Rev. David H. Messner is the Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago. He’s a born-and-bred Unitarian, a Christian Humanist, and a Universalist who believes in boundless Grace and resurgent possibility, especially when all seems lost. He knows that church done right can be the key to a life well-lived and communities well-built. His ministry is rooted in preaching, teaching, writing, and coaching toward individual fulfillment and collective flourishing.
He is a Religious Advisor at the University of Chicago and is an incoming member of the U of C Alumni Board. He is a “Compelling Preaching Exemplar” in the Lilly-funded Preaching Initiative at the Christian Theological Seminary. He serves ministerial colleagues in his denomination as a Continental Good Officer. He works with interfaith colleagues for change as part of the Chicago Police Department’s District 2 Faith-Based Subcommittee. He is a consultant to the Anti-Defamation League, facilitating anti-bias programming and practices.
Rev. Dave is also an Accredited Interim Minister and previously served as the Interim Senior Minister of the Main Line Unitarian Church and the Interim Minister at the Unitarian Church in Charleston. He was the settled minister for seven years at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah, which he accompanied in their growth into a mid-sized church with an outsized public voice for unity and justice. He trained at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY, and the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he specialized in trauma response, acute psychiatric pastoral care, and end-of-life support.
He earned his Ph.D. in Religion (Ethics & Society) from Emory University, a Master's in Divinity from the University of Chicago with an emphasis on theology and ethics, an MBA from Yale University with concentrations in strategy and organizational behavior, and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Reed College with a focus on decision making under risky conditions. His scholarly interests include how institutions, professions, and practices can be conducive to better moral choice and action. He most recently taught ethics and social justice at Jefferson and Villanova Universities. He is a member of the Society for Christian Ethics, the American Academy of Religion, and the Society for Business Ethics.
His career began in public sector financial planning and management consulting, focusing on organizational effectiveness and strategies for growing businesses to reach new customers and markets. For more than a decade, he was a leader in international pharmaceutical businesses (Eisai, Pfizer, and Bausch & Lomb). He was in charge of teams responsible for strategy development, partnership formation, and transaction execution. His most recent industry role was Vice President of Business Development at B&L, building their international pharmaceuticals business.
He was born in Washington, D.C., and now lives in Woodlawn on the South Side of Chicago with his wife of 28 years. They have two wonderful young adult offspring and a Blue Heeler that just won’t quit. In his free time, he writes, grows (very) hot peppers, grills meat, and photographs wild places.
