The Ordination of Verdis LeVar Robinson took place on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.

Rev. Verdis was ordained by the congregations of First Unitarian Church of Rochester, First Universalist Church of Rochester, and the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. Rev. Verdis is the first person of color that each of these churches has ordained. The ordination featured many UU Religious Professionals, including the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, UUA President, Revs. Mykal Slack, Joan Javier-Duval, Shari Halliday-Quan, AJ van Tine, Lane-Mairead Campbell, Carol Thomas Cissel, Richard Gilbert, and Sally Hamlin. The music was beautifully fully woven into the ceremony with a 60-voice choir from the three ordaining congregations along with the Montpelier Community Gospel Choir, soulful pianist Carl Kennedy from Chicagoland, and the amazing group, beheld from Washington, D.C! Many tears were shed and love was definitely in the air!