It’s official: On Sunday, May 3, the members of UUCB voted to call Rev. Kelly Groves Dignan as our Settled Minister…and she accepted our call! Her ministry with us will begin on Sunday, August 16, several weeks after she finishes her current contract with the UU Church of Greeley.

This was the hoped-for and joyous end to our Candidate Week, in which Rev. Dignan attended 30 (thirty!) events including an all-church potluck and a dessert open house, small social gatherings, and many, many meetings with the affinity groups, councils and committees of our congregation. As she said on Sunday morning, the positive energy of our match was palpable in every room!

All seven of us on the Search Committee would like to thank you, the members and friends of UUCB, for your constant support over this past year.

Last spring you gave us your unanimous endorsement by electing us to act on your behalf in seeking out a new minister to serve our church. In the fall, 104 of you attended Searchlight Gatherings and 159 of you completed our Search Survey to help us understand what to look for in our candidates. Numerous staff and committee members gave input as we created our Search website (“packet”) to tell the story of our church to prospective ministers. And so, so many of you participated in Candidate Week by hosting meetings, planning potlucks and showing up to meet Rev. Dignan and her husband Pete.

Above all, we are grateful for the patient understanding and encouragement you showed us as friends, family, and especially spouses and partners, when we kept saying: “I can’t…I have Search Committee!”

We could not have done it without you.

Although the Search Process is now complete, there is plenty of work ahead for all of us as we prepare for the transition to Rev. Dignan’s ministry and our shared future at UUCB. You can learn more about Rev. Dignan and the process that got us here at our Search website: http://uuchurchofboulder.org/msearch.

Thank you for joining the Search Committee on this journey. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

Yours in faith,

The UUCB 2014-2015 Ministerial Search Committee

Jim Rowe (chair), Sharon Belew, Ted Burnham, Jason English, Jenny Fitt-Peaster, Diana Maiden, Barb Richards

Why You Will Meet One (And Only One) Ministerial Candidate

By the time you read this, the Ministerial Search Committee will have met with and interviewed our pre­candidates – the “short list” of incredibly qualified ministers we’ve chosen for thorough review. We are now in the most critical phase of our discernment: deciding which one of these wonderful ministers would be the best match with UUCB as our next settled minister.

Last month we reflected on the need for confidentiality in the Search process, both to protect our pre­candidates’ relationships with their current congregations and to avoid a situation where UUCB members might start to form premature attachments. We thank you for respecting that need. This month, we’ll explain the next steps ­­ beginning with why the Search Committee will present one (and only one) Ministerial Candidate.

Calling a minister is not like electing a politician.

Even though we refer to potential ministers as “candidates” and the congregation chooses a minister by voting, extending a call to ministry is a more sacred and communal process than secular elections.

In politics (for better or for worse), differences of opinion are resolved through majority vote ­­ and as you well know, the results often cause deep divisions and even resentment. The fact that members of both parties have what they believe to be the community’s best interests at heart is usually lost in an “Us­versus­Them” mentality that’s all about “winning”.

In Unitarian Universalist congregations, we devote ourselves both to the democratic process and to the inherent worth, dignity, well­being, and spiritual growth of our fellow members. We begin by saying “We are all in this together”, and we resolve our differences through the mutual promises of covenant and the invitation to remain in beloved community with one another.

Asking a congregation to choose between two candidates would be guaranteed to create division. Even if both choices were equally capable and equally well-matched with the congregation, some members would be left feeling like “our” candidate had “lost”, while “their” candidate had “won”.

Presenting one (and only one) Ministerial Candidate, chosen as the best match for UUCB through a process of deep discernment by an elected committee, allows this congregation to act in unity. Differences of opinion about our final candidate will naturally arise, and will be discussed in beloved and covenantal community ­­ recognizing that a minister serves the entire congregation. And when we vote, we will do so not along party lines, but as individuals each guided by our own conscience to do what we believe is best for all.

Whether we then vote to extend the call to ministry or not, there will be no “them”, no “losers”. There will be only “us”, moving forward together in partnership with a new minister, or moving forward together to find a different path for ministry at UUCB.

Ministers look for unanimity.

