UU Ministry
The Rev. Xolani “xk” Kacela, Ph.D. serves as the interim minister of the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, California. Before that, he served the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces, NM; Eno River UU Fellowship in Durham, NC; and the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, TX. Kacela served the UU Church of Oak Cliff as an affiliate minister. He also worked as a hospice chaplain for Odyssey Healthcare in Dallas, TX.
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Military Service
Chaplain, Colonel (S) Xolani Kacela serves as the State Chaplain in the New Mexico Air National Guard, in Albuquerque, NM. Prior to that, he served with the District of Columbia National Guard at Joint Base Andrews. He taught curricula for military Special Ops chaplains and Religious Affairs Support Personnel at U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL. He began his military career with the Texas Air National Guard in Ft. Worth, TX. Over his career, he deployed four times, including service during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Authorship
Xolani “xk” Kacela, Ph.D. is the author of several other books, including Stop Anxiety In Its Tracks, The Black UU Survival Guide, Jumpstart Your Allyship, Finding Your Way Home, Get A Hold of Yourself, and It’s Your World. He published numerous articles on faith, theology, and other contemporary subjects.
Education
Rev. Kacela has four earned degrees, including a Ph.D. in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling from Texas Christian University. Kacela earned his Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School and his MBA from Boston University. Xolani earned his BBA in Accounting from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.
Radio Host – Take On Faith
In 2020, xk started a weekly radio program, Take On Faith, on the Las Cruces community radio station. You can listen to podcast for Take On Faith here. The program is now available in archives, only.
For persons with eclectic spirituality, the show offers listeners insights to many faith groups. As host, Kacela brings guests who are pastors, lay leaders, writers, and people with unique views. For example, guests included a rabbi, a writer on mysticism, and clergy spouses.
Importantly, Kacela defines faith broadly. He views faith as a gift from the divine, the universe, or God. Faith grows as people live and experience the world around them. Your faith changes as you meet new people, discover spiritual practices, and join religious communities.
Faith is dynamic. It gets shaped by struggles, beliefs, and outcomes.
For these reasons and many more, xk wants listeners to hear many perspectives. He believes in the goodness of all spiritual paths.
Many people, however, don’t agree that other paths are true. Such views point to personal beliefs and choices. However , such views do not erase the truths in other religious paths.
Take On Faith is a space that welcomes all spiritual perspectives. The host does not argue with guests. The goal is understanding, enlightenment, and finding common ground.
Personal
Xolani lives with his wife, Tamara, in San Jose, CA.
