The UUA has a couple of creative ways to support short-term ministry needs of congregations other than settled or transitional ministries.

• Part-time, short-term ministries are needed for less than 6 months
• Full-time, short-term ministries usually do not exceed 2 months
• Traumatic situations, like an untimely death of a minister, may need more time

Sabbatical Coverage

The short-term ministry search process can be used to find a sabbatical minister. Plan to post a sabbatical ministry opportunity 6-8 months before the sabbatical begins.

Other Short-Term Ministry Reasons

• A ministry ending that is not timed with the annual search cycle. It could be a due to a death, prolonged illness, family emergency, or negotiated resignation.
• A congregation is considering a new ministry (first professional ministry, assistant ministry, or specialized ministry like pastoral care, social justice, or family ministry)
• Multisite congregations looking for specific extra help
• Innovative congregational projects best overseen by a minister
• Offer compensation that aligns with UUA and UUMA recommendations
• Perks such as travel expense reimbursement, and/or lodging provisions will increase interest

How Short-Term Ministry Works

• Congregational leaders work with regional UUA staff to clarify goals for the ministry with reasonable and achievable expectations
• Congregations share a bit about their needs and context in a search profile, and ministers apply directly to the congregations in search by sharing their ministerial records with search teams.

Compensation for Short-Term Ministry

• Congregations are expected to pay the minister for their services in accordance with UUMA and UUA recommended guidelines:
  • Salary/housing—at least the midpoint for that congregation’s size and Geo index
  • Retirement benefits (required by federal law)
  • Social security tax (in lieu of FICA/self-employment offset tax) 7.65% of salary
  • Additional benefits can be negotiated.
• Ministers who live outside the area should be provided private housing by the congregation at their expense (e.g. extended stay hotel, guest house, vacated seasonal home, etc.). Travel expenses should be negotiated as part of the agreement.