Our Minister and Staff

Our minister and staff provide us with confidentiality, respect, and care.

Ministry

Reverend Doctor María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa

The Rev. Dr. Maria Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa was installed as our settled Minister in April of 2017. Her approach to Ministry is collaborative, deeply rooted in unconditional Love, and intentionally engaged in transformative Social Justice. Rev. Maria Cristina’s rich multicultural background as a proud Latinx/Immigrant/Two Spirit/Queer/Indigenous person informs her spiritual practice of radical welcoming of people from diverse theological/religious/spiritual beliefs, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, and gender expressions.

Rev. Maria Cristina received a Juris Doctor degree from the City University of New York School of Law, with a specialty in Immigrants’ Rights. She received a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Theology degree from Harvard Divinity School. Before coming to Starr King UU Church in Hayward, she served First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Brookline, Massachusetts. She is the past President of DRUUMM (Diverse Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries), serves the UU Ministers Association as a Dedicated Good Officer, and is on the Faculty of Starr King School for the Ministry.

Staff

Allison Prout, Director of Religious Exploration

Allison has attended Starr King regularly since 2009 to ensure that her daughter was grounded in liberal religious values. She became a member in 2010 and chose to serve as a volunteer RE teacher. She has been actively involved on the RE Council since 2012, and she continues to serve our children by developing curriculum based on current Unitarian Universalist Association education training.

Allison has a calling to work with children. She has taught English in Taiwan and Spanish in Fremont. Devoted to her daughter’s education, she has held Board positions at her daughter’s preschool cooperative and primary school PTA. She has volunteered in classrooms and was trained as a facilitator for PEP (Parent Educator Program), a youth resiliency program sponsored by the Center for Human Development.

Kelli Abatangelo, Office Administrator

Kelli provides outstanding administrative support to Starr King. She brings 25 years of customer service experience to her work here. She enjoys interacting with members and visitors, and we appreciate her dedication.

When she’s not working, Kelli volunteers with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, gardens, and loves cooking up a batch of homemade gnocchi.

Linli Wang, Pianist

We are thrilled that soon after graduating from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Linli accepted the position of church pianist in August 2017. She has served as church pianist at the Arlington Street Church in Boston, United Lutheran Church in Manteca, CA, and First Unitarian Church of Stockton, CA, and directed two choirs.