Rev. Eileen Douglas

Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Rev. Eileen Douglas has been married to Rev. Dr. Richard Talley for 33 years. They a daughter, Mary Collman, and three grown grandchildren: Kyle, Ariel, and McKenzie. The latter two live locally, and are supervised by Calista, a 7 yo Manchester Terrier mix. Eileen and Rev. Talley have lived in Hendersonville for 13 years. Prior to that they pastored Unity churches in Santa Fe, NM, Omaha, NE, Indianapolis, IN, and Lawrence, KS. They have been retired for 15 years.

Eileen is a graduate of UCLA (English Lit/Music/Spanish), Cal State Northridge (Education), and Grand Canyon University (Education); she is currently finishing her dissertation for a PhD in Transformative Social Change from Saybrook University. She has been a public school teacher (20 years in CA and WA ), a minister, choir director, a vocal musician (Blissing Acapella Trio).  She now teaches journaling classes and workshops, as well as facilitating spiritual discussion groups (Pathfinders) on Zoom. Eileen also writes poetry, short stories, and essays. Her hobbies include hard shell gourds, music (Flat Rock Playhouse Chorus), rock painting, and writing. She is passionate about helping people recover from childhood trauma through journaling (topic of her dissertation).

Having come to WNC the first time when she was thirteen, Eileen made a vision board some sixty years ago. It took her a long time to finally arrive here and fulfill her vision of living in the Blue Ridge. She loves the mountains, streams, trees, and people, and now she has joined her spiritual tribe, too. Eileen loves the openness, friendliness, inclusivity, and social justice actions at UUFH and hopes to join the choir and Social Justice Team.

Rev. Richard Talley, PhD

Rev. Talley has had many careers:  a medical technologist, owner of three stained glass retail shops and one wholesale shop. His next career began with a team of street ministers working with people and families with HIV and AIDS. This led him to become best friends with his now wife, Eileen Douglas, who was attending classes at Unity Village in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Here he became interested in Unity’s teachings and their inclusivity. As an individual with a polyethnic (six ethnicities) background, inclusivity had not included him.

Eileen and Rev. Talley co-ministered in numerous states for 20 years before Eileen returned to her former career as a teacher. Reverend Talley has an academic background with deep interests in creativity and biology. Stained glass allowed him to explore his interests in science and light. Glass was a means of exploration and of satisfying his curiosity. His ministry primarily involved inclusivity, community service, and racial healing. It was rewarding but exhausting.

Education at Saybook University, an inclusive, accepting environment, led him to explore the psychology of creativity for a master’s degree. His doctorate was focused on humanistic teachings, and exploring his traumatic experiences of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Exploring his polyethnic ancestry lead to his dissertation, which has been presented at the United Nations, in China, and at an international conference in Romania during which he was on Zoom. A very exciting and rewarding experience.

He is happy to join the UUFH inclusive community.