About the Order of Universal Interfaith

The Order of Universal Interfaith is a religious society that was incorporated in Michigan to gather together the leaders of the Interfaith movement into one ecclesiastic body. It is meant to be a living example of how people from different backgrounds, cultures and religious traditions can live, work and create a spiritual community together.

Meet OUnI’s board of directors and officers and find out about their ministries.

Rev. Laurie Taylor, M.Div., BCC, CTACC, serves as Executive Director of the Order of Universal Interfaith. She holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Houston Graduate School of Theology and received her board certification through the Association of Professional Chaplains. She has worked as an interspiritual chaplain in hospital and hospice settings and currently serves as a chaplain at Texas Children’s Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She is a proud Texas Aggie and Army veteran enjoying life in the woods with her husband and son.

Rev. Dr. Michelle S. Earnest, DMin has a Doctorate in Ministry from Washington Theological Union, a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She is also a graduate of The New Seminary. As a board-certified Nurse Practitioner, Integrative Health Specialist in Energy Medicine, and Hospital/Hospice Chaplain, Dr. Earnest combines her skills to offer Spiritual Direction and Holistic Health Care in her private healing practice. Previously, she served as the Director of Education for Innersource (the Eden Method Energy Medicine Certification Program), still teaches on their faculty, and practices as an Advanced Practitioner in their healing modality. 

Rev. Marie A. Eastman, M.Div., BCC, currently serves the Order of Universal Interfaith as the Endorser for Professional Chaplains. She previously served on the OUnI Board of Directors for several years and recently rejoined the board after a two-year break, during which she worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in North Macedonia. Prior to this, Marie worked for more than ten years as a full-time hospital chaplain in the New Orleans area, and for a year and a half as a hospice chaplain in rural New Hampshire.  She received her Master’s of Divinity degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana, and in 2008, was ordained as an Interfaith Minister by the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME). Since 2014, she has mentored many OUnI chaplains seeking APC Board Certification, and currently volunteers as an APC Certification Specialist. A Lifetime Retired BCC member of the Association of Professional Chaplains, Marie worships with the Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Charleston, West Virginia.

Rev. David T. Bell, MSC, JD, received his BBA in accounting from Western Michigan University and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. After careers in public accounting, law, real estate development, and investment securities, Rev. Bell discerned a call to ministry and began his seminary studies at the New Seminary in New York. Upon his graduation in 1998, he founded the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At the time of his retirement in 2017, the Center’s membership numbered in excess of 350 and is currently served by a Senior Minister and two Associates. Dave served OUnI for many years as President and currently serves on the Board of Directors. He was the 2025 recipient of the distinguished Huston Smith Award for Interfaith Education and Service. 

Rev. David L. Mitchell, PhD, is an atmospheric scientist with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and a master’s degree in Atmospheric Physics and a PhD in Atmospheric Science, both from the University of Nevada at Reno. He was ordained by OUnI-DC as an Eco-Minister in 2014 and is a frequent speaker on the relationship between spiritual knowledge and issues such as global sustainability, climate change, climate engineering, and cultural attitudes. He currently serves on the OUnI Board of Directors and contributes scholarly articles to the website. Since 2001, he has served as the President of Divine Mission, an organization that provides instruction on the Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita and on yogic techniques with ashrams in Silver City, Nevada, and Tiruvannamalai, India.

Rev. Dawn Swartz has served as a parish minister for many years and, more recently, became a chaplain. Her experiences in both hospitals and hospice, as well as a few nursing homes, helped her encounter the Holy One. It was the challenge of being a chaplain for anyone, believer or unbeliever, of any faith, or no faith, to accompany anyone on their spiritual path, which brought her to herself. She serves on the OUnI Board of Directors and says it is a great blessing and honor to work in the world of Spirit in this way.