Developmental ministry is an option for congregations with a recurrent short ministries, chronic conflict, or needing other systemic internal work before calling a minister.

A Quick Overview of Developmental Ministry

• Developmental ministers are full-time and are for congregations larger than 125 members that are getting ready for a Settled Ministry. (See Contract Ministry for less than full-time searches or if your congregation is smaller than 125 members.)
• UUA Regional Staff and Transitions Team must approve a congregation’s search for developmental ministry. All parties work together to identify underlying issues and to evaluate a congregation’s readiness for transformational change. (Developmental Ministers also have a UUA review process.)
• The developmental ministry search window spans January through March of each year for an August start date.
• Usually, a developmental ministry lasts 4-7 years, with 5+ years being optimal.
• The developmental minister is hired by the congregation’s governing board.
• Developmental ministers may not be called by the congregation as their settled minister.
• In the last year of a developmental ministry, the congregation typically engages their next search for a settled minister. After this significant work in the congregation, there is no need to have an interim ministry before the next settlement.

Costs and Availability

Developmental ministry requires a high level of support and training from UUA staff and ministers with a developmental specialty and focus.

• The pool of Developmental Ministers is limited to those who have the skillsets needed for transformational ministry. The availability is dependent both on which Developmental Ministers are finishing up a 4-7 year term, and how successful UUA Transitions Team and Regional Staff are in recruiting experienced Interim or other ministers who are willing and able to serve as Developmental ministers.
• Developmental ministers are compensated at the high end of the recommended salary range.
• Relocation costs (usually around $10,000) and any needed specialized training costs for the minister are covered by the congregation.
• There is no additional Developmental Ministry fee associated with developmental ministry for congregations which support our UUA’s Annual Program Fund (APF) at the Honor level.
• There is a $1000 fee for the first and another $1000 for the second year of Developmental Ministry for UUA congregations who are not Honor-level supporters of the APF.
• Part-Time or Congregations with fewer than 125 members use the contract ministry search process, but can advertise for a developmental ministry focus. The congregation should offer to pay for the minister to take the UUA’s Year-Long Transitional Ministry Training (YLTMT), the training taken by interim and developmental ministers.

Annual Developmental Ministry Evaluation

The annual evaluation is a time for the board and leadership to reflect with the minister on the joint work of developmental ministry:

• How well are the leadership and developmental minister working on the goals?
• What needed more work than expected?
• Where does work need to begin?
• Is the process moving along well?

The appraisals should be approached as a conversation between leaders and the minster, offering a valuable opportunity to reflect on the progress of the interim ministry as it unfolds. They offer insights into the congregation’s readiness for settled ministry and to see how self-reflective and open the interim minister and congregation are as they move forward. (They are not meant as an evaluation of the minister.)