Task Force Summary Report and Concluding Discernment

Part of The Contract to Call Process for Ministry

A table with laptops, notebooks and beverages, and a partial view of people who are taking notes.

After the small groups and interviews are complete and reports ready to review, the call process task force should schedule at least two meetings to process and summarize the findings, using the following touchstones:

  • Their “charge” from the governing board
  • Focus on the question, “What is best for the congregation as a whole?”
  • Resist discussing individual opinions on the adequacy of the minister

The Summary Report

The task force summarizes the information from all of the small group and interview reports into the summary report. Structure the report so it is not possible to identify the responses of individuals or small groups.

Include:

  • Trends and themes
  • Areas of consensus
  • Areas where there are multiple perspectives. In these cases, use language indicating trends and general weights i.e., “most members, some members, few members,” etc. A nuanced view that frames multiple perspectives is better than an attempt to distill all perspectives into a single narrative.
  • The task force’s recommendation to the board about extending a call based on their report
  • The report should not include statistical analysis.

Once the task force has completed the summary, one member (usually the chair) of the call process task force meets privately with the minister and the board president/moderator to share the report and recommendation. This offers the opportunity for both of these key leaders to digest the information (and do some preparation if needed) before the report is shared with the full board.

Discussion and Discernment by Board and Minister

The next step in the process, the governing board discussion about the summary report and the discernment about next steps with the minister, can be a time of heightened anxiety and should be approached intentionally and tenderly, even when the findings are generally positive. The meeting should happen promptly after the report is shared. A few members of the call process task force and—if appropriate—the Committee on Ministry should be present when discussing the summary report with the minister to ensure that a broad and clear understanding of the information among all of the leaders present. The information and discussion at this meeting are to be kept confidential.

Before presenting a summary report to the congregation, the minister and the board should agree on what and how the information should be shared.

Unless the board and call process task force have agreed on another method, the presentation should be in one or more informational meetings with a readable page (print or on screen) available at the meeting. Distribution of a print or electronic summary report should be available following the information meeting(s).

Handling Difficult News

If the report’s findings are negative or mixed, contact regional staff, the Congregational Transitions Director, or others on the UUA Transitions Team for assistance. Approaching the conversation tenderly with the minister is critical. No more than two people should be present when reviewing the findings with the minister. The chairs of the call process task force and the Committee on Ministry may be the best choices for this task. Present the information factually to the minister, while speaking the truth in the spirit of love.

At this point, the minister may decide to withdraw from the call process and save the congregation from divisive feelings or offering up a “no” or “split” vote at a later congregational meeting.

Making the Decision to Call & Congregational Vote

The board should be unanimous in its decision to recommend a vote for a call to the to the congregation. The board may wish to endorse the call process task force’s recommendation or simply pass it along to the congregation. A final summary report should be prepared and made available to the congregation at least two weeks prior to the congregational meeting.

Congregational Vote

A special congregational meeting should be scheduled, separate from the annual meeting, for the sole purpose of voting to offer a call to settlement. Check your congregation’s bylaws and policies in advance for any provisions related to calling a minister and ensure that your process meets any such provisions. The special congregational meeting to consider extending a call to the minister will be facilitated by the board with the support of (and gratitude to) the call process task force.

The meeting should be publicized widely, encouraging a large turnout. This is a momentous time in a congregation’s life. Using paper ballots will ensure individual privacy.

Although a congregation’s bylaws may set forth a minimum positive vote (usually a super-majority) required to call a minister, the minister will often set a higher threshold regarding what level of support (% of votes) they will consider necessary to accept a call to settled ministry. The UUA Transitions Team recommends affirmative votes of at least 90-95% (of voters participating, not membership) when calling a minister in an open search process. Because an incumbent minister has established relationships within the congregation, undoubtedly including some with critics or detractors, a minister currently serving in a contract capacity may be quite content with an affirmative vote as low as 85%. For the call to take effect, the minister must accept it, i.e. state “I accept your call to be the settled minister of _________.” If attendance at the meeting is high, the resulting vote is positive, and the minister’s requirements have been met, acceptance is likely but should not be taken for granted.

When there is any opposition, often ministers want to speak with those who voted “no” to consider the meaning of the opposition before making the final commitment and accepting the call.

At this point, the task force has fulfilled their charge and their role as a task force is complete.

It is possible to rescind the existing remaining contract for the ministry and enter into a Letter of Agreement for settled ministry at any mutually agreeable point after a successful call process.

Installation Ceremony

It is customary to celebrate a successful call with an installation ceremony. The installation ceremony will distinguish when the minister enters a new stage of ministry with the congregation, and signifies that a significant commitment has been made. This is a separate celebration from that of the covenanting service (a ritual typically performed between the minister and congregation at the beginning of a contract ministry). Any mutually agreeable time after the vote can be appropriate for scheduling the installation ceremony.

Committee on Ministry

If you have a Committee on Ministry, it usually continues in support of the new settled minister. If you do not have one, consider forming one.