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News from the Board of Trustees and the Ministerial Search Committee
Friends:
Your Ministerial Search Committee [MSC] has completed its work of reviewing applications from ministers interested in serving FUUSN. The committee met with applicant ministers over Zoom, checked references, and hosted “Pre-Candidating” weekends, during which promising applicants visited one at a time for formal interviews, meals together with more casual conversation, tours of our building, and delivery of a sermon at Sunday service at a neighboring UU congregation. Our pre-candidates were fine, experienced ministers.
Following extensive discernment and deliberation, we have not found a candidate whom we believe will serve us well.
After considering the skills and talents needed to support the congregation’s priorities, we found that none of the candidates in the pool was a fit. The committee agreed that, while the outcome is disappointing, choosing the wrong minister would be worse than having no settled minister next year. FUUSN is strong, and it is worth the wait to find a match!
The committee has presented the facts and recommendations to FUUSN’s Board of Trustees, and they made the decision at Tuesday night’s meeting for the MSC to engage in a “continued search,” which the UUA Transitions office offers to ministers and congregations that have not found a match or ministers who entered into their ministry search after the winter search deadline passed. This is a quicker round of information exchange, interview, and in-person visits. We will not see ministers we have already passed on. The UUA says that some congregations find success this way, and we think that it is worth pursuing this opportunity to find a settled minister. The process will start mid-April and, if a match is found, will conclude with a “Candidating Week” for the full congregation the week of June 2-9. If we do not find a good match in the continued search process, we will still have the opportunity to identify an interim minister.
The Board and the Ministerial Search Committee will be in touch with you as we proceed.
With gratitude,
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