Every year, for a variety of reasons, some congregations and some ministers do not find a match. This may be the result of simple bad luck with misaligned ranking, or it may be the result of a search team’s and/or minister’s careful discernment and good judgment about not rushing into the wrong commitment.
If a congregation does not have a match on offer day, the search team notifies their board that there is no match in the current search cycle. The UUA Transitions Team is available to offer care, guidance, and perspective at this moment and to debrief with the search team.
Decisions and Timing
The board and current transitional minister should decide mutually whether to continue to work together for an additional year. If this is not possible or desirable, the board may decide to seek a new interim minister for a year and engage the settled search again next year. Alternatively, the board may decide to use the contract search process to find a minister who could stay a year—or more, if the match is good—and who could even be called in the future.
If a new search is needed, the board may form a new search team as a task force of the board with or without some members of the settled search team, in alignment with the preferences and energy levels of all involved. The board and search team should learn about the possibilities and processes for the interim and contract ministry search as soon as they can. The UUA Transitions Team will convert the settled ministry search profile into a contract or interim ministry search profile, upon request. The contract search begins as soon as the search team is ready and concludes when a minister is hired. The interim search begins toward the end of April and concludes in mid-May.
Whatever the board decides, the good work of the settled ministry search team and the congregational self-awareness which increased because of the interim ministry will shape the ministry partnership ahead. The search team served the congregation well with its commitment to good process. No particular outcome was ever assured. If the search team could use some support in working through grief and disappointment, your transitional minister and/or the Congregational Transitions Director will meet with you to debrief the search experience.
Additional Information
When Ministers Are Hard to Find Strategies and Advice
It can be very disappointing and disheartening when your congregation has been through a search process but could not find a match. But know that you are not alone! Your UUA Staff are still your companions!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should we say to the congregation and when?
An announcement like this should be made on the first Sunday following the offer date. Additional information may be provided as appropriate. “Our ministerial search team did not find a good match this search cycle. The work of the search team was to find a good candidate who would minister well with the congregation. So far that has not happened. Leadership, the search team, and our partners at the UUA are discerning together about the next move which will serve us all best. We thank the search team for their stellar work on our behalf so far. We know that all the work that went into this search will pay off in our next ministry.”
What are some common realizations for congregations which did not find a match in a settled search?
Search teams often feel desperation, panic, and a sense of failure if they cannot find a candidate. Still, they know that if a poor match had been made, a short, conflicted ministry would be more disappointing and costly to a congregation (and minister) than doing another year of interim ministry.
Many congregations simply are better served with another year of interim ministry. Many congregations have reported that they realized they needed another year of interim work to be ready for a settled minister and didn’t realize this until they made it through the first year of search (and second year of interim ministry). Perhaps they discovered some conflict in what the congregation believed about itself, unprocessed grief or trauma, or differing perspectives on what the congregation needs in the next ministry partner once they began their work. A first search without a match may well be indicating simply that the congregation needs more time to be ready for its next settled ministry.
What are some common realizations for ministers who did not find a match in a settled search?
A minister who applied, but did not become a candidate, in the settled search may have significant dissatisfaction. This can shape their next choices and their view of their current ministry. They may feel more resolved than ever to leave or realize that their current congregation is a pretty good match for them still. In the past, ministers have reported that they failed to ask enough questions when preparing to continue searching. Ministers still need to do thorough research as they continue searching, which may include speaking with the current minister, previously ministers, regional staff, and UUA Transitions Team. They should work to keep their standards and spirits high.
What does it say about our congregation if we don’t find a minister?
Not finding a minister simply means that the search team did not find a match from the pool of searching ministers that year. Rarely is there one reason or a simple explanation for this result. Chances are the congregation was somewhat unlucky, had more to learn, or wasn’t quite ready for a new settled ministry. It may be that the search team did its work well and found that no minister they considered was right for the congregation.