A difficult parting from any type of ministry puts a minister on a temporary hold from ministry search. Here is an overview of the process.

Contract ministries can also benefit from reflection on the course of the ministry with the congregation using exit interviews.

Regional staff are asked to share information from their perspective that will help the congregation.

This interview is a tool for reflection and increasing self-awareness of the congregation at the end of this ministry.

This interview is a tool for reflection and increasing self-awareness of the minister and for providing another lens about the congregation being served at the end of this ministry.

The sharing of honest and constructive feedback about one’s experience as a staff member may be beneficial both for the staff and for the congregation.

Outlining a process and following it closely will enable all of the involved parties to keep clear boundaries and honor everyone's dignity by keeping appropriate confidentiality.

Staff should practice well-boundaried relationships with the departing minister and help the congregation prepare for the new minister.

Leaving well is a time for reflecting on the ministry's accomplishments and lessons, and reassuring the congregation as they will move to a new future.

Congregations facing the departure of a minister should focus on ending the ministry well while planning for the future.

The Guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA) (Art. IX, Sec. C, D & E) mandate that the greatest sensitivity and care be exercised in the relations between the retired minister, the congregation and the new incumbent minister.

After a minister has retired from a congregation that they have served in a full, long, and mutually meaningful ministry, the congregation may wish to honor the shared ministry by designating them as minister emerit/us/a.

When a minister decides to retire, the first step is submitting the Intent to Retire Form to the UUA's Ministries and Faith Development staff.

The UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association offers the UURMaPA Retirement Guide (PDF). It's full of wisdom from the experience of dozens of retired ministers. It includes advice useful to ministers and partners contemplating retirement as well as those who have already retired.

Our Ruler Method provides a consistent approach to placing employee salaries with in our recommended ranges. Use it mathematically or simply conceptually.

Different types of ministerial departures tend to elicit reactions in a congregation. These different scenarios can give you a starting point as you lead your congregation through the transition.

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!

The ending of a ministry is an opportunity for reflection and learning. The exit interview practice enables congregational leaders, ministers, and regional staff to assess the ministry of both the congregation and the minister during their tenure.The experience is both pastoral and educational.

Congregations and ministers that take the time to conclude a ministry well, to express gratitude and good wishes, set the tone for the next ministry partnership.

Access recordings from previous Congregational Leaders Conversations, where leaders from across the country gather monthly to hear an esteemed guest speak on an emergent issue, hopeful development, or pressing concern in Unitarian Universalism.