About Dan Harper
Professionally, I'm parish minister of First Unitarian in New Bedford, a Unitarian Universalist congregation. First Untiarian is a small but feisty congregation right in the downtown neighborhood of New Bedford. We face all the challenges of a downtown church, from having only street parking, to suburban flight from the city. We also have all the benefits of being in downtown New Bedford, including proximity to the downtown UMass Dartmouth arts campus, and being able to participate in the monthly New Bedford arts events. (I've added a photo showing the interior of the historic church building at the bottom of this page.)
Before I became a minister, I had a checkered career as sculptor's apprentice, warehouse help, salesman, carpenter, retail clerk, director of religious education, and minister of religious education.
Current professional interests include ecological theology, sense of place in relation to religion, organizational dynamics, church administration, religious education. Formal eduation includes: bachelor's degree in philosophy at Haverford College; study at the Boston Museum School for art; year of graduate work in creative writing at Emerson College; Master of Divinity degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School.
I live with my partner of sixteen years, Carol Steinfeld, who is a writer specializing in ecological pollution prevention issues, particularly water and wastewater. I took the picture to the right when Carol was at the Havusupai Indian reservation doing consulting work on composting toilets in the campground there (Carol is on the left with Havusu Falls just behind her, Jack and Sharon Erhardt are on the right).
My non-professional interests include outdoors activities like birding, canoeing, hiking, backpacking, and fishing. I tend to read a lot, and I've been known to play the 'ukulele and the mountain dulcimer (but not in public).
My photo of the interior of First Unitarian's sanctuary -- December 25, 2006.