Monthly updates

April 11, 2010
Ministerial Search Committee Forum

Below is a summary of the questions asked and the answers given at the April 11 forum that packed the library.

Q1. If you had the search to do all over again what would you do?

Answer: We would encourage the congregation to proceed with making a decision about the building.  We feel that candidates may not want to come without knowing what we’re doing.  But candidates would be motivated to come and walk with us toward whatever we have decided.

Q2. Is the building issue the reason the candidates didn’t want to come here?

Answer: One candidate, our top choice, commented that our building looked like we didn’t care, with no possibility for the media and technology that he likes to incorporate into his worship services. 

Q3. I read that candidates were not interested in being in the Midwest.  Wouldn’t they have self-selected out and not applied here if they didn’t want to come here?  Why didn’t they do that?

Answer: There were a variety of reasons for the low rate of success in Midwest congregations.  The UUA Transitions Office is going to investigate this further. (note: we have been invited to a meeting with Midwest church representatives to share our experience and discuss future actions with the Transitions Office during GA).  One of our candidates suggested that some of the Midwest churches tended to be smaller with lower salary offered.  John Weston at the UUA said that Midwest churches tended to be more humanist and people coming out of the seminary tended to be more eclectic or spiritual.  The MSC also believed that the distances and lesser number of UU churches may have felt like access to collegial support was more challenging where the congregations aren’t on every street corner.

Q4. Why would we pick someone right out of the seminary?

Answer: Many of the candidates had other careers and life experiences that would have contributed to their skills in the ministry, even if they were just out of seminary.  Also, the UUA ministerial search process is set up so that the ministers approach congregations they are interested in.  So we didn’t get to choose them, they chose us in the initial contact.  Based on the Ministerial Record we saw when they expressed interest in our congregation we got to choose which ones seemed like a good candidates to proceed to the next level of the search process.

Q5. Is the crucial element to decide on the building?

Answer: We have been granted one more year of interim ministry with Benjamin to proceed with making a decision about the building.  We will be more welcoming to a new minister if we have made a decision by the time of the next search process.  Our Congregational Record will be posted at the end of October 2010.

Q6. If we decide on the building, could the next search still have the same outcome?

Answer: Yes, there are no guarantees about the search process, especially since we don’t get to see information about all ministers in search and “recruit” them.  However, there was discussion during the Forum about preparing information about our congregational meeting to take to GA this summer – possibly business cards with our web address.

Q7. Could we find a minister who would come with our indecision and help us decide?

Answer: The Ministerial Search Committee initially thought we were searching for a candidate who would help us make a decision.  But really, we’re the ones who need to make a decision.  An incoming minister would not want to come into a contentious debate and decision making process and try to do team building and get to know the congregation.  We were upfront about this issue and our indecision in our Congregational Record and Packet.  This did not seem to deter the 23 candidates that expressed an interest in our congregation.  Some of the candidates we interacted with commented about being attracted to the challenge and the work ahead.  But in the end, our top candidates chose to go elsewhere for individual reasons.

Q8. How different will the pool be in the coming year?

Answer: There is probably information about the average number of ministers and congregations in search each year.  We were told that there may be fewer ministers looking to leave jobs and move with the unsteady economy.  But we were also told to expect 10-15 applications and we got 23.  We were also warned about the ‘bias of the coasts’ – that ministers tend to want to go to the coasts.  There’s not anything we can do to get us an ocean!

Q9. Will the next search committee have to start everything all over again?

Answer: No, the next search committee may not need to conduct another congregational survey.  However, they may choose to conduct small discussion groups to update the information collected last year.  Also, the documents created (the Congregational Record and Packet) may just need to be revised slightly for use again.  It will be important for these documents to reflect growth and progress the congregation has made in the past year and a half since the self study conducted in the fall of 2009 upon which those documents were based.  The next committee will also have the guidance of some returning committee members who know how the process works.  This took us some time and energy to figure out during the last search process.

Q10.  What about the challenge of our openness to theological diversity?

Answer: Most of the candidates were up to the challenge of helping us find common ground in our theological diversity.  However, there were some who were more theist-leaning and chose to withdraw their application after the phone interview.  Some candidates had a lot of experience with strong humanist congregations.  One candidate suggested that our congregation was not a contradiction between humanist OR spiritual but rather the place where we needed to focus was in living our UU values of embracing and celebrating diverse theological beliefs and expressions. 

