Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

As you are aware, the Leadership Development Committee has begun the work of selecting candidates for a new Search Committee to search for a settled minister. We expect that this Search Committee will serve for one year, and we are planning to have the slate of candidates to present at the May congregational meeting. We have a preliminary list of potential nominees and are starting our research to put together another excellent group of individuals.

We would like to request again that members of the congregation forward nominations of possible candidates for the new Search Committee. The Search Committee job description is available today by the door of the Sanctuary, and it will be posted on the bulletin board. Any church member may nominate himself or herself, or may nominate another church member. Please forward all nominations for the Search Committee to the Leadership Development Committee at Leadership@uucharlottesville.org or put a note in the Leadership Development mailbox in the mailroom. Please include a brief statement regarding the qualifications of the nominee, and contact information.

See the Job Description below.

TJMC-UU Ministerial Search Committee Job Description, 2010-2011

 (qualifications based on UUA Settlement Handbook guidelines)

Responsibilities

The Search Committee members are called by and responsible to the congregation of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist.

The Search Committee members are responsible for conducting a search and recommending to the congregation a candidate for settled ministry.

Basic Requirements

Every committee member must:

• Be a member of the TJMC-UU congregation
• Be or have been actively involved in one or more of the major areas of church life, as represented by the current TJMC-UU Councils
• Be known and respected by those with whom he or she has worked
• Be more strongly committed to the congregation as a whole than to any subgroup

Essential Qualities/Attributes

• Maintains confidentiality
• Seeks consensus
• Capable of both self-assertion and compromise
• Good at teamwork

Commitments

• Commit to attend Ministerial Search Committee meetings
• Agree to devote significant time to search committee tasks for an 11-month period   (July - October, 2010, 6 - 8 hrs. a month; November - April, 2011, 6 - 8 hrs. a week)
• Pledge to conduct committee business in a timely manner and respond promptly to requests from committee chair or task leader
• Pledge to conduct a search that is non-discriminatory with respect to race, color, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, and national origin          

Benefits

• Financial expenses related to committee activities reimbursed (e.g., telephone, mileage to pre-candidating sites, meals and lodging where required)
• Support/assistance provided by UUA and TJMC District personnel, and TJMC Board
• Earn congregation’s gratitude for completion of a successful search
• Know that you have contributed to the continued health and development of TJMC 

Participation in Major Activities and Tasks of the Committee

All committee members must contribute in some way to completion of each of the major tasks of the committee:

• Carefully review the packet of information about the congregation to go to candidates     
• Select a group of pre-candidates for more careful consideration
• Host pre-candidates for weekend interviews and preaching at neutral local sites
• Decide on final candidate
• Participate in candidating week
• Manage and account for the committee’s approved budget

Ability to Fill Committee Roles

Each of the major activities and tasks of the committee will be led by one member, supported and assisted by others on the committee. Each member must be willing/able to handle at least one of the following leadership roles successfully:

• Chair - convenes meetings; is primary communicator with the Board and UUA and TJMC district personnel who provide support/guidance to the committee
• Packet Distributor -  sends congregational packet to prospective ministerial candidates; receives packets of candidates and organizes system for all members to review them expeditiously
• Arranger - makes all arrangements for pre-candidate visits and preaching at local neutral sites to insure pre-candidates’ positive first impressions of the congregation
• Reference Checker - designs an instrument to chart information about candidates to assist in comparisons across candidates; communicates results to committee
• Communicator - communicates with prospective candidates; primary communicator to the congregation of committee progress; keeps detailed minutes of meetings
• Treasurer - manages and accounts for the Search Committee’s approved budget; keeps track of expenses, makes sure members submit expenses and are reimbursed in a timely fashion; reports to the Finance Committee
• Negotiating Team Member - serves on the three-person team that negotiates contract with the candidate(s) selected by the congregation to become the new settled minister(s)

Leadership Development Committee Selection Process

The Search Committee as a whole must represent the variation in the congregation with regard to demographic diversity and participation/interest in the varied major areas of church life.

We seek committee members who are varied by sex, age, and length of membership in the congregation.

We seek committee members who are varied in terms of past/present active participation in the major areas of church life, as represented by the current TJMC-UU Councils.

Each member must have participated in at least one of these areas:

• Administrative Council - committees which handle practical aspects of running the church
• Communications Council - committees in charge of the Bulletin, Web, Internal Communication, and Publicity
• Lifespan RE Council - groups coordinating religious education for all ages
• Membership Development Council - committees working with visitors, new members, and involvement of members (includes social groups)
• Social Action Council - groups engaged in social justice work
• Worship Council - groups representing all facets of our community’s spiritual life

We need a pool of qualified people to choose from in order to form a search committee that provides the representative balance essential for effective committee functioning. Not all well-qualified people in the pool can be nominated to serve.

The Leadership Development Committee will present a slate of seven to nine (7-9) nominees to the congregation at the May 16th congregational meeting.