Ministers interested in settled ministry positions will be interacting with a search team who has spend the better part of a year synthesizing the congregation’s hopes into their congregational record. Congregations are guided by the Settled Ministry Search Handbook, but it’s helpful for ministers in search to read through the handbook to understand the congregation’s process
This Settled Minister Search Guide provides the process and recommendations for ministers interested in being called as a settled minister.
Be sure you are in conversation with the UUA Transitions Team transitions@uua.org about your interest in settled ministry.
Review the Search Covenant
Covenant for Ministerial Search Processes
All searching congregations, searching ministers, and those who assist congregations and ministers in the search process covenant with one another for a fair and responsible search process.
Pre-Candidating Process for Settled Ministers
Minister can expect to do preliminary Zoom interviews during the first three weeks of January. Congregations engaging in a settled search process can invite up to three preferred applicants to pre-candidate.
- Invitations from congregations to their preferred applicants go out on January 23 or later
- Ministers can respond on January 24, but no later than January 27 (or 3 days after the invitation is extended)
- Ministers can accept up to three pre-candidating weekends
- Once you have finished accepting pre-candidating invtations, please send the other congregations an email through the MinistrySearch system using the “dismiss” option (with a pastoral note to let them know you are moving forward with other congregations).
- Work with the congregations to schedule the pre-candidating weekends
Pre-Negotiation of Ministerial Agreements
During the pre-candidating weekend, the search team and pre-candidate should spend some time talking about the proposed contract and compensation. This is the time for you to bring forth any potential “deal-breakers,” which can then be taken to the negotiating team to be resolved, if possible.
This is the time for any questions or concerns. The volunteer lay leaders depend on you, the professional, to bring up any lingering questions in a way that doesn’t raise anxiety. Everyone wants to avoid surprises after this point in the process, especially during negotiations after the invitation to be the final candidate is extended.