Ministers are advised to decline a call to ministry if less than 95 percent of the congregation votes in favor. That’s a high bar! And for good reason: Experience has shown that it is not enough to find a good or even very good fit between a minister and a congregation. Finding the best fit, while difficult, is a prerequisite for a successful ministry.

Luckily, your Search Committee has taken on the tricky task of deciding which of our wonderful pre­candidates is the best fit for ministry at UUCB ­­ and the truth is, there may be two or more who are equal as best matches in different ways. The hardest part of our discernment may be deciding which of two equally attractive candidates to prioritize.

At the same time, our pre­candidates are looking for their own “best fit” congregation, because a minister may only accept final candidacy with one church. When we present a final Ministerial Candidate, you will know that person has this committee’s unanimous and unambiguous endorsement, and that the candidate has made an unambiguous commitment to seek ministry at UUCB.

Then you, the congregation, will have a relatively easy choice: Whether to call one amazing minister to serve our church. And when you meet our final candidate, you should be so impressed ­­ so totally blown away ­­ that there’s hardly any need for debate! If we do our job well, it should be obvious to everyone that the Ministerial Candidate is the best possible fit for UUCB.

We expect to announce our final Ministerial Candidate on Sunday, April 5.

Once the Search Committee decides on our “best fit” pre­candidate, we will make an official Offer of Candidacy ­­ which, per UUA guidelines, we cannot do until April 2. If the candidate accepts our offer, the Search Committee should be able to bring you the good news on April 5. At that time we will also start finalizing the details of Candidating Week, which will take place from Saturday, April 25 through Sunday, May 3. The week will include services led by the Ministerial Candidate on two consecutive Sundays, many opportunities for UUCB members and the candidate to meet and get to know one another during the week between, and a special Congregational Meeting after the second Sunday service to vote on whether we will extend a call to ministry. Our bylaws do not allow proxy or absentee votes, so please plan to attend in person on May 3! s you can see, these final days of the Search Committee’s discernment are like a calm pause before the whirlwind finale! As always, we thank you for your continued patience and trust in this process.

Yours in faith,

The UUCB 2014­2015 Ministerial Search Committee
Jim Rowe (chair), Sharon Belew, Ted Burnham, Jason English, Jenny Fitt­Peaster, Diana Maiden, Barb Richards

Dear Members,

February is often a time of anticipation—we grow tired of the cold and start looking toward spring. As days start to grow longer, the return of the sun’s light and warmth inspires many to start planning for the future: gardens, travel, new projects. So much to plan for—so many adventures to embark upon!

So it is with our church. February and March mark the beginning of our budget planning cycles and our anticipation of the new church year. During this time last year, we, as a congregation, developed a set of shared goals to guide us as we moved into the second phase of our Developmental Ministry with Howell. One of those goals was to develop a strategic plan that would continue to move us forward—including preparing us for our next settled minister.

The Board of Trustees has been working with Howell throughout the year to make progress on those goals. As we worked through this process, Howell proposed to the Board that we start the search for our next settled minister during the 2014-15 church year. In his words, “The health evident now in the congregation makes the timing appropriate for the congregation to move into its next called ministry. The strong desire to move forward with the congregation’s developmental ministry goals will make a good foundation for the church’s continued future of growth and success.” The Board discussed the proposal and agreed unanimously to move forward.

The Board has asked the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) to nominate a seven-member slate for a Ministerial Search Committee. The slate will be presented to the congregation at our annual meeting in May for a vote. The LDC will be determining the process that they will follow to choose the slate during the next few weeks. When they have established the process, they will publicize it.

We understand that you will have many questions about this exciting decision and the process that we’ll be embarking upon. To address those questions, the Board of Trustees will hold informational forums on March 2 at 9:15 AM and March 11 at 7 PM. In addition, a Frequently Asked Questions document will be assembled and will be available for your review.

Thank you for your commitment to our church and we look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming forums!

Sincerely,

Reverend Howell K. Lind

Whitney Wheeless, Church President,

on behalf of the UUCB Board of Trustees

Do you have questions or input regarding the upcoming ministerial search process? Join us at a forum on one of the following dates:

Sunday, March 2 at 9:15am

Tuesday, March 11 at 7:00 pm