The Reverend Kristina Spaude – Contract Minister
Meet Our New Minister, Rev. Kristina Spaude
The Rev. Kristina Spaude is a native of Northeast Ohio, having grown up in the suburbs of Cleveland and spending about 20 years in Kent, Ohio. The congregations in that area are very special to her, having shaped much of her ministry with their love and support.
Rev. Kristina came to Florida via Pennsylvania, where she worked as a staff chaplain for Geisinger Medical Center—a Level 1 Trauma and Regional Medical Center—in Danville. Prior to that, she completed a Chaplaincy Residency and Fellowship (2016–18) at the Northeast Ohio VA Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. Serving our nation’s veterans continues to be important to her.
Rev. Kristina also served as a part-time Director of Religious Education (2013–15) with Southwest UU Church in North Royalton, OH, and as an Intern and Sabbatical Minister (2014–16) for the First UU Church of Youngstown, OH (UUYO), before serving as the contract minister for the UU Church of Tarpon Springs (2020–24). She is a graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School (2016) and previously graduated from Kent State University with a degree in History, French, and Russian Translation.
Among Rev. Kristina’s passions are intersectionality, working to dismantle systems of oppression, sexuality education, community building (including timebanking), theology, the sciences, linguistics, history, and especially learning. One of her favorite current practices is cross-stitching. Her happy place is being in or near water—and she loves to swim. She also has two cats, William and Gemma, fancy house panthers (tuxedo).
Rev. Kristina is delighted to begin serving as the minister of Tri-County UU and the UUC of Lake County, and she is looking forward to meeting you! She will begin her work with the two congregations in August.
