The health and vitality of our congregations depends in part on a good match between a congregation and their minister. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) helps to connect ministers searching for a position with congregations which want to find a minister.

The UUA offers information and resources to help congregants, ministers, and regional staff throughout the search process for all types of ministers: assistant, contract, developmental, interim, or settled.

Announcements

• Year-long Transitions Ministry Training (YLTMT) class, which begins in mid-August and continues through mid-May, provides an innovative learning model for transitional ministries of all types.

  2025 Registration is Closed — Be on the lookout in 2026!

  Please contact the UUA Transitions Office transitions@uua.org with any questions as you prepare to register for the course.

• Sign up to receive our new and improved UUA Transitions Team newsletter! This newsletter is open to ministers, congregations, staff, and anyone who wants to know more about the transition cycle.

Questions about Materials or the Search Process

Please include your full name, your congregation’s full name (no acronyms), city, and state in all correspondence with the UUA Transitions Team (transitions@uua.org) and regional staff.

UUA Transitions Team:

• Amy Szen, Administrator
• Rev. Patrice Curtis, Transformational Interim Ministries Director
• Rev. Eric Kaminetzky, Interim Settled Ministries Director
• Christine Purcell, Congregational Transitions Director

Congregational Leaders and Ministers

Regarding All Active and Upcoming Searches

1. Congregational leaders, once you have been in touch with regional staff and/or the Congregational Transitions Director about the types of ministry search which would be best or are available to your congregation, send an email to transitions@uua.org to initiate your search. Include your congregation’s full name, city, and state, and the name and email for your contact person.
2. To view opportunity listings for ministers, religious educators, musicians, and other congregational staff, please visit the MinistrySearch Jobs Board. To post a position on the jobs board for non-ordained staff, use the Job Board Listing Request form.
3. Congregations seeking or offering staff for collaboration may also post to the Congregational Collaboration Board.

These documents are essential reading and resources for lay leaders and ministers in search:

• The Ministry Search Handbook (PDF): a comprehensive guide to all types of ministry search (created 06/2025)
• Settled Ministry Search Calendar 2026 (PDF)
• Interim Ministry Search Calendar 2025 (PDF)
• Employment agreements for all types of ministry (contract, interim, developmental, settled)
• Prior to Summer/Fall 2025:Interim Progress Appraisal Updated April 2024 (DOCX) To be completed by ministers and lay leaders, after 6 months; after 12 months; and for two year interims, again at the end of the second year.
• Developmental Progress Appraisal Updated June 2025 (Doc).To be completed by ministers and lay leaders, after 6 months and annually thereafter.
• Interim Appraisals beginning in 2025 church year: Use the Appraisals below, updated June 2025. (You may also choose to switch to this version if the interim ministry began prior to Fall 2025). They are to be completed by ministers and lay leaders:
  • Six Months (due within eight months) (Doc)
  • Annual (due within 60 days) (Doc)
  • Final Appraisal (due before departure of minister (Doc)
• Directory Update Form 
  Please complete this form to note any staffing changes to be displayed on MyUUA.org

Congregational Leaders

Resources here are of particular use to lay leaders shepherding their congregation through the ministerial transition.

• Notice of Ministerial Transition 
  Informs the Transitions Office and your Regional Transitions Program Manager that your congregation is going into a ministerial search. This will also allow us to share your transition in the UUWorld Magazine.
• Board Checklist for the Search Process (PDF) 
  A list of board responsibilities from the time the board becomes aware of the need for a settled ministry search to the beginning of the next settled ministry (includes the interim search process, coaching fees, etc)
• Congregational Transition Interview (Word) 
  To be completed by congregational leadership with UUA Regional Staff when ministers depart
• Settled Search Support Request 
  To be completed by board chairs during the spring when settled ministry search committees are formed. This form arranges payment for the congregational portion of the support provided by UUA staff and volunteers throughout the search process (search committee retreat, Break Barriers, Build Beliefs workshop, new ministry start-up workshop)
• Back ground checks: Responsible Staffing (PDF, 14 pages)
  • Oxford Document Management Company
  • Church Mutual Insurance Company
• Compensation Worksheet (Excel) 
  Assists in calculating total compensation for a ministerial position, based on UUA benefit guidelines
• Ministerial Compensation for Search Committees (PDF, 52 pages) (YouTube Version). PDF version of webinar hosted by The Transitions Office and the Office of Church Staff Finances.
• Notice of Call or Hire
  To be completed by the governing board once the congregation’s call or hire of a minister has been extended and accepted. This will also allow us to share your call or hire in the UUWorld Magazine.
• Transitions Support for Congregational Staff

Ministers

These resources are useful for ministers in the midst of or considering a transition.

• Notice of Ministerial Departure — Transitions Ministry
  To be completed by departing Transitions Ministers.
• Intent to Retire Form
  Must be submitted in order for retirement to be recognized in UU World Milestones and at the General Assembly Service of the Living Tradition
• Ministerial Exit Interview (Word) 
  To be completed by departing ministers with UUA Regional Staff
• MinistrySearch Jobs Board
• How to Case a Church (PDF, 59 pages) 
  The classic (third edition) by Peter Spilman Raible
• Ordination and Installation Handbook (PDF), by Rev. Erika Hewitt
• After Running Through the Thistles the Hard Part Begins (PDF, 13 pages) 
  The Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed’s reflections on the position of the former minister, with responses by Revs. Leon Hopper and Marge Keip.

Archived Resources

• 2018 UUA/UUMA Recommended Ministerial Agreement (PDF, 23 pages). Note that the August 2021 version is a light edit, mainly for clarity and cosmetics.
• 2012 Joint Recommendations Concerning Ministerial Agreements (Word, 24 pages) (PDF, 21 pages) Background information for all ministerial agreements and sample letters of call for settled ministries. For ministries beginning in July 2019 or later, please use the agreement listed in the above “essential reading for both lay leaders and ministers”section.