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Greetings, Friends and Members of Unity Church-Unitarian!
The group of seven team members that comprise the current Ministerial Search Team (MST) has been busy getting up to speed, and will hold cottage meetings starting this month with the first two held during Wellspring Wednesday on September 20 and 27 (and more to be scheduled). These are important opportunities for the congregation to interact with the MST and to be in conversation about the future of our church. Make time to attend one or more if you possibly can! Engagement with the search process is included in the board’s charge to the congregation. The MST can now be reached by email at mst24@unityunitarian.org, and they look forward to connecting with the congregation’s questions and ideas.
Two years ago, when we went through search for the first time in over twenty years, there was lack of clarity about the nature of the relationship between the board and the MST, from the understanding of roles to the necessary tasks of coordinating our work. When questions and challenges surfaced in the search process, the absence of a clear plan encumbered our efforts, and there were missed opportunities to connect with one another and structure a more meaningful collaboration.
Fast forward to today, and here are just some of the changes built into the charge from the board to the MST that will help deepen and clarify this collaborative work:
Follow, or carefully adapt in consultation with the board, the recommended processes and covenant of our Association (The Unitarian Universalist Association, based in Boston, MA) for a search;
Provide a representative to check in monthly with the board; and seek appropriate advice and direction from the board, as needed;
Ask the board for direction and decision should the MST consider pausing or halting, or have concerns about, the progress of the search;
Strive to reach consensus on the choice of final candidate. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, a final vote of 6-1 will be sufficient to determine a final candidate and deemed a consensus. Any further division will result in no decision.
In April 2024, we will gather to cast our votes for a called senior minister. The congregation raised several concerns about barriers after the last vote, including the difficulty of navigating Robert’s Rules of Order, and the absence of a mechanism to allow for proxy voting. We invite you to attend one or more of The Bylaws Listening Sessions that are being held this month as simplified Robert’s Rules and proxy voting are among the changes you will have a chance to vote on in November at the annual meeting.
Connection between the MST and the board, and connection between the board and the larger congregation, is the “among” as named in our Ends statements. It is crucial to who we are, and we on the board are committed to making those connections stronger in every way.
Yours in service,
Unity Church Board of Trustees
PS. The first monthly Board Walk and Talk introduced in August was well received by our church community. We appreciate the words of support from those of you who took the time to engage with the board's work. We look forward to hearing from you with suggestions, comments, or questions: board@unityunitarian.org.
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