Newsletter: January 7, 2014

Search Process: We Have A List!

by the Ministerial Search Committee

Happy New Year! Our two most recent articles informed you about "our competition" (other churches seeking a new settled minister) and the limited-access website we've developed that takes our applicants on a tour of our church community. If you missed these updates during the Christmas shuffle, you can access them by clickinghere.  Meanwhile, things are moving forward. On January 2, the UUA's Ministerial Transitions Office forwarded a list of applicants for our position. This is our firstlook at those ministers who've examined our congregational materials and decided that they're interested in us. For reasons we'll explain, we cannot share details at this time about the individuals on the list. What we can tell you is that the response to our materials is robust, and we feel encouraged and gratified by it.The main reason we can't share details about our applicants is that it's premature for most of them to tell their current parishioners that they are contemplating a move. Those parishioners are entitled to hear the news from their own minister at the appropriate time. Leaking a minister's identity prevents the minister from handling this matter with the discretion and sensitivity it deserves. While the applicants' identities must be confidential, the Committee remains eager to share information with you about the search process itself. Please visit the MSC's table, timeline, and bulletin board in the Bancroft Room before or after church, or visit our blog to re-read our articles. The next three weeks will be an intense time as we review the applicants and begin a round of lengthy telephone interviews. We'd also like to remind you to reserve Sunday afternoon, January 19, for our "Beyond Categorical Thinking" workshop on inclusivity in our ministerial search. For details, click here. Lunch and childcare will be provided!