Rev. Phillips led St. Paul church for 28 years

The Rev. Roy Phillips, who led St. Paul's Unity Church-Unitarian for nearly three decades, was noted for his intriguing sermons.

The Rev. Rob Eller-Isaacs, co-pastor of Unity Church, said that Phillips was instrumental to the church's growth and that he developed "the theological underpinnings to conduct the ministry of the church."

On April 24, Phillips died of a heart attack while visiting his son Joe in Rabat, Morocco. He was 66.

"Rev. Phillips was an advocate for inviting the laity fully into the ministry of the church," said Eller-Isaacs, who is co-pastor with his wife, the Rev. Janne Eller-Isaacs.

"He taught that effective ministry was best lived out in people's lives, at home with their families, in their workplaces and in the world," he said.

In the 1960s, Phillips, a Massachusetts native, was studying chemical engineering, but always talked about philosophy.

He realized that he should change course, and in 1963 he earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Boston University.

In 1971, he moved to St. Paul, where he had "a wonderful Sunday presence" when he was preaching, said parishioner Maura Williams of St. Paul, who worked at the church during Phillips' leadership there.

"He was interested in conversations with people, because he liked their stories," said Williams. "And he brought his own stories and experience to what he was saying. It lit it up, and made his sermons more vibrant."

Phillips left St. Paul in 1999, serving interim stints at parishes in Cleveland and in Florida.

In 2001, he moved to Arizona to lead the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson.

Phillips was the author of a couple of books, including "Transforming Liberal Congregations for the New Millennium," and he held workshops around the United States.

His sermons contained poetry and diverse religious and cultural perspectives, said Patricia Harmon of Tucson, his partner of 14 years.

"He had the capacity to turn things in a unique way," and his words affected his listeners, said Harmon.

In addition to Harmon and son Joe, he is survived by sons Luke of Albuquerque, N.M., and Nick of New York City; daughter Lisa of Asheville, N.C.; stepdaughter Laura Sanborn of Minneapolis; stepson Blair Harmon of Minneapolis; sister Diana Saunders of Charlottesville, Va., and two grandchildren.