The Reverend Wendy Luella Perkins was raised on a mixed farm in rural Nova Scotia where she found connection and sustenance in the fields, woods, birds and animals that surrounded her. As a teen her concern for social and ecological justice was awakened as she experienced/witnessed violence, oppression and environmental degradation. But it wasn’t until university, when she began to weave the arts into her activism, that she discovered her own spiritual path to building a more peaceful and just world.
Wendy Luella graduated from Mount Allison University (BA in Psychology), the University of Waterloo (MASc in Addictions) and Queen’s Theological College (MTS in Theology). In 1999 she was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister, and is presently an Affiliated Community Minister with the Kingston Unitarian Fellowship. Unitarian Universalism draws inspiration from all the major world religions, from science and the arts, and from each person’s direct experience of mystery and wonder. It is a religion that promotes freedom of belief, the interconnected web of existence, and working toward greater love and justice in the here and now.
Wendy Luella’s community ministry is varied and has included working in alcohol risk reduction and health promotion, local food and farm advocacy, music making, and community arts. She also works as a professional facilitator for social entrepreneurs and community groups. As a singer-songwriter she has produced three albums of original folk and chant music, and is the founder of the Soulful Singing meditation practice, a communal singing experience that nurtures mindfulness, empowerment and interconnection.
Wendy Luella brings warmth and depth to her work and is committed to building bridges of understanding among people from all walks of life, with or without religious belief. At Queen's her ministry focuses on creating meaning and community through cooking and sharing meals together, Soulful Singing, creative arts, and alcohol-free events. She is also available to officiate at weddings.
Wendy Luella can be reached at: chaplain@queensu.ca
