CLICK HERE for Our Staff.
Rev. Carlton E. Smith
Senior Minister
(203) 227-7205 ext. 12
Rev. Smith brings over 30 years of experience in Unitarian Universalist ministry, including congregational leadership, denominational service, and social justice advocacy. Most recently, he served as our UUA's Developmental Lead ("Executive Director") for the Pacific Western Region. His deep well of experience, combined with his compassionate presence and strategic insight, makes him especially suited to guide us through this important transitional year.
Rev. Smith offers a rare and timely combination of pastoral warmth, organizational insight, and spiritual depth. He is widely respected for his eloquence, humility, and deep listening-qualities that are important as we prepare for a settled minister. His worship style is inclusive, joyful, and grounded in sacred texts, humor, and real-world relevance. He is deeply respectful of the diverse spiritual paths within Unitarian Universalism and purposefully incorporates a wide range of sacred and spiritual voices in his preaching that builds on our humanist and multi-faith identities...Read more HERE.
Rev. Jim Francek
Endorsed Community Minister for Pastoral Care
(203) 227-7205
Rev. Jim Francek is our Volunteer Community Minister for Pastoral Care. Jim and his wife Pat have been active members of our congregation for many years leading various support groups and he has acted as a coach and trainer for our Pastoral Care Chaplains. Jim will report directly to our senior minister and respects the same covenant of confidentiality that he followed in his role as a Chaplain for the Bridgeport Hospital.
Jim received his BA in Philosophy from Sacred Heart Seminary in 1963, this was followed by four years of postgraduate studies in Theology, Humanities and Counseling at St. John Seminary. He was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1967. He served in St. Mary's Church in Royal Oak and then at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. During the early years of his ministry he was very active in the roles of leading liturgy, teaching, counseling, pastoral care and social action. Following the civil disruption in Detroit in 1967, he was active in the Interfaith Center for Racial Justice and also worked closely with community leaders in creating a response to the increasing problems with heroin addiction in Detroit.
In 1972 he left the active priesthood to be married to his life partner Patricia. In 1973 he started a career in the field of Employee Assistance. He received his MSW from the University of Michigan in 1976. During this time Pat and he were to have two beautiful children Kate and Pete. Over the next 13 years he worked in the medical departments of Kelsey Hayes, Ford and Exxon as the senior professional developing systematic approaches to persons impacted by addiction or behavioral health issues. In 1986, he created his own firm focused on providing consultation and group facilitation around resiliency in the many organizations faced with downsizing, relocation and closure.
He and Pat returned to Connecticut in 2007 to be close to their family. In 2008 he created a website: www.ceremonieswithoutboundaries.com from which he launched a ministry- at-large offering to the unchurched. Under this format he prepares and creates customized marriage and memorial ceremonies. He pursued training in hospital chaplaincy and served as a chaplain in the Emergency Department of Bridgeport Hospital. He also served on the Ethics Committee of that hospital. In 2008 Jim and Pat became part of our UU congregation. In 2013 he was asked by members of the board of trustees to lead efforts in creating our TUUCW Pastoral Care Chaplain Ministry.
Jim will coordinate the overall pastoral outreach for our growing congregation. You may reach Jim directly on 719-534-3338 or by emai.
Rev. Ed Thompson
Minister of Music Emeritus
For over four decades, the Rev. Dr. Edward Thompson graced The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport with his remarkable leadership as music director, leaving an indelible mark since 1978. What began as a part-time position conducting a single choir blossomed into a full-time role, conducting eight choirs across two weekly services. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the congregation ordained him as Minister of Music in 1997.
With a Master's from The Juilliard School and a Doctorate from the University of Hartford, Dr. Thompson's musical brilliance and dedication profoundly shaped the congregation. Over 46 years, he guided hundreds of children and adults through choir, offering not only musical training but also spiritual mentorship. His patience and encouragement with the youth choirs instilled confidence, inspiration, and a lifelong love of music in countless young people. Many of these young adults return from college every year to sing at the Christmas Eve service, a testament to his lasting impact.
Rev. Thompson's adult choir rehearsals were known for being more than just choir practice-they were part music history, part sermon, and a reminder of the power of teamwork and community. Through his teaching, he showed that music itself can be a form of worship, connecting us to something greater than ourselves. Throughout his tenure, Rev. Thompson composed numerous works for the youth, adult, and bell choirs. Among his larger compositions are Celtic Noel, written for choir, uillean pipes, harp, and tin whistle, Seeking Home, a 12-movement piece for choir, guitars, and native flutes dedicated to missing and murdered Indigenous women, and a children's musical, The Three Questions.
Beyond the walls of UU Westport, Dr. Thompson has received commissions for a variety of orchestral, choral, organ, and solo works, which have been performed by groups such as the Mendelssohn Choir, Fairfield County Chorale, Music on the Hill Festival Chorus, and Choral Chameleon. In 2024 his major work, Impetus, a Symphony for Orchestra and Crystal Bowls, was performed at the Norwalk Concert Hall by the American Chamber Orchestra.
Reverend Thompson retired from UU Westport at the end of 2024 and is devoting his time to teaching, composing, and lifelong learning, particularly in the area of the transformational power of music and sound.
