About Us
Next Service
Cultivate Growth and Learning
Sunday, September 8, 2024 10:00 a.m.
Service Leaders:
Paula Gribble, Director of Lifespan Religious Education
Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon, Minister, Lay Service Leader
John Herrick, Director of Music
The Settled Minister Search Team
The seven-member Settled Minister Search Team, approved by the congregation in June 2023, is at work on the months-long task of selecting a new Settled Minister for our community. The team was recruited by a group of UUCC members independent of the Board of Trustees. We are committed to carrying out our mission, as set out in our UUCC Bylaws, in coordination with the Unitarian Universalist Association and with assistance from the UUA’s Transitions Office.
Our congregation has not recruited a Settled Minister in more than 20 years, so the process is likely unfamiliar to most UUCC members and friends. Through Spring 2024, the Search Team will seek to explain this work in detail, especially the need for confidentiality surrounding the names of ministers seeking to lead our community. We expect to be in search along with dozens of other UU congregations across the country. That means we and the other congregations have to coordinate our timetables, including narrowing the field of candidates, conducting interviews, and making offers to the ministers we select.
The Search Team will screen applications for our Settled Minister position, narrow the field to a small handful of pre-candidates, conduct interviews, background and reference checks, and finally make an offer through a negotiated contract. Ultimately, the voting members of UUCC will have the opportunity to meet, hear from and decide – in a congregational vote – whether to issue the call to ministry in our community.
Updates on our process will be emailed to the UUCC community, posted in our Currents newsletter, and collected below. We expect you will have questions and concerns, and we are engaged in the work of meeting with as many stakeholders as possible. We also have set up a dedicated email address to make it easier for you to contact us: ministersearch@uuccharlotte.org.
We look forward to working with our members on this essential work.
In faith,
Your UUCC Minister Search Team
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield
Updates from the Settled Minister Search Team
Final Days of Candidating Week
Candidating Week is wrapping up with events for all members and a congregational vote on calling our next Settled Minister. Tonight (Thursday) please join the Minister Search Team for a family potluck at 6 p.m. in Freeman Hall. Our Settled Minister candidate, Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon, will be there. If you’d rather greet her online, she will be on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. for a virtual gathering. Register here to get the Zoom link: bit.ly/CandidateMeetandGreetMay2.
Tomorrow (Friday), everyone is invited to a reception in Freeman Hall for Rev. Amanda at 6 p.m. (food and beverages provided) followed by a Musical Celebration in the Sanctuary at 7 p.m. Director of Music John Herrick and Search Team Member Mic Elvenstar are producing the event, and they promise fun and surprises!
On Sunday, Rev. Amanda will lead the closing service of Candidating Week at 10 a.m., to be followed by a Special Congregational Meeting and vote at 11:30. Childcare will be available. Both events will be live-streamed. Members can cast ballots in person, online, or – before 1:00 pm Saturday, May 4 – by absentee ballot.
The UUCC Board of Trustees is conducting the Settled Minister balloting. Under our Bylaws, a 90% affirmative vote is required to issue the call to ministry. The Board and Search Team urge you to attend in person to participate in the discussion and cast your vote. Learn more here.
The Search Team unanimously concluded that Rev. Amanda has the personal qualities and professional experience required to fulfill your high expectations for our next minister. We found her to be authentic, engaging, passionate about ministry, and in sync with our UUCC Mission and Vision.
Most importantly, her skills match the criteria that you, our members, said you wanted to see in our next Settled Minister: a dynamic service leader, a skilled pastoral caregiver, someone with intellectual and spiritual depth, a commitment to social justice, and the ability to lead our experienced and capable UUCC staff.
The Search Team is grateful that so many of you have participated in Candidating Week events so far. You’ve engaged with us in discerning how Rev. Amanda would serve the present and future needs of our faith community; you’ve been informed participants in the search process, respecting the team’s need for confidentiality about our applicants; and you’ve engaged in respectful discussions with Rev. Amanda, recognizing the importance of community, even though we may not all agree on some issues of concern.
