Congregational Survey:
What We Heard (Part 3): Qualities We Seek in a Minister
In earlier articles, we reported
the results of survey questions that asked (1) why you first came and why you
still attend First Unitarian, and (2) what challenges you think we face as we
go forward. This week, we turn our focus to the
priorities and personal qualities you told us you’d like to see in our new settled
minister.
In addition to your open-response
comments, three overlapping questions in the survey were our chief sources
here. Question 14 asked you to rank how you would like our minister to prioritize seven aspects of the job.
Question 15 asked you to select the three
most important skill sets or capabilities from a list of eleven. And
Question 16 asked you to choose your three
most valued personal qualities from a list of ten desirable qualities in a
minister.
Question 14,
ministerial priorities: By a clear margin, survey respondents said they seek a minister whose
top priorities will be (1) spiritual
leadership and (2) intellectual
stimulation of the congregation. Respondents were more divided as to which
of the following is the next most important ministerial function: pastoral care, congregational facilitation, ethical
modeling, or administration. Those
4 functions were grouped closely together, with a clear gap separating them
from the top two. Respondents placed considerably less emphasis on social activism as a priority for the
minister.
Question 15,
ministerial capabilities: “Presenting stimulating
and challenging Sunday services” was mentioned by nearly every respondent
(95%). A large majority (60%) also listed “Fostering a sense of fellowship and
community in the church.” Choosing among nine other ministerial skill sets proved
difficult. Four garnered substantial support: Caring and counseling individuals
(36%), assuring effective administration (26%), providing community leadership (23%), and encouraging lay
leadership (22%). The following were
judged much less important for the settled minister: adult enrichment programs,
staff leadership, social justice programming, young people’s programming, and
guiding committees.
Question 16, minister’s
personal qualities:
This question produced two clear points of consensus: “Professional Competence”
(selected by 62%), and “Intellectual Depth, Rigor, and Scholarship” (selected
by 60%). “Empathy” (42%) and “Character” (39%) were next. The illustration
below summarizes your responses to this question.
Your answers to numerous other questions in the Survey elaborated
on the responses above. In particular, you indicated your strong desire to have
as a minister a person who honors the Church’s theological roots but who is
open to the great truths of all faith traditions and who is able to integrate
music into the services.
Did we “hear” you? In the Congregational Record (the
document we recently delivered to the UUA that helps prospective ministers learn
about us), we wrote:
The new minister's most
important task is to be our spiritual leader. The new minister, our congregants
say, should … deliver a well-researched and stimulating sermon, … [posing]
difficult issues and questions that challenge us. … We are looking for a
minister who can plan a cohesive service that ties together sacred and secular
readings with music and the sermon…. A minister attentive to our decidedly
Judeo-Christian heritage while being open to all faith traditions is essential.
We
also wrote:
[The minister should] foster a sense of
fellowship and community within the church, … [offer] thoughtful pastoral care
and counseling, … [and] lead and manage the business of the church…. We expect
our minister to exhibit appropriate ministerial conduct and to manage his/her
personal affairs with integrity.… We seek someone who can help guide us, who
can inspire us, and who can find a [lasting] spiritual home with us.
Finally, when asked in the CR to choose 7 (out of 22) “crucial”
or “significant” “ministerial skills and enthusiasms” desired by our
congregation, we chose: “Spiritual Guidance,” Preaching,” “Scholarship,”
“Worship,” “Community Building,” “Music and Liturgical Arts,” and “Pastoral
Care.”
Next week,
we will address “what we heard” when we asked you, “What current strengths does our congregation possess that
you would like to see maintained or developed in the immediate future?”
--The Ministerial Search Committee: Jesse Anderson, Alison Barrows Ronn, Jane Beckwith, Noel Cary, Shannon Kirshenbaum, Diane Mirick (chair), Lee Reid
No comments:
Post a Comment