Interim Minister Search Frequently Asked Questions (Vol. 2)

Interim Minister Search and Transition Committee

Frequently Asked Questions (Vol. #2) – October 2012

5) What did we learn from the recent Listening Sessions?

As you’ve heard previously, we will have two “interim phases” before a Settled Minister is called to our Church -  the first is for the period between Reverend Schade’s departure in January and the beginning of the “church season” next August.  This person will be hired by a subcommittee of the Prudential Committee.   Thereafter, the Interim Minister Search and Transition Committee hopes to have an Accredited Interim Minister hired to be with us until our next Minister is called.

As part of this Interim recruitment process, we held three hour-long Listening Sessions with almost 40 people participating.   (We are also in the process of collecting data via a survey and will be reporting those results in a later communication.)  During the Listening Sessions, while there was a wide diversity of opinions regarding the needs of the Church and the type of Minister that would be the best fit for our parish, it was clear that we share a desire to ensure the best ministry possible for our church.

Attendees voiced a strong regard for the “bench strength” among our own parishioners and a trust that we’ll continue to be strong while we seek our Interim Ministers.  Many felt that we are very fortunate to have this opportunity to select a Minister and felt that this is an exciting time in the history of our parish.   It came through strong and clear that we want a seasoned Interim Minister and one who brings well-developed skills to help us prepare for our search for the next Settled Minister.

It is clear we seek someone trained in both “ministry” and in the work of transitioning.  Important skills mentioned in the sessions were strong preaching skills for Sunday mornings (“because that’s when we are all at the Church”), strength in dealing with strategic issues, being able to bring together fragmented aspects of our congregation, and administrative skills.  The work in the pulpit and pastoral care were considered paramount, as was keeping the existing programs moving forward and helping people “on the fringe” feel encouraged to become involved.

But several areas of concern also emerged - many indicated that they’re “not done grieving” the retirement of Rev. Merritt and/or the news of Rev. Schade’s departure; we want to avoid appearing too “in flux” or “up in the air” to newcomers to the church; we don’t want to lose momentum of the programs working so well now, etc.  But a few members told us they’d experienced transitions at other UU churches and suggested that if we remain true to our values and proceed with confidence, we’ll make good choices.

If such an Interim Minister exists (!), s/he is “open-minded and patient”, “able to deliver strong sermons”, and “capable of understanding the diverse opinions and needs of the congregation”.   S/he is “warm, empathic, and outgoing”, “religiously fairly conservative”, “capable of understanding and managing our financial health”, “a great listener”, “brings a high level of seriousness, moral fiber, and ethical background”, is “supportive of the music program”, “malleable to our needs”, AND “committed to consulting with the congregation to determine our needs”!

As you can see, our expectations are quite varied, but they are also high (very high!) and that’s a good thing.  We’ll continue to try to learn even more from you about your hopes and needs for our next Interim Minister   For those of you who have already participated in the Listening Sessions and/or the survey, our Committee thanks you.  If you haven’t yet filled out the survey – online or on paper at the Church - please consider doing so before the end of this month (October 31). 

We will continue to do our best to listen to you and to match what you’ve told us with the Interim Minister candidates.

David Spanagel, Interim Minister Search and Transition Committee Chair davidspanagel@comcast.net