Staff
Rev. Talitha Arnold
Senior Minister
unitedchurch.talitha@gmail.com
Talitha Arnold was called as the Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe in 1987, when the church was a 7-year-old new church start of the United Church of Christ. Since then, the congregation has tripled in membership and is known in Santa Fe for its vital worship, diverse music, outreach and advocacy, environmental ministry, and an engaging approach to the Christian faith for all ages.
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A native of Arizona and a graduate of Pomona College and Yale Divinity School, Talitha was the Interim Associate University Chaplain for Yale and served congregations in Connecticut and Arizona before being called to United.
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In Santa Fe, she’s served as President of Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity and on the city’s first Children and Youth Commission, the Interfaith Leadership Alliance, and the hospital Ethics Committee. On a national level, she is a founding member National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. In 2017, she was part of a 3-person delegation doing documentary work in the refugee
camps of Kurdistan, Iraq.
Her publications include Worship for Vital Congregations essays in the Feasting on the Word lectionary series and The Animal/Human Bond, along with articles for The Christian Century, NPR’s All Things Considered, The Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal, Tumbleweeds (for children and parents), and the UCC’s Still Speaking devotionals. She is currently working on A Desert Faith for a Desert Time. She has been a guest speaker for the Berkshire Choral Festival, the Santa Fe
Symphony, Santa Fe’s “Renesan” lecture series, San Diego County, Muslim Mental Health Institute, Saddleback Church, and numerous UCC settings.
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Talitha’s leadership has been recognized with the United Church of Christ’s “Antoinette Brown Award” for outstanding women clergy, Yale Divinity School’s “Outstanding Recent Alum,” a Lilly Endowment clergy grant, and Santa Fe’s Human Rights Award, and “Ten Who Made a Difference” award.
Lin Raymond
Office Administrator
unitedchurchsf@gmail.com
With over forty years of church work experience, Lin brings a wide range of skills to United. He enjoys working on keyboards (both computer and piano).
Bradley Ellingboe
Director of Music
unitedchurch.brad@gmail.com
Bradley Ellingboe has led a wide-ranging career in the world of singing, choral conducting, composition, and teaching. He has led festival choruses in 35 states and 14 foreign countries, and sung under such conductors as Robert Shaw, Helmuth Rilling, and Sir David Willcocks. He has over 160 pieces of choral music in print and is the author or editor of four books. For his scholarly work on Edvard Grieg, he was awarded Sankt Olavs Medaljen (The Medal of Saint Olav) by the King of Norway in 1994. Ellingboe was Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at The University of New Mexico, retiring in 2015 after 30 years on the faculty. In addition to United Sanctuary and Festival Choirs, he is the Artistic Director of Coro Lux, an auditioned choir based in Albuquerque.
Elijah Marquez
Media Coordinator
unitedchurch.elijah@gmail.com
Elijah is a video production specialist and photographer. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2013 with a BA in Cinematic Arts focusing on screenwriting and production. He has worked on a large variety of video projects which include dozens of wedding films, short films, corporate videos, and Gofundme/Kickstarter campaigns. He discovered his passion for filmmaking and story telling through a creative broadcasting class in high school, and has since written, directed, and worked on over 25 short films. Elijah previously worked as the principal photographer for one of the larger real estate marketing companies in New Mexico. Following his time as a full time architectural photographer, he shifted into wedding and event photography/videography. Elijah loves to create captivating content, whether it be still or moving images.
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Elijah brings a wide range of skills to United Church of Santa Fe. Some of his various roles include: live sound technician, livestream operator, website management, and social media management.
Michelle Schumann
Pianist
unitedchurch.michelle@gmail.com
Having moved to Santa Fe in 2024, Michelle is pleased to call Northern New Mexico her new home and is delighted to be serving as pianist for the United Church of Santa Fe. Hailed for her “…sensitive, flexible, and tempestuous dexterity,” (Fanfare Magazine) Michelle has built a reputation for evocative and moving performances that are infused with unique energy and zeal. Prior to moving to Santa Fe, Michelle was a fixture in the Austin, Texas music scene, serving as Artistic Director of the Austin Chamber Music Center for over 18 years. There, she won awards from the Austin Critics Table for Best Chamber Music Performance, Best Instrumentalist, and Best Body of Work/Season. Currently, Michelle has the honor of being a finalist for the 2025 Texas State Musician. She performs internationally at festivals in Turkey, Slovenia, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, France, and Canada; and nationally at the Austin Chamber Music Festival, Tanglewood, Round Top, Long Beach, the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art, Victoria Bach Festival, and Snake RIver Music Festival. Additionally, Michelle served as Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where she was the founder and Artistic Director of the Hillman Visiting Artists Series. She holds a Doctorate from the University of Texas Butler School of Music, a Performer’s Certificate from the Vienna Conservatory, and a Young Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
