Pre-Candidates

Part of The Settled Ministry Search Handbook

Scrabble Tiles spelling out "Precandidates" on an aqua background

At this point the search team should have:

  • a list of applicants still being considered, prioritized based on the rubric
  • three potential pre-candidating weekends reserved on the calendar
  • notified all applicants no longer being considered, and “dismissed” their names in MinistrySearch

The next stage in the search process are the pre-candidating weekends, which will help you learn more about each minister and how they might match.

Pre-Candidate Invitation Protocol

On January 23 (and not before), the search team can extend invitations to up to three ministers to be their precandidate.

  • In the invitation, include the dates of the available pre-candidating weekends, and ask them—if they accept—to name all of the dates when they could be available. (This will help in scheduling once all pre-candidates are confirmed.)
  • Applicants may accept pre-candidating invitations at any time on or after January 24.
  • If a minister declines an invitation—or does not respond to an invitation within three days—the search team may invite the next minister on their prioritized list.
  • Once the search team confirms and schedules its pre-candidates, please use the same “Protocol for Communicating to Applicants Not Chosen” (see video interviews).
  • Once ministers have agreed to be a pre-candidate, they should not back out unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notify the UUA

Once the search team has its pre-candidates confirmed, contact the UUA Transitions Team.

  • Share the names of the pre-candidates.
  • Share the dates of each pre-candidate’s interview weekend.
  • The UUA will prepare an an interpretive file summary for each minister. (A 10 day notice is needed.)

Interpretive File Summaries

An interpretive file summary is a confidential document which only the search team is permitted to view. It confirms the fellowship status of the minister with the UUA, and includes is a short compilation (a page or less) summarizing assessments, exit interviews, and other key documents in the precandidate’s UUA ministerial fellowship file, from sources such as:

  • congregations served
  • internship sites
  • the career assessment
  • any Ministerial Fellowship Committee recommendations

The file summary is first to the minister for their review. The minister is free to ask questions about sources for the file summary.

The week before the pre candidate weekend, the summaries are sent to the search team. The file summary provides another data point about the candidate, which the search team can incorporate into what it already knows. When a minister has been forthcoming about their past ministries with the search team, there should be no surprises.

Planning Pre-Candidating Weekends

Details may be found on Coordinator’s page:

Three chalices in front of a lectern, one made of cast glass, one made of brass and another made of black steel, both with double rings, and

Pre-Candidating Weekends Coordinator

From LeaderLab

Pre-candidating weekends are the opportunity for the search team to interact with and experience the ministry of the candidate to help answer the question “Could this minister be a good match for our congregation?”

Pre-Candidating Coordinator

Pre-Negotiate the Ministerial Agreement

During the pre-candidating weekend, the search team and pre-candidate should intentionally schedule time to talk about the details in the proposed ministerial agreement (i.e. contract) and especially the compensation that the congregation is able to offer. Any deviations from the Draft Unified Ministerial Agreement should be noted and discussed.

This is the time for the pre-candidates to identify anything in the agreement that is a perceived “deal-breaker.” This gives time for the search team to take any concerns to the negotiating team to see if concerns can be addressed. Both minister and congregation should get the draft agreement in a state where both parties would be ready to sign if and when the time comes. This avoids surprises during contract negotiations at the critical point between when the verbal offer is made, and the candidating week.

Developed References and Research Calls

Now is the time for the search team to do their due diligence by researching the candidates’ ministry in conversations with UUA regional staff, and by developing and checking references beyond the initial ones provided with the application.

Details can be found on the References & Research Calls Coordinator page and below:

A torso of a person in a grey cardigan holding a smartphone as if making a call

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