Over the span of these past few years that this Boulder Church has been involved in the UUA Developmental Ministry Program, this congregation has grown, changed, and evolved into a very healthy and formidable religious and spiritual community. Calling the Reverend Kelly Dignan as the church’s next settled minister really becomes a continuation of this progressive reclaiming of the heart of what this congregation is about. Congratulations on calling Kelly as your next minister – together, with Kelly’s leadership, this Boulder Church can only will move ever forward! What you can achieve together, in your next level of growth and success, can only serve as inspiration for other Unitarian Universalist congregations.
Over the past seven years, this partnership between the church leadership and the professional staff has accomplished a rebirth of sorts – a rebirth of that same spirit that originally brought Unitarianism to the Boulder, Colorado area back in the late nineteenth century.
Personally I feel extremely fortunate to have played a part in this growth and change. It has been so rewarding to be UUCB’s Developmental Minister and to be a part of this rebirth of congregational hope and strength. I have been privileged to get to know so many fantastic members and share in your joys and celebrations. I have been with many of you as sorrow and tragedy invaded your lives, and that is also a privilege – to be able to share in your life stories.
Over the many years that I have been a Unitarian Universalist minister, I have served in a variety of ministerial roles – parish minister, denominational official, congregational consultant, interim minister, and as a UUA Developmental Minister. It has been a long ministerial career (it is often joked about that I tried to retire once back in the early 2000’s, but it didn’t take!) and I would like to think that I still have a few more years of service to our faith in me yet!
To that end, I have been offered the opportunity to serve this next year as the interim senior minister of the Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. I am looking forward to working with the church’s leadership, its excellent staff team, as well as getting the opportunity to meet and get to know the members of this wonderful congregation.
Each new experience and episode that I encounter in my life-long ministerial journey only serves to emphasize just what an invigorating, hopeful, and vital faith Unitarian Universalism really is! The folks who gravitate to our churches and find a “religious home” among this faith are truly remarkable people.
And to the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder – I truly do consider my time as the UUA Developmental Minister among you these past several years as a wonderful experience . . . a wonderful experience for me with some very remarkable people.
Blessings always on this special Boulder congregation.
Howell