If you have further questions about the search for a minister 2090-2010, please contact Mary McMurray or Nancy Noyer, former co-chairs.

March 23, 2010

Dear Members and Friends,

The UUSIC Board received a full report from the Ministerial Search Committee on Monday, March 22, 2010. The MSC has recommended that the search for a settled minister continue for another year and begin immediately.
 
Details on the search and next steps will be mailed to you soon.
 
The board agreed with the MSC recommendation and has asked the Rev. Benjamin Maucere to continue for one more year as our interim minister. Benjamin has agreed to do so.
 
The board recognizes the dedication and hard work and the countless hours the committee put into the search process. We wish to express our sincere thanks to co-chairs Mary McMurray and Nancy Noyer, and members Kris Barrash, Marilyn Jennewein, Kelly O’Berry, Jean Reese, Susan Salterberg, Doug Wallace, and Zach Wahls.
 
The board and the MSC appreciate the commitment and financial support of you, the UUSIC members and friends, during this most important search process. We ask for your continued support as we continue the search for a settled minister.
 
Sincerely,
Arnold Lindaman

February 2010
Check out the checklist!!

The Ministerial Search Committee (MSC), 2009-2010

After meeting with the District Ministerial Settlement Representative in April 2009, the board created a process for the selection of the Ministerial Search Committee. We phoned the voting members and asked for nominations. We then considered the nominees according to the following criteria: 

• Who have the interests of the whole Society in mind rather than a single focus within one particular group

• Who are cooperative and work well with others

• Who are excited about the future of our congregation

• Who have the energy and time to commit a year to this effort

Seven MSC members and two alternates were chosen at the UUSIC Congregational Meeting on June 7, 2009. In August, it was decided that the two alternates should be recognized as full members of the committee, which now includes:

January 2010

            Getting to know you, getting to know all about you;
              Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me...
                                                           From The King and I

Twenty-three ministers were originally interested in UUSIC. From these, through the process of exchanging information packets, phone interviews, reference checks, and committee discussion and consensus regarding the pre-candidates, we have identified four who interest us as a possible next minister.

These four ministers have been invited to visit, to give a sermon at a neutral pulpit, explore the Iowa City area, and engage in several informal and formal conversations with the search committee to decide who is a great fit for UUSIC.  We will decide shortly after March 15 and make an offer. Should they accept, you will have many opportunities to get to know the person the committee recommends -- sometime between April 16 and May 17; that still needs to be decided.

The MSC is enthusiastic about all four of these ministers.  Now we shall get to know each of them better by meeting in person.

-----------------------------------

If you detect tired eyes in the faces of members of the MSC, you are seeing the results of reading the ministerial records of 21 people who are interested in UUSIC. We can’t share names; however, we can share some data:

• Nearly equal number of males and females
• A range of young to mature
• A range of sexual orientations
• People from all regions of the country
• Lifelong UUs and those “converted” in the past few years
• Scholars and community organizers
• Interns and “seasoned” ministers
• Single and partnered, singly or in teams

The diversity of choices fills us with awe.  Be assured that we are keeping in mind the results of the survey and issues brought forth in interviews and small group discussion as we choose the 10 or so ministers with whom we choose to exchange packets.

As always, please feel free to contact members of the search committee with your questions and insights, and let us know how we are doing in keeping you informed.

December 2009

We have had our first phone interview! Well, it was a mock interview with Benjamin to give us practice. Benjamin gave us good feedback advice and accolades.  Now we are scheduling phone interviews with our top candidates, reviewing their packets and calling several references for each minister.

MSC has begun looking at pre-candidates. Those ministers who have indicated online an interest in UUSIC (about 20 so far) will be phoned to ask if they would like to exchange packets with our congregation – yes, it does sound like electronic dating.

After reviewing the pre-candidate packets, interviewing by phone, and checking references, the committee will select 3 or 4 ministers we would like to meet, and hear them give a sermon in a neutral pulpit – churches where neither we nor they are known. Those sermons are scheduled for February and March.

From that group, the committee hopes to select the one final candidate who will come to our church in late April or early May to meet the congregation and preach for two Sundays. You will then be asked to vote during a congregational meeting to “call” the minister.

Until we announce the final candidate, we won’t be able to give you specific information about the candidates, but we will be happy to talk to you about our progress in the search. Many of you have graciously thanked the committee for our work so far; we are grateful for your kind words.

