Checking references making research calls—important parts of the search process—are usually done by members of a sub-team, coordinated by the references and research calls coordinator.

Prospective ministers do their own research by talking with interim ministers, regional staff, and previous settled ministers. Your search team will have similar opportunities to talk with with people familiar with the candidate’s ministry. What both search teams and ministers are seeking is congruency. Do congregations or ministers present themselves consistently with how others describe them?

The search team normally contacts references in two stages, before deciding on pre-candidates, and before extending an offer for a minister to be the final candidate.

For More Detail

Reference calls may be done over the phone, video, or via email. The UUA recommends that, for phone and video interviews, if possible, two search team members are present during the reference check. To respect people’s time, 30 minutes should be the maximum time allotment for a reference conversation.

Sample Reference Check and Research Questions for Settled Searches (XLSX)

Also review the following article for additional guidance (especially regarding confidentiality) before making reference or research calls.

Checking References: A Guide for Ministerial Search Teams

From LeaderLab

Along with background checks, interviewing the references provided and due diligence research are essential to finding a good match for your open position.

Checking References

Initial Reference Check

Once a search team has received access to ministerial records, they may ask the minister directly for an initial set of references.

• Some search teams check references before deciding whom to interview
• Other search teams wait until after the first interview to help them to decide who to invite for a pre-candidating weekend.

The search team may only reach out to references provided by an applicant minister to preserve confidentiality about the minister’s search.

Research Calls with UUA Regional Staff

The search team should set up research calls with a UUA regional staff person (CUC, if Canadian) to learn more about pre-candidates. These are not reference calls, as UUA staff cannot provide references for ministers.

Regional staff have a unique “systems” perspective and are delighted to share what they know about pre-candidate ministers to help your search team look for congruency and find a great match. The search team should ask the minister which staff person knows their ministry best before contacting a regional staff person. If the minister cannot connect the search team with a regional staff person, the search team may reach out to the Congregational Transitions Director to ask if anyone on staff is familiar with the ministry of the precandidate.

See the Checking References Guide for more detail and sample questions.

Developed References for Pre-Candidates

Once the search team has selected its pre-candidates, they can a second round of reference checks begins. It is essential to get the minister’s consent before speaking with developed references. By this point, the search team should have a good sense of the pre-candidates. They may have some questions or want some clarity about a previous ministry or experience that is still unclear after talking to the initial reference.

Examples:

• Someone in the ministers’ current congregation or congregation last served. It is imperative to take great care to be mindful of the need for confidentiality. If a minister is currently serving a congregation, their search for a new ministry may not be public to the congregation.
• If the pre-candidate is serving in a ministerial internship, the search team should speak to the supervising minister and/or someone on the internship committee.
• The search team may have questions about the minister’s involvement in a certain aspect of ministry, i.e. staff supervision, anti-racism work, conflict-transformation, or trust building work. The team could ask the pre-candidate, “For a developed reference, we’d like to talk to someone of your choosing who could tell us about your work around ________. Who could we talk to about this?” The search team would free to ask other questions of any developed references.

Candidate Reference Check

Once a search team has chosen their final candidate and announced it, they have the option to ask the candidate for additional references within the current congregation or workplace where the minister is serving. There still may be a few lingering questions in the search team, often related to some conflict at the current congregation. Being able to hear two or three differing narratives should provide a “good enough” understanding of whatever was concerning the team. With this last bit of due diligence completed, they can focus on preparing for candidating week.

Time Requirement

January through early April

Key Dates