Religious Leadership
Professional clergy have had a special role in leading our movement. We recommend a single category of ministry with specializations, rather than the present three tracks (parish, religious education, and community). We also suggest further development of shared ministry between clergy and laity.
- ". . . Ministry of the congregation does not belong exclusively to ordained clergy, but to everyone. . . . Neil Shadle stated, 'Ministry is the vocation of every person of faith, [and] Unitarian Universalism, as a democratic faith, affirms the priesthood of all believers'."
- "Ordination is not merely a tertiary level of accreditation after graduation and Fellowship, but a mutual commitment to service and support, a calling out of the congregation to service of that community and the world beyond."
- "Each community minister [should] enter into a three-way covenantal association among (1) the minister, (2) the setting of ministry, and (3) at least one nearby Unitarian Universalist congregation."
Questions
- How can we reshape our understanding of lay and professional ministries, both to resolve current tensions and to meet new needs for religious leadership?