Ministerial Search Committee
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church is in the second year of a two-year interim minister while we prepare ourselves for new ministry and we search for a lead minister.
The Search Committee has been meeting weekly since Spring, 2009.
In May, 2009, the congregation voted to limit our search to candidates who had entered into fellowship with the UUA, and they bound us to the procedures established by the UUA Transitions office. Check back to follow our progress through Candidating Week, which is planned for April 17-25, 2010
January 2009 The TJMC elected the 9-member Ministerial Search Committee, ratifying the slate nominated by the Leadership Development Committee. Members include Carrie Berger, Anne Clark, Dave Dawson, Kirstin Fritz, Bob Gross, Lynn Heath, Marlene Jones, Nick Laiacona, and Ann Salamini.
March 2009 The Ministerial Search Committee met for a retreat with Mary Grigolia, a UU minister and experienced facilitator from North Carolina. Mary helped us form a strong team, develop guidelines for decision making and conflict resolution, and plan the search. We elected officers of the Committee—Nick Laiacona, Chair; Kirstin Fritz, Vice Chair; Lynn Heath, Secretary; and Carrie Berger, Treasurer.
Also in March, the Committee (with the Board) hosted the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop, a UUA initiative offered to congregations in search. Sixty people from the congregation came together to examine preconceived notions about what qualities a minister might have and to open our thinking to welcome a minister who might be of a different ethnic background, who might have a different gender orientation or affectional preference, or who might be differently abled from ministers who have served our congregation in the past. This workshop was facilitated by Eddy Carroll and Mary Esther Johnson, who also led our Sunday service the morning following the workshop.
April 2009 We began the self-study process, gathering data which will be used to create a packet of materials to show prospective candidates. Marlene Jones provided leadership for our MSC Survey, tailoring questions for our congregation and getting the survey online. About 170 people filled out Part I: What do we want? This part of the survey looked at what aspects of church life are important to us and what qualities we are looking for in a minister.
Also in April, we met with Jennifer Slade, the Thomas Jefferson District representative to our search. Jennifer has worked with several congregations and was helpful in providing examples and advice. Carrie Berger and Anne Clark, along with TJMC Treasurer Doug Webbink, formed a subcommittee to draft a financial package and draft agreement for the settled ministry.
May 2009 We held 17 Cottage Conversations, which involved over 100 people. Each conversation was attended by 2 members of the Ministerial Search Committee, who facilitated and took notes. We discussed the strengths of our church, what led us to become involved, our goals for the future, and the qualities we hoped for in a new minister. Anne Clark handled the logistics of these meetings and organized the content for us.
June 2009 Part II and III of the survey went online. Over 160 people answered the questions in Part II, which dealt with our spiritual beliefs and information on demographics and finances. Part III of the survey was the questions from the Cottage Conversations. Eighty people took the opportunity to answer them or add to their thoughts already expressed during the Cottage Conversations. The Committee began the work of tabulating and analyzing the data.
July 2009 The Committee posted the tabulated results of the Cottage Conversations and Part III of the Survey in the church gallery. The results of Parts I and II were made available online. We also gathered factual and financial information about TJMC from printed sources and the church’s computer database. We reviewed information packets from several churches in search and created an outline for our information packet.
August 2009 We continued writing the Information Packet, with Nick, Kirstin, Lynn, and Anne taking the lead on editing. Carrie gathered 500 pictures of the church and the congregation.
We began structuring the Congregational Record, our online source of information for ministers in search. Members of the Committee divided up the writing and fact gathering tasks for the CR.
We started receiving names of ministers from members of the congregation and developed a process for responding to them. As secretary, Lynn is communicating with these potential candidates. Because our search process is confidential, we cannot give members of the congregation information about candidates they have nominated.
September 2009 We submitted the text of our information packet and pictures to Laura Roseberry, a graphic designer. In this month, we went through four drafts of the finished brochure.
At each of our meetings, we discussed a few of the CR questions. We wrote drafts and reviewed text, setting a due date for September 1 for this material. We decided which materials to include in a reference booklet and which ones to include on an electronic drive. Marlene started researching how to present the electronic materials, which will include church documents, a photo album, and music files.
Lynn sent out “check us out” letters to ministers who had been nominated by members of the congregation.
October 2009 Our information brochure was finalized, printed, and posted to the web. Members of the Committee started developing a church service for November. Our entire information portfolio (brochure, reference booklet, flash drive, and Congregational Record) was submitted to Jennifer Slade for approval in advance of posting the CR to the Transitions website on October 31.
Carrie and Anne presented the Draft Ministerial Agreement to the Board and to the Committee. Marlene presented the interactive flash drive materials. The Committee met with Morris to start structuring the worship service in November. We met with Bill King, co-chair of the 2000 Search Committee, to get some pointers on reviewing potential candidates.
November and December 2009 We review online materials of candidates. Ministers who are interested in our church indicate this and we are then allowed to review their online materials. The Committee agrees to exchange information packets with a smaller group of potential candidates. As many as four candidates will be invited to come to Charlottesville and interview.
On November 15, the Search Committee presents a church service based on the spiritual journey which our search process has been.
January and February 2010 The Committee hosts candidates for confidential in-depth interviews, including a Sunday service at an out-of-town, neutral location. We negotiate financial details and narrow our choices.
March 15, 2010 This is the first day we are permitted to invite a candidate for a week of interviews, receptions and meetings, including two Sunday services. A committee from the congregation will plan these events. We hope to be ready on March 15 to begin negotiations with our favorite candidate.
April 2010 Candidating Week! After a year and a half of focused effort, the Committee invites a candidate to meet our congregation. This is an intense week of events which can include receptions, conversations, classes, committee meetings, and personal interviews. The candidate has the opportunity to study the Charlottesville community and meet other ministers in the area. The church community has the opportunity to attend two different services the candidate plans.
At the end of the service on the second Sunday, the congregation holds a meeting and votes by paper ballot on whether to call the candidate recommended by the Ministerial Search Committee. Our bylaws require an 85% approval rate.
Summer 2010 If the congregation decides to call the minister, and the minister agrees to the call, the settled ministry will start in the summer of 2010.
