Who I Am
I'm Bob Miess. I Help UU Congregations Run Well So Ministry Can Flourish.
I came to church administration through ministry. I hold an MDiv from Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary — so I understand ministers and ministry culture from the inside, not just the organizational chart. When a minister is navigating a difficult personnel situation, a board conflict, or a season of congregational grief, I know how to be useful without getting in the way.
My administrative career began at the UU Church in Livermore, where I served for nearly ten years in three successive roles.
As Children & Youth Program Coordinator, I developed and led religious education programs for children and youth from pre-K through high school — recruiting and training volunteers, collaborating with the RE Committee and minister, and implementing child safety policies in accordance with UU organizational standards.
As Office Manager, I led the digital migration of the congregation’s operations during COVID — moving essential records, communications, and workflows online while managing a volunteer team that kept the church functioning through the phases of full and partial physical closure.
As Executive Church Administrator, I shifted roles, taking on remote administrative responsibilities for the congregation — compliance, digital systems, board support, worship infrastructure — while training and supporting the on-site team — in close collaboration with the minister, board, and committees.
Each role built on the last. Together they gave me a more comprehensive understanding of how a UU congregation actually works from the inside — and what it takes to help one run well.
I come to this work with a deep sense of gratitude — for the communities that have shaped me, for the lay people and clergy I have been privileged to support, and for the opportunities to keep serving. That gratitude is not incidental to how I work. It is the foundation of it.
I believe that congregations matter. The work of building and sustaining a faith community — week after week, year after year — is some of the most important work people do together.
I also believe that administration, done well, is itself a form of ministry. We ad-minister. It is the work that holds the community together, clears the path for ministry to happen, and honors the covenant that congregants make with one another. I don’t experience it as separate from ministry — I experience it as an expression of it.
Good administration doesn’t make ministry happen. But poor administration can get in the way of it. My job is to make sure it doesn’t.
How I Work
I don’t come into a congregation as the person who will run everything. I come in as a collaborator — someone who works with your staff, volunteers, and leaders to build the teams, systems, and processes that get things done together.
In my experience, the capacity a congregation needs is almost always already present in its people. What’s often missing is the structure that helps that capacity emerge, organize itself, and work together effectively. That’s what I help build.
I’ve found that change works best when people want the result. So I start there — with what your congregation is trying to accomplish — and work backward to the systems and processes that will get you there. Learning how to do it together is part of the work, and it can be genuinely rewarding when approached that way.
When there are gaps — tasks that require specific expertise, or simply things no one else is available to do — I step in and handle them directly. The goal is always a congregation that administers itself better, not one that depends on me to keep things running.
Credentials at a Glance
Current Role Co-President, UUA Pacific Western Region Board
Education MDiv, Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary (1972), BA Mathematics (minors: Philosophy & Physics), SUNY Buffalo (1969)
Church Experience Nearly 10 years, UU Church in Livermore Children & Youth Coordinator (2016–2020), Office Manager (2020–2023), Executive Church Administrator (2023–2026)
Affiliations Association of UU Administrators (AUUA), UU Society for Community Ministries (UUSCM)
Location Brentwood, CA — available remotely
Availability Part-time, up to ~20 hours/week
Open to the Right Staff Role
In addition to consulting, I am open to a part-time remote staff position with the right UU congregation or UUA-related organization. If that describes your situation, I’d welcome a conversation.
