Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs (they/them) is a Queer, BIPOC, non-binary, and mixed-race Unitarian Universalist minister, public theologian, author, and community organizer dedicated to radical love, liberation theology, and creating inclusive spiritual sanctuary for marginalized communities. Born and raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, Rev. Phoenix’s spiritual resilience, deep appreciation for nature, and commitment to collective care were shaped early in life by their mountain roots and close-knit surroundings.

They hold an Associate of Science degree in Media Production from Pellissippi State Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies from Middle Tennessee State University. In 2024, they earned their Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, where their graduate research centered on trauma-informed pastoral leadership, liturgical art, and spiritual resistance.

Weaving together core Unitarian Universalist values, progressive Christianity, and ancestor-centered spiritualities, Rev. Phoenix currently serves as the contract-to-call minister for the Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. Prior to this settlement, they completed a rigorous residency in Spiritual Health at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia—providing specialized chaplaincy in high-acuity healthcare settings—and served as an intern minister with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Beyond local congregational leadership, Rev. Phoenix is deeply engaged in national faith movement work. They serve on the Leadership Council of TRUUsT (Transgender Religious Professional UUs Together), and have served on the boards of the UU Mental Health Network, the UU Young Adult Revival Network (UUYarn), and the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s Widening the Circle Committee.

As an active storyteller, poet, and cultural worker, Rev. Phoenix uses the written and spoken word as vital instruments for communal healing and social change. They are the author of the poetry collection Open the Book of Life: Poems for Healing & Transformation, a contributor to A Queer Lectionary: (Im)proper Readings from the Margins – Year A and B, and the creator of Radical Love Letters: Dispatches from a Revolutionary Prophet, a Substack publication featuring reflections, poetic sermons, and public theology on systemic liberation.

Outside of their formal ministry, Rev. Phoenix grounds themselves emotionally and spiritually through time spent outdoors, vegan culinary experiments, community theater, poetry, meaningful tattoo collecting, and enjoying slow, quiet mornings with a hot cup of coffee.