Before voting, if you’d like to review Rev. Amanda’s biography, past sermons, and additional information about her background and ministry, see the dedicated page on our UUCC website.
If you have questions or comments about our search process or our events schedule, please contact the Search Team via email: ministersearch@uuccharlotte.org. We hope to see you on Sunday, if not before!
Your UUCC Minister Search Team,
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield
Candidating Week Continues
Were you there? Members, guests and visitors packed the UUCC sanctuary Sunday for Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon’s first service of Candidating Week. If you missed her poignant, engrossing, often humorous sermon – and the inspiring music – you can view the service on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/SGYmVaLC0vI.
The service and the reception that followed launched a busy week for Rev. Amanda, which will lead up to her second service and a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 5. That’s when you will be asked to affirm the Search Team’s selection of her as our next Settled Minister. Both the service and the meeting will be streamed live on uuccharlotte.org.
In the days ahead, you will have multiple opportunities to hear from and speak with Rev. Amanda in various settings. See the schedule below for the times and locations of the remaining events of Candidating Week.
The UUCC Board of Trustees is conducting the Settled Minister balloting. Under our Bylaws, a 90% affirmative vote is required to issue the call to ministry. The Board and Search Team urge you to attend in person next Sunday to participate in the discussion and cast your vote. Online voting will be allowed during the meeting, and absentee ballots are already available for any current member who joined before February 5, 2024. Click here for information about voting.
Before voting, if you’d like to review Rev. Amanda’s biography, past sermons, and additional information about her background and ministry, see the dedicated page on our UUCC website.
We are asking for signups for some Candidating Week events, so we and the UUCC staff can be prepared to set up for in-person meetings and send Zoom links to those interested in the online meet-and-greet.
Candidating Week Events for Members
- Thursday, May 2 – Potluck dinner for families in Freeman Hall from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 2 – Zoom meet and greet, open to all members, at 7:30 p.m., please RSVP https://bit.ly/CandidateMeetandGreetMay2
- Friday, May 3 – Reception at 6:00 p.m. in Freeman Hall and Music Celebration at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
- Sunday, May 5 – Service at 10:00 a.m. followed by Special Congregational Meeting and vote. Childcare will be available. Members can cast ballots in person, by Zoom, or before 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 4, by absentee ballot.
If you have questions or comments about our search process or our events schedule, please contact the Search Team via email: ministersearch@uuccharlotte.org.
Your UUCC Minister Search Team,
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield
It’s Time for Candidating Week
Ten months of work behind us, the Minister Search Team is presenting our candidate for UUCC’s next Settled Minister. Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon arrives in Charlotte for the eight days of Candidating Week, April 28 – May 5. Her biography, sample sermons, and much more information about her background and ministry are available through a dedicated page on our UUCC website.
The team reminds you that the final decision is yours – you have the duty under our Bylaws to ratify any Settled Minister candidate. The seven-member team unanimously recommends you cast a “yes” vote for Rev. Amanda. You have multiple opportunities to hear from and engage with her before you vote. Voting is taking place in person or online on Sunday, May 5, and by absentee ballot from Sunday, April 28 to Saturday, May 4.
Rev. Amanda is leading worship services on both April 28 and May 5. During the week, she is meeting with members, congregational leaders, and staff, leading up to a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 5. That’s when we will ask you to affirm the Search Team’s decision. Under our Bylaws, a 90% affirmative vote is required to issue the call to Rev. Amanda. See below for the list of Candidating Week events that are open to all members. We ask you to sign up for those with limited capacity.
The Congregational Meeting will take place in the sanctuary and be streamed live. Both the Search Team and the UUCC Board of Trustees encourage members to attend in person if possible. We believe decisions are best made in community. Voting will be by confidential ballot in person and online, the link made available for Zoom users to cast their votes.
In a separate notice, the Board is providing absentee ballots to members via email, with links to an online ballot and to a ballot form that can alternatively be printed and returned to the office.
