Active as well in district and denominational groups, Rev. Payson served on the Executive Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association as the publications representative. At the Summer Institute of the Ohio Meadville District, he has been theme speaker for youth, young adults, and the main conference. Over the course of his ministry, he has led district wide men’s conferences, been theme speaker and minister of the week at Ferry Beach, served on the nominating committee of the Clara Barton District, and been the Good Offices Representative for the CBD UUMA Chapter. A founding member of the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry Team, Rev. Payson responded to the aftermath of hurricanes Charley in Florida and Katrina in Louisiana. He currently serves as the response coordinator for UUTRM.

Besides commentaries in local newspapers, Aaron has published articles on reproductive rights in Conscience magazine and has a chapter on mealtime as a spiritual discipline in Everyday Spiritual Practices (Skinner House, 1999) edited by Scott Alexander. He has also presented papers at the Berkshire Study Group on the Sufi mystic Rumi, and at Collegium on the ethical intersection of same-sex marriage and reproductive rights and on the work of 19th-century Spiritualist Andrew Jackson Davis. He was an emergency medical technician as a teen and young adult. As a minister, he has served on the boards of Daybreak of Central Massachusetts, the Worcester County Ecumenical Council, the Men’s Resource Center of Central Massachusetts, the Interreligious Forum, and the clergy caucus of Worcester Interfaith. Additionally, Aaron has been president of the Massachusetts Affiliate of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the Jane Fund of Central Massachusetts. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. He was involved in efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.