The Texas UU Justice Ministry is a grassroots organization led by part-time staff and dedicated volunteers. Reach us at txuujm@gmail.com

Rev. Erin Walter (she/her), Minister & Executive Director

Rev. Erin J. Walter (she/her/hers) is a lifelong UU, minister in full fellowship, and proud to serve as Minister and Executive Director for TXUUJM. Winner of the 2017 Sermon Award from the UU Women’s Federation, author, and former journalist, Rev. Erin recently served as interim Minister for Joy and Justice at First UU Church of Austin and has been a guest speaker on justice issues for more than 100 Unitarian Universalist congregations in the United States and Mexico. She is a frequent contributor to national UU panels, events, conferences, publications, and justice campaigns and served as a TXUUJM board member prior to becoming Executive Director in November 2021. In 2022, her book Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry was published by Skinner House Books. Her UU values are lived daily in her advocacy, parenting, and joy practices, which include music with band Parker Woodland and doing Zumba at the YMCA.

Michelle Venegas-Matula (she/ella), Congregational & Justice Organizer (part-time)

Michelle Venegas-Matula(she/ella) is a native of Borinken(Puerto Rico) who has dedicated her life to community organizing and anti-racism work in Texas for over a decade. She is deeply passionate about justice and believes that building a radically inclusive world is a spiritual and important part of her life’s purpose. Michelle is a member of Wildflower Church (UU) in Austin and serves on the steering committee of Diverse, Revolutionary, UU, Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) as their acting secretary. When she is not out making good trouble, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family. Michelle is excited to work with TXUUJM and continue to fight for justice in Texas.

Taylor Huntley (she/her), North Texas Organizer (part-time, reproductive justice specialty)

Taylor began with TXUUJM as a BIPOC Organizing Intern in 2023, then served as a part-time communications specialist in 2024. Taylor and her family moved from Austin back home to Ft. Worth in 2024 and she became our North Texas Organizer. Prior to TXUUJM, Taylor worked in community organizing with Mama Sana Vibrant Woman and Mothers’ Milk Bank of Austin. She has been a Community Climate Ambassador for the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability and Co-Founder of Black Texas Birthwork, a mental health organization for birth workers, among other community involvement. She began attending TXUUJM-member congregation First UU Church of Austin in 2022.

Bis Thornton (he/she), Intern Minister (part-time, two-year role)

Bis Thornton (he/she), an aspirant to UU ministry based in Austin, Texas, is passionate about the power of creativity and storytelling in the work of healing, transformation, and justice. He is currently serving as the intern minister of the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry and the chaplain at Wildflower UU Church in Austin. When she isn’t preaching from a pulpit, you can also find her reading Tarot cards, drawing zines, watching horror movies, and trying out new vegan recipes to share.

Jan Austin, administrative assistant (volunteer)

Megan Brown, Dale Story: Action Hour facilitator leads (volunteers)

Carlisle Rice, webmaster

Jodi Vargas, bookkeeper, and Rev. Christian Schmidt, accountant

Leo Collas, video editing (volunteer)

TXUUJM seeks to prioritize leadership and perspectives of people who are directly impacted by the issues of our work. The five 2020-22 issue areas are racial justice, environmental justice, healthcare access, economic justice, and voting rights, which include work for LGBTQIA+ rights (including support for trans/nonbinary kids and their families), gender justice, immigration rights, reproductive justice, and decarceration.

The work of TXUUJM is grounded in our Eight Principles of Unitarian Universalism. We affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• ​Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our Congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• ​Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. 
• working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.

For more information contact Rev. Erin Walter, Minister & Executive Director, at txuujm@gmail.com.