About Robin

Grace, grit, and the beautiful mess of being human.

I'm the Reverend Robin Bartlett, senior pastor of First Church in Sterling, Massachusetts, and a preacher, writer, and public theologian. I believe faith can be a way of loving the world—and our neighbors—more courageously.

My ministry makes room for questions, for people who have been excluded, and for the conviction that the Gospel is meant to be good news for all people, especially those Jesus called “the least of these.” I believe the power of love will overcome the love of power.

I hold a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology and a master's degree in counseling psychology from Lesley University. I am ordained in the Unitarian Universalist tradition and hold dual standing in the United Church of Christ.

These pages bring together my sermons, essays, public witness, and invitations to conversation.

I have served First Church in Sterling since 2014. Our congregation brings together Christian traditions and a commitment to welcome, worship, service, and justice. My work as a pastor includes preaching, accompanying people through moments of celebration and grief, and helping communities put their faith into practice.

Alongside congregational ministry, I write about the intersection of spiritual life and public life, including in my Keep the Faith columns for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. I am interested in the questions that matter beyond church walls: how we care for our neighbors, how we resist isolation, and how we make room for people who have been pushed to the margins.

Welcome. There's room for you here.

View my curriculum vitae ↗

Showing up matters.

From worship and pastoral care to community organizing and acts of public solidarity, ministry is about showing up for one another with honesty and hope.