Ministerial Transitions

The health and vitality of our congregations depends in part on a good fit between a congregation and their minister. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) helps to connect ministers searching for a position with congregations which want to find a minister.

The UUA offers information and resources to help congregants, ministers, regional transition coaches, compensation consultants, and regional staff throughout the search process for all types of ministers: assistant, contract, developmental, interim, or settled.

Congregations seeking ¾ or full time ministries receive support from both the UUA Transitions Office and UUA regional staff; congregations seeking ministries of less than ¾ time receive support primarily from regional staff.

Questions About Materials or the Search Process?

Please include your full name, your congregation’s full name (no acronyms), city, and state in all correspondence with the UUA Transitions Office and Regional Staff.

• Transitions Office: Rev. Keith Kron, Director, and Emily Cherry, Administrator (transitions [at] uua [dot] org)
• Central East Region: Andrea Lerner, Transitions Program Manager (alerner [at] uua [dot] org)
• MidAmerica Region: Rev. Lisa Presley, Transitions Program Manager (lpresley [at] uua [dot] org) 
• New England Region: Christine Purcell, Transitions Program Manager (cpurcell [at] uua [dot] org) 
• Pacific West Region: Rev. Sarah Schurr, Transitions Program Manager (sschurr [at] uua [dot] org)
• Southern Region: Christine Purcell, Transitions Program Manager (cpurcell [at] uua [dot] org)

Congregational Leaders and Ministers

Regarding All Active and Upcoming Searches

1. Only use the old settlement system for accessing historical information. The new MinistrySearch system is in use!
2. Congregational leaders, send an email to transitions [at] uua [dot] org to initiate your search. Include your congregation’s full name, city, and state, and the name and email for your contact person. If you are initiating an interim ministry search, let us know if it will be full-time or a lower percentage of time and about the planned duration (two years is recommended).
3. To view opportunity listings for ministers, religious educators, musicians, and other congregational staff, please visit the MinistrySearch Jobs Board.

These documents are essential reading for both lay leaders and for ministers.

• The Settlement Handbook (PDF) ​The comprehensive guide to the process to call a minister for both congregations and ministers (updated 2018).
• Transitional Ministry Handbook (PDF, 45 pages) (Word) The comprehensive guide for all transitional ministries. Includes sample contracts for both interim and consulting ministries. 
• Congregations' Search Calendar 2019  A timeline of significant search milestones for August 2019 settlements
• Ministers' Search Calendar 2019 A timeline of significant search milestones for August 2019 settlements
• Congregations' Search Calendar 2020 A timeline of significant search milestones for August 2020 settlements
• Ministers' Search Calendar 2020 A timeline of significant search milestones for August 2020 settlements
• The Hire-to-Call Process (PDF, 8 pages) ​Provides an outline for the process of hiring a second (or third, etc.) minister with the intent to call in the future. By Rev. Dr. Ian Evison.
• 2012 Joint Recommendations Concerning Ministerial Agreements (Word, 24 pages) (PDF, 21 pages) Background information for all ministerial agreements and sample letters of call for settled ministries. Please use the agreement below for ministries beginning in July 2019 or later.
• New for ministries beginning July 2019 or later: 2019 UUA/UUMA Recommended Ministerial Agreement for Full-time Senior, Lead, and Solo Ministries (if needed, you may request a Word version of this document by sending an email to transitions [at] uua [dot] org (subject: Request%20for%20Word%20version%20of%20UUA%2FUUMA%20ministerial%20agreement) )
• Benefit Transition/Coverage Continuation Form Courtesy of the Office of Church Staff Finances.
• Year by Year in Settlement (PDF). Graphs and explanations for recent settlement trends.

Congregational Leaders

Resources here are of particular use to lay leaders shepherding their congregation through the ministerial transition.

• Notice of Ministerial Transition
  Informs the Transitions Office and your Regional Transitions Program Manager that your congregation is going into ministerial search.
• Ministerial Search Committee Calendar (PDF) (XLS) (Revised July 2017)
• The Resource Guide for Ministerial Search Committees
  An essential supplement to The Settlement Handbook for congregations.
• Compensation Worksheet
  Assists in calculating total compensation for a ministerial position, based on UUA benefit guidelines.
• Responsible Staffing (PDF, 14 pages)
  • Oxford Document Management Company
  • Church Mutual Insurance Company
• Guide to and rationale behind the process of screening ministers. Also see President's Letter (PDF) and Responsible Staffing Forms (PDF). Companies that conduct criminal background checks:
• Guidelines for Part-time Ministry Searches (PDF)
  A brief description of what the Transitions Office can offer to congregations seeking ministers for part-time (less than 3/4 time) positions.
• Watch The Interim Opportunity. Essential viewing for congregations at the beginning of their ministerial transition period.

Ministers

These resources are useful for ministers in the midst of or considering a transition.

• MinistrySearch Jobs Board
• How to Case a Church (PDF, 59 pages)
  (Finding & Getting the Church of Your Choice)
  The classic (3rd edition) by Peter Spilman Raible.

Resources

• Ministerial Settlement System Please access this retired system only to retrieve historical information. New searches and records should go in the MinistrySearch system.
• How to Go Online (Settlement System) Please access this retired system only to retrieve historical information. New searches and records should go in the MinistrySearch system.
• Information for Regional Transitions Coaches (RTCs)