. In the past, he has also served as a chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Rev. Tim has completed advanced training in pastoral care to adults and children through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. He is a certified instructor of Kundalini Yoga, and has guided spiritual seekers in that practice for twelve years. He also teaches several forms of meditation and spiritual practice, and leads spiritual reflection groups and retreats. His strongest spiritual influences include Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and mystical Judaism, and he incorporates elements from all these traditions into his ministry and his own spiritual life.

Prior to entering the ministry, Rev. Tim served for eight years as Coordinator of Alumni Career Services at the Harvard Graduate School of Business, providing career counseling and transition support to business professionals. Rev Tim KutzmarkSome people might also remember Rev. Tim as the creator and host of "Encore," a popular Boston radio program that featured the music and stars of Broadway and cabaret. For a number of years he was also a music and theater producer in the Boston area, with shows and artists appearing at the Boston Center for the Arts, the Copley Plaza Hotel, the Lafayette Hotel, Theater Lobby, and Club Café.

Rev. Tim was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and also lived in Illinois and Ohio as a child. As a teenager, he worked as a professional magician. He also earned his Eagle Scout Award. He moved to Boston to attend Emerson College, where he received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater Performance.

Rev. Tim has a passion for good theater, New York City, an evening at the movies, Broadway music, a day (or a week) at the beach, working out at the gym, sleeping late (he never gets to do that enough!), relaxing in front of the TV, and eating out at various ethnic restaurants. He enjoys learning more and more about various religions and spiritual perspectives on life and the world. He has a soft spot in his heart for New Mexico and the stark and stunning deserts of the South West. One of his proudest accomplishments was hiking down and out of the Grand Canyon in one day, which took over twelve hours of hiking. Needless to say, he was sore the next day!

Tim's partner of 19 years is Jim Vetter, who is the Program Director of a nationally known social and emotional learning organization that provides staff training and curricula to elementary schools in Massachusetts and other areas of the Northeast. Jim is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tim and Jim are legally married, thanks to marriage equality in Massachusetts. They share their home in Wilmington with Tucker, a high-spirited shelter rescue dog.

Feel free to contact Rev. Tim if you have any questions about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, his ministry, or if you would like to discuss how Unitarian Universalism might fit into your spiritual journey. He can be reached by phone at 781-944-0494 or by email.


Minister's Column

Reverend Tim Kutzmark

Dear Friends,

This past week I went down to Dorchester to a minister’s summit on youth violence, in response to the recent string of shootings in Boston.  The summit was called by Tina Chery of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.  You might remember Tina from when she spoke at UUCR last year about the death of her son in a shooting in Dorchester.  The Peace Institute, named in honor of her son, assists families directly impacted by violence (walking them through the myriad of funeral and legal details), supports them in the long process of grieving and healing, and also works directly in the schools and streets to offer kids alternatives to gangs and violence.

At the summit, there were about 25 ministers present, from many different denominations (including a nice showing of Unitarian Universalists).  The group was racially mixed as well.  Most of the ministers were serving inner city churches, and are living daily with the realities of scarcity and death on the city streets.  It was humbling to hear their stories and struggles.  Many of these ministers are the clergy who are burying the kids when they are shot, and visiting the shooters in prison.  I spoke with one minister whose church is running a support group that brings together the mothers of kids killed and the mothers whose sons are imprisoned for the killings for discussion, prayer, and healing. 

The summit made me more aware of how blessed we are to live in the relative safety of our suburban communities.  It made me realize how little has improved in creating economic opportunities for so many people of color.  It also made me realize that we, as a church community, could do more to engage with, and support, those families and kids who are living with the daily reality of violence in their streets.  If we abandon these families and kids, what future will they—and we—have?  After all, our faith tells us that we are all connected, all one. 

See you on the path,

Tim

PS: I will begin my summer vacation on June 28 (four weeks), followed by four weeks of study leave.  During study leave, I will be immersed in in-depth reading and study in preparation a new church year of services and adult enrichment classes.  During my study leave I will not be present in the church office for regular appointments or conversations, but I am available in case of pastoral emergency.  I return to the office August 23rd, and to the pulpit on September 6th.

PASTORAL COVERAGE OVER THE SUMMER.  In case of a pastoral emergency this summer, I can be reached by contacting our Shared Ministry Team.  From June 28-Aug 1st, please call Iris Hardin at 781-942-2324.  From August 1-23rd, please call John Perry at 781-944-2796.  They will know how to reach me.  I will be out of the country from July 11-July 22, but an ordained minister will be on stand-by in case his services are needed.