Dr. Dan Lambert's Biographic Information

Tess and Dr. Dan Lambert

The 1stUUPB Board of Trustees has announced that Dr. Dan Lambert accepted its offer to be 1stUUPB part-time Ministerial Leader. (see message from Paul Ward below). The contract is from November 2017 to April 2018. Further, the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee has accepted Dan’s M.Div. equivalency request without condition and has officially approved his aspirant status. Dan is now an Aspirant Minister. He plans to complete the aspirant portion of preparation for fully fellowshipped ministry with the UUA, including an internship for which his role as 1stUUPB Ministerial Leader will be a vital part. The following is some background about Rev Dan:

The Rev. Dr. Dan Lambert (pictured with his wife, Tess), was born and raised in a secular home in rural northeastern Indiana. He became a Christian at Ball State University thanks to the influence of several friends he made there. Shortly thereafter, Dan sensed a call to youth ministry and finished his bachelor’s degree in Christian Education from Fort Wayne Bible College.

Dan served in ministry with Youth for Christ for a few years, followed by stints with a Church of the Brethren in Indiana (where he was initially ordained), a Reformed Church of America in Michigan, and an independent Christian church in Indiana. He finished his seminary degree at Cincinnati Bible Seminary, then earned a doctor of education degree from the University of Cincinnati so he could begin a career teaching at the college and seminary levels.

Dan was ordained into the teaching ministry in 2000 after accepting a faculty position at an evangelical university in Arkansas, where he stayed in various teaching and administrative roles until 2011. As a result of encountering several Bible majors there who had abandoned their faith, Dan’s own spiritual journey led him to read the writings of atheists and skeptics, resulting in a deep re-examining of his faith.

As a result of that journey, his theological leanings became too liberal for that university, and he was dismissed in December 2011. Since that time, Dan has continued to read and be engaged in a wide variety of religious fields and interfaith groups. He completed a Master’s of Humanities degree in 2015, which helped broaden his thinking even more, especially in areas of race, sexuality, feminism, and creativity. After teaching at Tiffin University in Ohio for a few years, Dan accepted an associate dean position with a college in West Palm Beach and moved here in February 2016.

Dan and Tess married in September of 2014, and have continued their faith journey together. They have six children, ages 29–19, and have a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law.

1stUUPB is the first UU congregation they ever attended, and they have found a group of kindred theological spirits who are anxious to keep seeking truth while impacting the community through social justice activism. This led Dan to answer a call back to ministry.