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Unitarian Church of Sharon
4 N. Main St.
Sharon, MA 02067
781-784-3652
E-mail UCS
Interim Ministry Process
See also Interim Ministry FAQ
June 2008
The Interim Search Task Force is delighted to announce that we have reached preliminary agreement with our new minister, subject only to a few contractual tweaks and Board approval.
Edele Panessidi, Chair
May 2008
By the time you read this, we anticipate being well into the process of interviewing candidates for the position of Interim Minister.
Recently, the Interim Task Force met with the Ballou Channing District’s Transitions Consultant, Rev. Judith Downing, to discuss the interviewing process. A former Interim Minister herself, Judith helped us understand more about the process and suggested questions to consider in thinking about what we will want to accomplish during the period when we’re working with the Interim Minister.
Our transition is not just the standard one of taking time to review our congregation’s general goals, processes, procedures and objectives in preparing for the next step in full-time permanent ministry. Rev. Deborah Cayer is the only minister many members of our congregation have ever known here, certainly the only full-time minister most of us have known here. Now is the time to celebrate our joint past as we prepare for our separate futures.
Additionally, we’ll be coming out of a capital campaign and into the reality of physical growth and displacement (perhaps mirroring the emotional/ psychological displacement of the ministerial transition). Our move into the brave new world of achieving our accessibility dreams will necessitate some months of dislocation—where will our church offices, meetings, classes and (at times) services be held? Our Interim Minister will be working with us to handle the upheavals and learn new and/or improved ways of being together.
It’s a tall order for all of us—Interim Minister, staff, leadership and congregation members alike. As we acknowledge our bittersweet present, let’s savor our past accomplishments and look forward to our new relationships.
Edele Panessidi, Chair
April 2008
Planning continues for formalizing our application for an interim minister. Bill Zelazny, Ballou Channing District (BCD) Executive, has provided us with an updated timeline for the interim application/selection process. Task force members are being assisted by members of the church Board and other good-hearted volunteers to pull together our packet of information and to answer the questions on the interim application. We plan to meet with the BCD's transition representative (date/time TBD) to be sure to put our best face forward in the process. We'll keep you posted.…
March 2008
Ballou Channing District (BCD) Executive Bill Zelazny met with a group of interested congregation members after the service on Feb. 10 to discuss the interim process. Here’s a recap of what was discussed.
Our interim process will be a time for members and friends to discuss who we are and where we’re going as a congregation. While the building is expanding, we’ll need to think about what types of programs we’d like to add, how we’d like to expand our role in the community, etc. We’ll also be going through a period when, at least temporarily, some of our familiar activities need to be handled differently, or perhaps even suspended, due to construction.
In addition to working with the Worship Committee and the Board, our interim will help us work out how to handle pastoral needs, how our staff functions with a new minister, what level of interaction with the greater community we’d like to see, how we might work to strengthen our systems, how to expand outreach, etc.
While we anticipate a two-year interim period, the interim will be hired for one year with the possibility of a second. Even if the first year goes well, we might decide to select a different minister for the second year to get some experience with another type of minister.
Interim Ministers are specially trained to assist congregations going through transitions. There are three types of interim ministers. An Accredited Interim Ministers (AIM) has gone through two years of special curricula and training and is certified. S/he typically feels that this type of ministry is a calling, and the minister has likely served three or four congregations in this capacity. An AIM in Training (AIMIT) is just that, someone who’s had at least one previous ministry and has completed some of the preliminary AIM training. A Minister in Transition may be a retiree or someone between congregations. Such a minister will be given some specialized training prior to moving into an interim position.
AIMs and AIMITs meet during the third week of April and choose among the available positions the three or four in which they’re most interested. (Ministers in Transition make their choices after the AIMs and AIMITs.) The ministers’ selections are made on the basis of packets submitted by the congregations, along with any other explanatory information the congregation provides.
Bill suggested that our congregational packet include the following: a description of what the congregation’s looking for in an interim minister (feel free to make suggestions); a history of the congregation; sample orders of service; photos; the budget; the last annual reports; a description of our AIM project; demographics; and three to four years of pledging history.
The Board will be requested to authorize an expenditure of about $200 to bring in the BCD’s Transitions Consultant, Rev. Judith Downing, to speak with the Board and to meet with the Search Task Force. Judith will help us consider what additional information would be useful to submit with our packet (e.g., a description of some of our regularly-occurring activities like MainSpring House lunches, Rainbow Sunday and community concerts) and make suggestions for conducting the interviews.
Our application will be due in April and just a few weeks later, the Interim Search Task Force will review packets from three candidates and conduct interviews. (If there are any that immediately don’t appear to be a good match, we may receive replacements.) If the candidates are local, we may go to hear them preach. Within two to three weeks, we will make a recommendation to the Board.
By mid- to late August, our Interim Minister will join us to begin the next phase in the life of the congregation, eventually leading to the selection of a called minister who will join us in 2010. There’s a lot of work ahead as we step out into our future.
Edele Pannessidi, Chair
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