Our Minister and Staff
Rev. Gy Ludvig-McCartney (they/them) was born in Transylvania, Romania, the birthplace of Unitarianism. However, it wasn’t until much later that they discovered Unitarian Universalism. Currently, Rev. Gy is ordained in the United Church of Christ and in Unity and is also exploring an alternative path to Unitarian Universalism ordination. They have a Master of Divinity from “Egyetemi Fokú Egységes Protestáns Teológiai Intézet” in Transylvania/Romania, and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio. Rev Gy resides in Portage with their wife, Patti, five dogs, and two cats. Patti and Rev. Gy are long-term residents of the area and enjoy traveling together, camping, gardening, and renovating homes. To reach Rev. Gy directly, please email them at gyludvig@gmail.com or call their cell phone at 269-352-2412.
Miriam Epskamp (she/her) served as UUCC’s Director of Religious Education (DRE) from 2006 to 2015 and rejoined our community in that role in 2019. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience working with young people from pre-school age to young adults and, as a nearly lifelong Unitarian Universalist (UU), a firm understanding of UU principles and theology. With the help of the youth, their parents, and other adults, Miriam strives to cultivate unique and engaging religious education programs that allow the children the ability to experience, explore and build their own personal religious frameworks and build community in a loving atmosphere. Miriam also acts as the UUCC Office Administrator and is responsible for the office operations of the church. She manages and cultivates our weekly e-mail, monthly newsletter, and social media outlets. If you have questions concerning our programming for children and youth, church services, or the use of our facilities please contact Miriam via email at uucommunity@gmail.com or by phone at 296-324-7262.
Chris Petersmark (he/him) joined UUCC as Music Director in September of 2022. Chris was born in South Korea and raised in White Lake, Michigan. He started playing piano at the age of 8 and was the 2011 winner of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony Concerto Competition performing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue. His teachers include Yu-Lien The, Giuseppe Lupis and Scottie Moilanen. Chris earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Grand Valley State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Piano Performance at Western Michigan University. Chris lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Addie and pet cat Fiona. He enjoys skateboarding, going to see musical theatre, and, teaching in the public school system.