WATERVILLE -- The Rev. Mike Young is a big fan of "first contact" science fiction stories, the ones describing that initial how-do-you-do between earthling and extraterrestrial.

Young, the new interim minister at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Waterville, has yet to meet a space alien himself, but he did have an experience that could be called out of this world.

That happened in December when then-President-elect Barack Obama came to Young's church in Honolulu to participate in a memorial service for Obama's late grandmother.

Call it a Terrestrial Close Encounter of the First Kind.

"Only four people knew it was going to happen," Young said of the service at First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, the church where Young served as minister for 14 years.

Young described Obama as tall and skinny and added that the President's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, a local history teacher, was the one who impressed him the most.

"But the most interesting thing about the experience," he said, "was the thorough going-over we got from the Secret Service."

Young said every spider and spider web were accounted for in the security check.

The 70-year-old Young is headed for another first encounter later this month: his inaugural visit to Maine.

He replaces Severn Towl, who retired after 20 years as minister at the Waterville church.

Karen Kusiak, president of the Universalist Unitarian Church, said Young's first service will be Sept. 6.

For a person who has lived exclusively in warm climates his entire life, Young is displaying a degree of courage -- maybe several degrees -- in moving to Maine.

"I was teasing the president of the congregation," Young said, "that the only really warm jacket I own is a down jacket that is older than my oldest child." Young's oldest child is 44.

Young, though, has proved himself a man of daring over the years.

A recent article in a Honolulu newspaper revealed that he and his wife of 44 years, Nancy Young, have had 32 children be a part of their household over the last five decades.

Two were biological children, one adopted, and the others foster and foreign-exchange students.

"The family joke is we've had at least one kid every way possible," Mike Young said.

Kusiak said the church's search committee found Young an attractive candidate for the interim post for several reasons, but primarily liked his ability to invigorate and inspire his congregation.

"He has a history of maintaining a vital church community," Kusiak said. "Churches have grown under his leadership."

Don Dvojacki, administrator of Young's Honolulu church, described Young as a man who loves to be engaged in creative, intellectual pursuits.

"He writes poetry. He has written science fiction. He has done several things," he said. "He likes to study all types of science."

Dvojacki also talked of more fundamental qualities that the Youngs share.

"Nancy and Mike are good people," he said. "They are very outgoing and very forceful in their ideas."

Mike Young said he and his wife will drive cross-country to Maine after dropping off their youngest son at Santa Monica College in California.

He is excited about what is ahead.

"We were looking for a whole new adventure," Young said, "but frankly when we started out on this, Maine was not what we had in mind. But it's been really interesting. The people (from the Waterville church) have been so cordial and helpful on that end in helping us make the move."

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com