Our Ministers

The Rev. Jackie Clement serves as Senior Minister of UUBN. She earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School, and served congregations in Rockland and Saco, Maine, and Saugus, Massachusetts, before moving to Illinois in 2010. Before entering the ministry, Jackie worked in the high tech industry as an engineer and marketing manager for computer graphics systems. Along with the Rev. Alison Cornish, Jackie is co-author of “Faith Like a River,” a curriculum on Unitarian Universalist history for adults. She is also author of “Time/Money Balance” in the UUA’s Taking It Home series, a resource for families. Her passions include history, cooking and reading, but the visual arts remain a primary spiritual practice. In achievement of a lifelong goal, Jackie now lives in Normal with her husband, John Ford.

Rev. Rosie Rimrodt, Associate Minister for Lifespan Religious Education
• Graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Speech/theatre.
• Worked as a laboratory technician for the Quaker Oats Company in Cedar Rapids, IA until 2001.
• Served as the Director of Religious Education for The Peoples Church in Cedar Rapids, IA from 1980 -2001.
• Graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School (associated with the University of Chicago) in 2003 with a Masters of Divinity.
• Was ordained by The Peoples Church in Cedar Rapids, IA.
• Served First Parish in Bedford, MA as Minister of Religious Education.
• Served the Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville, TN as Minister of Lifespan Religious Education.
• Began serving the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Normal in 1997.

The Rev. Dr. Ruth Gnagey is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister. She is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School where she enrolled after retirement from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky where she was the Director of the Center for Environmental Education. Prior to that position, she was Director of the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, Michigan and Manager of the Naturalist Program for the Toledo Metroparks for twelve years. She was ordained in this church and served as minister at Emerson Chapel in Ellisville, Missouri. After a second retirement, she and her husband Bill shared a five year “snowbird” ministry in San Juan, Texas. With her husband she keeps involved in the lives of their seven children, twelve grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. She serves as Affiliated Minister.