Congregations that experience patterns of conflict, poor boundaries, etc. or are facing a daunting cultural transition, and are ready to do the work of significant structural or cultural change work are potential candidates for developmental ministry.

When Developmental Ministry Can Be Helpful

• Moving to a new governance structure, merging with another congregation, or significantly changing the congregation’s campus
• Desire to improve congregational life by focusing on welcoming, new member connection, stewardship and leadership development
• Desire to stretch into its social justice values and commitments
• After a period of decline, desire to reinvent yourselves and your purpose.
• Dealing with long-term, unresolved struggles, such as over a historic and beloved building or signature program
• Addressing the aftereffects of trauma in the congregation’s history (long past or recent), including
  • unresolved conflict
  • boundary violations
  • clergy (or other staff or leader) sexual misconduct
  • abusive leadership
  • repeated and rapid ministerial turnover

Readiness for Developmental Ministry

UUA Regional Staff and Transitions Team must approve a congregation’s search for developmental ministry. They work with congregational leaders to identify underlying issues and to evaluate the congregation’s readiness for transformational change. Factors include:

• Congregational leadership can readily identify areas of work needed.
• They are unified in their commitment to doing the work with help from a minister.
• They see the need and have the self-awareness, desire, and capacity to make meaningful structural or cultural changes
• They have already started learning as a community, e.g. in conversation with UUA Regional Staff, by taking trainings together, by doing a common read, etc.
• They understand that a developmental minister is not there to fix the congregation, but to assist the congregation in achieving its goals.
• They realize that the work may be challenging, as it may be related to trust, power, authority, identity, and right relationship.
• They realize that sustained work will be needed; this is not a quick fix.
• They have found a way to ensure buy-in from the larger congregation. New leaders are oriented to and supportive of the program when leadership turnover occurs.

Markers for Developmental Ministry Readiness

• When the congregation identifies significant cultural or structural change work it wants to do or wants to make a breakthrough in addressing chronic issues.
• The congregation has worked with the regional staff and/or current minister (usually an interim minister) to see the need and capacity for significant learning and change.

Lack of Readiness for Developmental Ministry

• A congregation is not serious about or committed to working on its goals.
• Congregational buy-in for this type of ministry has not been established.
• The congregation expects the minister to do all the work of fixing the problems.

For More Information

• “Options for Ministerial Transition Other Than Interim Ministry” by Nancy Bowen, in the 2nd Edition of In the Interim.
• Ready for Change, by Elaine McArdle, UUWorld Magazine (Fall 2014)
  The Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado, needed transformation. What a difference five years has made!
• What Is Developmental Ministry? by Elaine McArdle, UUWorld Magazine (Fall 2014)
  A new program matches congregations with ministers to solve specific institutional problems.