Would you like to help with this current stage of the process?
Send us questions you would like us to ask of these interested ministers – send your questions to Mary McMurray or Susan Salterberg, the Keepers of the Questions.

UUSIC Self-Study
A summary of the UUSIC Self-Study, which was completed as part of our ministerial search process and which provides candidates with a profile of our congregation, is now online.

October 2009

The MSC gathered your insights from the surveys, small group discussions, and individual interviews to prepare for our retreat on October 3 to complete our "UUSIC Congregational Record." The CR will be placed on a password-restricted website for viewing by prospective ministers. 

The MSC is also putting together a compelling packet to send to prospective ministers who, upon reading the CR, request more information about UUSIC.  We are choosing the “music” to engage ministers for the beginning of the dance that will start in November. 

Our highest hopes and most vigorous efforts are focused on finding a minister who fits our needs; one who finds UUSIC to be a place whose journey they want to share -- and this, by June, 2010. Your kind comments regarding the work done so far with the congregation are much appreciated by the committee.

Beyond Categorical Thinking
On Sunday, October 25, congregation members and friends were invited to participate in "Beyond Categorical Thinking," a workshop led by facilitators from the UUA. Its goal was to foster inclusive thinking and prevent unfair discrimination in our ministerial search process. During the Beyond Categorical Thinking visit, our congregation learned more about our institutional culture, examined ways we can be more inclusive in consideration of ministerial candidates, and discussed subtle and often unintentional, unconscious biases we as members hold that could result in a decision to not select the minister who would be the best fit for our ministerial needs. Following the second service, a luncheon was be provided, followed by the workshop. We encouraged all to participate in this illuminating event. Registration information was shared via email and this website.

September
One of the responsibilities of the Ministerial Search Committee was to conduct a self-study of the UUSIC from August-October. “Self-study” is a way to ascertain the make-up of our society, as well as our needs and wishes for a hoped-for minister. For this process to be effective, we needed your input. Two ways you could provide this were:

We look forward to exploring with you our identity as a congregation, and our needs and wishes. Feel free to contact members of the search committee with your questions and insights, and let us know how we are doing in keeping you informed.

August 5, 2009
We needed your input!

July 28, 2009
At our weekly meeting, the Ministerial Search Committee dedicated time to the congregational self-study devised by the UUA Transitions Office, and to designing ways to gather input from the congregation. Details about how individuals can assist will be communicated soon.

MSC members are looking forward to the August 1 all-day retreat, which will be led by Rev. Tom Capo of the Cedar Rapids UU congregation. As a committee, we will discover our similarities and celebrate our differences in how we approach the vital task of recommending to the congregation a minister who will be the best fit. The committee recognizes that the work we do is important, and that how we do the work together is also significant.

July 23, 2009
In our extensive process of self-study that will help to inform prospective ministers and the search committee in selecting the best fit for our congregation, the Ministerial Search Committee (MSC) is meeting weekly. We are using much of what has been recommended by the Transitions Office of the Unitarian Universalist Association to be thorough. On July 21st, the MSC finalized its list of community members to interview as a part the information gathering process.

The MSC is also moving forward towards hosting the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop in the fall, an event facilitated by trained ministers that affords us an opportunity to expand our thinking about who we would like as our next minister.

Every Sunday morning, a representative of the MSC is available during coffee hour to talk with you if you have questions about the search process.

July 17, 2009
At our most recent meeting, the Ministerial Search Committee (MSC) solidified plans for its retreat with facilitator Tom Capo, minister of the Cedar Rapids UU congregation. The MSC also finished working through their estimated budget for FY 2010, and moved forward with plans for hosting a Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop.

The MSC has begun work on the congregational packet that will go out to each potential ministerial candidate. One of the responsibilities of the MSC is to conduct a self-study of the UUSIC from August-October to provide information for the packet. “Self-study” is a way to ascertain the make-up of our society, as well as our needs and wishes for our hoped-for minister. To do this, we will need your input through your participation in a survey and small group discussions. Watch for more information about the self-study component of this search in the newsletter, e-mails, and the MSC Bulletin Board in Channing Hall.

July 1, 2009
At their third weekly meeting, the MSC decided to hire Tom Capo as a facilitator for their planning retreat at the end of July. Mr. Capo is the minister at the Cedar Rapids UU congregation. 

The search committee elected Nancy Noyer and Mary McMurray to the co-chair positions during their second weekly meeting. The committee is eagerly anticipating the upcoming retreat, where the group will hammer out many of the details of the upcoming year.