Covenant for Ministerial Search Processes

Two wood artists mannequins shaking hands

Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal faith. 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.

This requirement centers a key component of our Unitarian Universalist faith, the sacred promises we make to one another, in the vital work of ministry search.

  • Only congregations and ministers who have agreed to covenant are eligible to participate in the UUA’s ministry search process.
  • Congregations and ministers who do not keep the covenant will face restrictions and may be held from the search process.
  • Volunteers who support the search process and staff who break covenant will be referred to those who supervise them.
  • Search teams and ministers agree to enter into the search covenant by ticking the covenant box in your MinistrySearch profile; there is no separate form to fill out or submit.
  • Volunteers and UUA Staff agree to follow the covenant in their work to support ministry transitions. The UUA Transitions Team fully abides by the covenant below.

Covenant for Searching Congregations

The UUA Transitions Team encourages search teams to make a more relational covenant to guide their work and establish their team culture. This covenant is for fair process in search with the UUA.

As a search team representing our congregation, we agree:

  • to serve our congregation to the best of our ability, realizing, both as a group and individually, we represent the face of our congregation and community in the ministerial search process. We will represent our congregation and interact with applicants with honesty, care, compassion, and respect.
  • to follow the rules and timelines within the Ministry Search Handbook and other UUA search materials.
  • to honor a minister’s needs to follow the UU Ministers Association guidelines (regardless of membership).
  • not to perpetuate historic differences in compensation and benefits based upon gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and other marginalized identities. We understand that ministers will communicate with UUA staff and UU Ministers Association Good Officers regarding the terms of the agreement offered.
  • to inform and work with the UUA Transitions Team and regional staff throughout the search process.
  • to understand and honor the need for fairness and confidentiality throughout the search process.

Special Circumstances

Interim Ministry

(on behalf of leadership and the congregation):

  • We agree to not to ask the interim to be a candidate for a congregation’s settled position and understand that that the interim may not apply to a position with our congregation that starts within 3 years of their last day as interim minister.
  • We agree to complete interim progress appraisals as required.
  • We agree to fund the training cost of the interim minister, if they have not completed the transitional ministry training already.
  • We understand that an interim minister must have a mentor (all except Accredited Interim Ministers) or collegial support system (AIMS only) during the interim ministry.
  • We understand the need for fairness throughout the search and interim period. We agree to abide by the interim search rules as well as to support interim ministry in our congregation throughout the interim period.

Developmental Ministry

(on behalf of leadership and the congregation):

  • We understand that the developmental minister will leave at the end of the developmental ministry (usually not longer than seven years) and agree to not to ask the developmental minister to be a candidate for a congregation’s settled ministry position or stay beyond the developmental ministry.
  • We agree to complete developmental ministry progress appraisals as required.
  • We agree to fund the training cost of the developmental minister, if they have not completed the transitional ministry training already.

Covenant for Searching Ministers

As a Unitarian Universalist minister representing our faith, I agree:

  • to serve our Association of congregations to the best of my ability. I pledge to interact with each congregation I encounter in the search process with respect, kindness, and authenticity.
  • to follow the rules and timelines within the Ministry Search Handbook and other UUA search materials.
  • to follow UU Ministers Association guidelines (regardless of membership).
  • to inform and work with the UUA Transitions Team and regional staff throughout the transitional process.
  • to understand and honor the need for fairness and confidentiality throughout the search process.

Special Circumstances

Interim Ministry

I agree to:

  • not be a candidate for a congregation’s settled position and will not apply to a position that starts within 3 years of my last day as interim minister.
  • complete interim progress appraisals as required.
  • complete the initial training for transitional ministers, if I have not already done so.
  • have a mentor (all except Accredited Interim Ministers) or collegial support system (AIMS only) during the interim ministry.
  • support my interim ministry colleagues throughout the search and interim period.

Developmental Ministry

I agree to:

  • leave at the end of the developmental ministry term and clear any extension beyond seven years with the UUA Transitions Team.
  • complete developmental ministry evaluations as required
  • complete the initial training for transitional ministers, if I have not already done so.

Covenant for UUA Staff and Volunteers Who Support Transitions

As the UUA Transitions Team, UUA staff, and search volunteers representing our faith, we covenant to:

  • serve our Association of congregations to the best of our abilities. We pledge to interact with each congregation we encounter in the search process with respect, kindness, and authenticity.
  • serve ministers in search to the best of our ability. We pledge to interact with each minister we encounter in the search process with respect, kindness, and authenticity.
  • serve our Unitarian Universalist faith in a way that reflects its values and manage the ministerial search process in a way that respects all involved.