The Search Team developed the schedule of events for Candidating Week in consultation with the Board and Rev. Amanda.
Candidating Week Events for Members
Sunday, April 28
Service at 10 a.m. with reception to follow in Freeman Hall
Monday, April 29
Brown Bag lunch at 12:00 p.m. in Freeman Hall, please RSVP here
Tuesday, April 30
Open Forum in Bernstein Room at 7:00 p.m., please RSVP here
Thursday, May 2
Potluck dinner for families in Freeman Hall from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday , May 2
Zoom meet and greet, open to all members, at 7:30 p.m., please RSVP here
Friday, May 3
Reception at 6:00 p.m. in Freeman Hall and
Music Celebration at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Sunday, May 5
Service at 10:00 a.m. followed by Special Congregational Meeting and vote (members can participate in person, by Zoom or vote by absentee ballot)
If you have questions or comments about our search process or our events schedule, please contact the Search Team via email: ministersearch@uuccharlotte.org.
Your UUCC Minister Search Team,
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield
UUCC Minister Search: What’s Next?
Now that the UUCC Search Team has selected the candidate for our next Settled Minister, you may have questions about how we got here and your role in the process of calling a minister. The team announced on April 7 that our candidate is Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon, who’s currently Associate Minister at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland. Before Rev. Amanda comes here at the end of the month, the Search Team is taking your questions and comments. We have set up two opportunities for you to meet with the team in the coming days:
- Thursday, April 18, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m – Zoom Q&A with Search Team (RSVP) bit.ly/SearchTeamQandAviaZoomApril18
- Sunday, April 21, after 10:00 a.m. service – In-person Q&A with Search Team and Board members
Rev. Amanda’s biography, sample sermons, and much more information about her background and ministry are available through a dedicated page on our UUCC website. We hope you get the chance to learn more about her before she comes to Charlotte for eight days, beginning Sunday, April 28.
During that time known as Candidating Week, she will lead services and meet with members, congregational leaders, and staff, leading up to a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, May 5. At that time, we will ask you to affirm the Search Team’s choice by calling Rev. Amanda to serve us. Under our Bylaws, a 90% affirmative vote is required to issue the call.
Our Board of Trustees is publishing information separately about how you can cast your vote – in person, online during the Congregational Meeting, or absentee. Balloting will be in writing and confidential.
In consultation with the Board and Rev. Amanda, the Search Team has developed a schedule of events for Candidating Week. This is intended to give members multiple opportunities to hear from and interact with her ahead of the vote.
We are asking for signups for some of these events, so we and the UUCC staff can be prepared to set up for in-person meetings and send Zoom links to those interested in a Zoom event. See the schedule below.
Candidating Week Events for Members:
- Sunday, April 28 – Service at 10 a.m. with reception to follow in Freeman Hall.
- Monday, April 29 – Brown Bag lunch at 12:00 p.m. in Freeman Hall, please RSVP bit.ly/BrownBagLunchApril29
- Tuesday, April 30 – Open Forum in Bernstein Room at 7:00 p.m., please RSVP bit.ly/CandidateForum-April30
- Thursday, May 2 – Potluck dinner for families in Freeman Hall from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday , May 2 – Zoom meet and greet, open to all members, at 7:30 p.m., please RSVP bit.ly/CandidateMeetandGreetMay2
- Friday, May 3 – Reception at 6:00 p.m. in Freeman Hall and Music Celebration at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
- Sunday, May 5 – Service at 10:00 a.m. followed by Special Congregational Meeting and vote (members can participate in person, by Zoom or vote by absentee ballot)
If you have questions or comments about our search process or our events schedule, please contact the Search Team via email: ministersearch@uuccharlotte.org.
Your UUCC Minister Search Team,
Barry Ahrendt
Althea Clark
Mic Elvenstar
Ellen Holliday (co-chair)
Rebekah Visco (co-chair)
Dave Warren
Kathryn Whitfield