Lis Dyson-Jones - Vice-President 2011-2012

A fifth generation Unitarian, Lis Dyson-Jones was born in Salford, Lancashire where as a child and young adult, she attended Pendleton Unitarian Church. An active church life gave the opportunity to attend Sunday school, compete in district Spring Festivals, perform in amateur dramatic productions, be a member of YPL (Unitarian Young Peoples League) and enjoy many memorable holidays at Great Hucklow.

Since that time Lis has lived and worshipped in other areas of the country, belonging to congregations in Sheffield, Leicester and South Wales. Currently a member of the Cardiff congregation, she serves as its Chair, holds office as the South East Wales District Secretary and is a member of the Welsh Department Committee. During 2001 - 2003 she was District President during a time of many changes within the local area.

As the denomination moved towards changes in its governance, Lis became a member of the General Assembly Executive Committee and served until the Annual Meetings in Swansea, this year. She was also an active member of the Denominational Support Commission for five years and feels it to have been a privilege to have been associated with such hard working and dedicated volunteers.

As a Justice of the Peace in her local area, Lis finds that her Unitarian beliefs sit well with community justice. She has said that the work involved has taught her to be fair, honest and impartial without losing the passion she has for 'justice for all'.

Lis is a committed Unitarian wishing to serve the movement with integrity and clarity of purpose. She respectfully holds dear, the values of the past and rejoices in the courage of those who have gone before and who have opened up the path for the rest of us to follow. However, she also strongly believes in taking forward only those things which are of value and not those which are obsolete. She says 'we are very much a faith for now and for the future. We must believe in ourselves, developing trust and recognizing that we can and do make a difference for many seeking to be welcomed into a loving community of free faith'.

With a strong, loving family, friends who support and care for her and a personal life that brings her great happiness, Lis considers herself to be a very fortunate woman.