If you’ve been following the work of your Settled Minister Search Team, you may be wondering, “Now that the team has released its report on the congregational survey, feedback and focus groups, which can be found here, when will they actually start searching?” Good question!
Last week, information from our report was posted online by our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for viewing by any ministers interested in a new role. It’s included in what’s called a Congregational Record, a lengthy document about our congregation and its needs, which each congregation in search is required to prepare.
Ministers have until the end of the month to decide where they may want to apply and to submit that information to the UUA’s Transitions Office. That office, headed by Rev. Keith Kron, coordinates searches for our more than 1,000 UU congregations.
Rev. Kron told us last week that about 32 of those congregations are searching for Settled Ministers, of which the UUCC is the second largest. His office will provide names of interested ministers to us on January 2, 2024. That’s when the Search Team will begin the process of reviewing applications, doing preliminary interviews with candidates, and deciding which ministers we want to meet in person.
This confidential process will continue through the end of March and will include visits to Charlotte by a small number of “pre-candidates.” During their visits, those ministers will serve as guest preachers at other congregations outside of Charlotte, and members of the Search Team will attend without revealing the main purpose of their visit.
If this sounds very hush-hush, that’s because it is. As with many people seeking to change jobs, most ministers don’t want it known publicly that they are interviewing. The Search Team will respect confidentiality – in the best interests of the pre-candidates and other UU congregations in search or who might be impacted by a ministerial change.
By March 28, the team expects to make a decision on the best candidate to serve our Community and begin making offers and negotiating a contract with a minister. A Negotiating Team consisting of Ellen Holliday, Ben Baxter (a UUCC Board member), and Jane Gorman (a Board appointee), is responsible for the details and discussions leading to the signing of a contract.
In late April or early May, we expect to propose our candidate to the Board and then to you, the congregation, for approval. The candidate will come to Charlotte for eight days to preach sermons on consecutive Sundays and meet with the Search Team, staff, UUCC leaders and members of our Community. On the final day of the visit, we will hold a special meeting of the congregation to vote on officially “calling” the minister. Our Bylaws require a 90% vote of approval for the next Settled Minister to make it official.
We thank you for your interest and participation in the search process. Watch this space for further updates in the coming months.
Your Settled Minister Search Team,
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield