About the Author: Bret Myers

The Rev. Bret Myers is the designated interim pastor of First Congregational UCC of Waterloo, Iowa since August 1, 2020. He has served in various ministry positions since 1985, was ordained in the United Methodist Church, and later also received standing in the United Church of Christ. As an undergraduate, he double majored in philosophy and religion with a minor in behavioral sciences at the University of Indianapolis. In seminary, he double majored in social ethics and pastoral psychology and counseling, learning under heralded figures at Boston University School of Theology and Harvard Divinity School such as Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Elie Wiesel, Peter Berger, Walter Muelder, Ralph Potter, Harrell Beck, and others. His doctoral work at the University of Wisconsin was through the philosophy department where he concentrated in ethics with an emphasis in bioethics. His outside minor was in South Asian Studies where he increased his interest in Mahayana Buddhism and Sufism within Islam. Bret enjoys preaching and teaching from a progressive and pluralistic perspective, having eclectically found truth from many religious and philosophical sources. He sees an important part of his ministry as challenging people to creatively think outside their conceptual frameworks, and to help people extend their compassion to all creation. He loves facilitating spiritual growth in small groups and in counseling individuals, couples, and families. The most important aspect of what he sees he does is to nurture the character development and virtues of those who seek to join in spiritual journey together—seeking, learning, understanding, and caring in the midst of joys and sorrows, doubts and insights, and every other condition of our mutual earthly existence. Bret has served churches of all sizes, doing so in urban, suburban, and rural environs and seeks to create churches that are: committed to peace and justice, welcoming and loving of persons, and seeking to increase their spiritual understanding of other religions and cultures. Bret has led workshops on non-violence, environmental ethics and religious stewardship, attitudinal and spirit-based communications, envisioning and covenanting, and a variety of other programs that have sought to create healthier and more loving and peaceful relationships in the church, in work places, and in society. Other than pastoral ministry, Bret has served as lecturer of philosophy, campus minister, hospice chaplain, TV interviewer & reporter of religious news, environmental educator, and a host of other positions that have served to inform and extend his ministry. Bret is an avid outdoorsman and environmentalist. He loves sports and outdoor adventures of all sorts and has traveled widely. He loves to write, both poetry and prose, and also enjoys photography. He especially enjoys the performing and visual arts, and events that promote cross-cultural understanding.