On Sunday, January 12th we will need at least 52 members (50% of our total of 103 members) present in person or on Zoom for a special congregational meeting to decide ministerial direction.
On December 19th the board voted to move forward with a ministerial search. We heard from well over half of our members who all expressed a desire for a new minister.
Members of the congregation will be counted, given the opportunity to ask questions, and then presented with the following ballot:
The congregation authorizes the Board of Trustees to charge a ministerial search committee to pursue hiring a contract minister who is in fellowship with the UUA and is trained, or willing to be trained, in transition ministry. The contract will be up to ¾ time for 24 months, with the option to renew.
Vote: Yes, No or Abstain
The votes will be immediately collected and tabulated. The board will need a simple majority of votes to move forward with charging a ministerial search committee. If we do not have a sufficient amount of members present to vote we will need to host another meeting.
To help explain all the pieces of this vote please keep reading:
Why are we having this vote?
Our bylaws specifically state that the congregation chooses ministerial direction. This is not unique to our fellowship but it is also not universal to all UU congregations. Because of this by-law we are having this vote.
What is a ministerial search committee?
This is a group of members suggested to the board by the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee (NLDC). Our by-laws state how ministerial search committees get formed and who can, and can not, serve on them. Dick Doughty and Jane Terebey are our current NLDC leaders. Since we currently only have 2 of 5 people on NLDC, they sought the help of Patty Hamsher and Martha Hamlin in forming the search committee. The ministerial search committee will be Emily Cranwell, John Mistrangelo, Joy Gaddy, Lynn Dolinger, and Dave Moore. Each person was picked for their representation of different aspects of our community. An additional board member may be added to this group to assist with the financial aspects of the search.
What is a contract minister?
A contract minister is someone serving as our minister under specific contract guidelines. The board has hiring authority so the board will hire, maintain, end, or renew the contracts with a minister. This is the only type of UUA minister a congregation can have if they do not want a full time minister. Here is the link to the full handbook if you want to read more.
Why “up to ¾ time”?
The board realized that if it is financially feasible the congregation would prefer to have more of a minister’s time. This does not specifically mean more of this minister in the pulpit on Sunday morning but more of their time to lead groups, provide pastoral care, do community engagement, etc. The board wanted to give the search committee some flexibility to hire a ½ time or ¾ time minister depending on salary, benefits, and availability. The board also realized that we did not want to financially stretch as far as a full time minister.
Why 24 months with the option to renew?
The UUA transitions team recommends a minimum of a 2 year (24 months) contract. We wanted to give the option to renew if the minister is a great fit. Please remember that Rev Sue was our contract minister for 2 years when she arrived. She renewed 2 times for a total of 6 contract ministry years with UUFE before she was called and became our settled minister.
What does “in fellowship with the UUA” really mean?
There are lots of types of ministers and the UUA has specific requirements for being a UU minister. In order to get the help of the UUA transitions team, we have to require that the minister be connected to their specific system. “In fellowship with the UUA” are the words suggested to us by the transitions office so that we may receive their assistance.
What is transition ministry?
If you read the detailed transitional ministry handbook you will find a ton of details about transition ministry. There are lots of very specific requirements for a transition minister. The board does not specifically want to hire a transition minister because we do not want a full time minister and we want the option to renew if our new minister is a good fit for our congregation. The board does, however, really like the focus of a transition minister. UUFE has had a settled minister for the last 12 years. The upcoming years should be a time of transition and the board would like our new minister to have this type of lens. Thus, we ask that the ministerial search committee specifically make it known to all ministerial candidates that they should have, or be willing to participate in, the transition ministry training provided by the UUA.
Finally, throughout this process the board has heard lots of dreams and desires for the style of our new minister. All of this feedback will be directed to the ministerial search committee. They will be the ones in charge of creating our congregation’s profile for the search, interviewing candidates, and making a recommendation for hire to the board. The search committee will be immediately active if a majority of members votes YES on January 12th.
I truly hope that all of this information answers most of your questions. Any board member is available to continue to answer your questions ahead of the January 12th vote. Please plan to attend in person or via Zoom on January 12th so we can take this important step into UUFE’s future together.
With gratitude to be your president,
Lauren Harton