Kindred in Christ,

As your Lead Pastor (Paul Ortiz), it is my deep joy to introduce you to our new Worship Leader, Ben Fowler (pictured above)! I am beyond grateful for the commitment and discernment of our search team that made it possible for us to get to this point. Ben will begin leading us in worship on Sunday, Dec. 4^th. Here’s his bio:

Ben is excited to be joining the staff at U Gathering as a Worship Leader. His experience in the church is vast and varied and has at times been a bit rocky. Coming out late in life presented some challenges to his personal life and faith and he’s grateful to be joining a community that celebrates LGBTQIA+ people and where it’s ok to ask questions, doubt, and not have things all figured out.

Ben lives in Seattle with his partner, Grant. He has four amazing kids that he absolutely adores; they live with their mom nearby.

Ben grew up playing music of all kinds and went to the University of Washington where he majored in clarinet performance and orchestral studies. He still plays a lot of music and has been getting into his roots and learning the Irish flute.

He loves to be outside and feels fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with access to all kinds of recreational pursuits. He grew up skiing and wakeboarding and likes to hike and camp. His latest hobby…sewing.

In the photo below: Ben, Grant, Aria, Karis, Cadence, Selah

Here’s what some members of our search team are saying about Ben: