Minister & Staff
Minister
Jake Morrill
Rev. Jake Morrill helps people get clear, creative, and courageous—so they can move with joy and purpose to serve a hurting world. He believes that faith is not about certainty, but about stepping forward despite uncertainty; that leadership is not about control, but about connection.
Before coming to Foothills UU Fellowship in August 2024, Jake served for 19 years as Lead Minister of the Oak Ridge UU Church. A former Trustee of both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Church of the Larger Fellowship, he now directs the UU Christian Fellowship and is a former Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve.
A long-time student of Bowen Family Systems Theory, Jake teaches on emotional maturity and relationship management, especially in leadership. He serves on the Faculty of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and presents widely on navigating relationships with wisdom and steadiness.
Jake’s work has always centered on building strong, resilient communities. In his twenties, he co-founded a multi-cultural youth leadership program in Cape Town, South Africa. He has served on the Board of the Race Relations Center of East Tennessee and, in 2016, received the "Community Spirit" award from the Anderson County NAACP.
He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Harvard Divinity School, and East Tennessee State University. A licensed Marital and Family Therapist, he has published five books, including The Boundaries Workbook (2022).
For fun, Jake hikes, reads, and plays music. He’s the lead singer of the novelty band Death Breakfast, which features uplifting songs about death and melancholy songs about breakfast. He and his wife, Molly, live in Oak Ridge and are the proud parents of two young adult sons.
Office Administrator
Sarah Cruze
Sarah Cruze brings creativity, care, and clarity to every corner of congregational life. As the part-time Administrator of Foothills UU Fellowship, she helps keep the mission moving—ensuring that love doesn’t just grow here, but gets planted, watered, and well-organized.
Raised and rooted in Blount County, Sarah brings a deep knowledge of the local community along with years of experience in office management, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy for children and families. She has served as Office Manager at Maryville Acupuncture, Operations Manager at Lexington Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and as a Child and Family Advocate at the New Hope Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center, where she created a Caregiver Resource Guidebook and supervised a team of student volunteers. She’s known for being resourceful, detail-oriented, and mission-driven.
Sarah is a certified facilitator of Stewards of Children and a credentialed advocate through the National Organization for Victim Assistance. She is also a member of the Blount Pride Board and has worked as a pet-sitter and caregiver—offering comfort and stability wherever it’s most needed.
A graduate of Maryville College and a former Bonner Scholar, Sarah brings the heart of a servant leader and the hands of a skilled organizer. Whether crafting newsletters, coordinating logistics, or just making sure things don’t fall through the cracks, Sarah is here to support the Fellowship’s vision of justice, connection, and love.
When she’s not managing operations or community projects, Sarah enjoys contra dancing, being in nature, and caring for the people (and pets) in her life. She works primarily remotely, but you can reach her at office@fuuf.org.
