Nationally Recognized Minister and Sexologist To Be Installed as Minister at Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston

The Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner will be formally installed as the settled minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR), VA on November 20th, at 4 p.m.

The Rev. Dr. Haffner began her ministry in Reston in August 2016, after retiring in May as the Community Minister at The Unitarian Church in Westport, CT and as President and CEO of the Religious Institute, a national non-profit organization she co-founded in 2001 Prior to that position, Rev. Haffner was the President and CEO of SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States for 12 years and the Director of Education and Community Relations for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington.

The Rev. Dr. Haffner was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2001, after a previous career as a sexologist. She is the author or co-author of seven books, including the award winning “From Diapers to Dating: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children”, available in 11 languages. She has received awards from such diverse institutions as Union Seminary, the Association of Yale Alumni in Public Health, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexology, and the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation.

“We are delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. Haffner as our new minister,” said Julia Norrgard, head of the Search Committee and the new President of the UUCR Board of Directors. “She has the talent, wisdom, social justice commitments, and outstanding preaching skills that we sought for our community.”

The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR), was founded in 1970, and has been home to liberal religion in our area since then. UUCR is a spiritual community where individuals are encouraged to grow, question, discover, and learn. We are an inclusive religious community, welcoming all who enter our church.