Meet Your Congregation’s Needs
Before a congregation searches for a minister, the UUA Congregational Life and/or Transitions Team staff will meet with leadership to discuss your ministry needs, context, and history. That way we can customize a recommendation to help foster a mutually satisfying match.
When leaders pause to reflect at the end of a ministry, especially one that ended in conflict, they can notice and name behaviors, systems and patterns that can then be addressed with the appropriate kind of ministry that will lead to sustainable, vital ministry in the future.
This overview provides descriptions, benefits, costs, and goals of the different kinds of ministry.
A Guide to Contract Ministry
An option for under-resourced congregations, those who could not find a match in the settled search process, and for part-time searches.
Contract Ministry
Type:
Full or part-time, hired by the board, considered a transitional ministry
Duration:
Contract ministries usually are one-year, renewable agreements. If there is desire for a contract-to-call process or if the ministry has a developmental focus, a multi-year agreement may be a preferred option.
Best for congregations:
- which hope to be in a ministry partnership for a while before entering into an open-ended call
- which are uncertain about the sustainability or direction of their ministry
- and/ or those with fewer than ~125 members.
These searches can also be used for assistant and associate positions (second minister searches should be timed to the settled search)
Goals:
The ministry may be like any other or may be limited to specific tasks like preaching and pastoral care, especially for part-time ministries
Unique features:
Contract is the only transitional ministry which can lead to an open-ended call.
Timing of search:
The most favorable timing is December-April, but it can happen any time.
A Guide to Developmental Ministry
An option for congregations with a recurrent short ministries, chronic conflict, or needing other systemic and/or transformational work.
Developmental Ministry
Type: Full-time, hired by the board, transitional, not eligible for a call
Duration: Developmental ministries are usually 5-7 years (in annually renewable agreements)
Best for congregations:
- with a history of repeated short ministries or chronic conflict
- facing unique opportunities and challenges
- exhibiting a need to make significant structural or cultural changes and that have the self-awareness, desire, and capacity to make them.
Goals: In partnership with Congregational Life staff, the congregation identifies a few significant cultural and structural change goals for the ministry before the search.
Unique features: Inclusion in the developmental ministry program must be approved by Congregational Life staff. The UUA Transitions Team and Congregational Life staff curate the lists of applicants for experience which is relevant to the congregation’s goals.
Cost: $1,000/year fee for UUA support for the first and second year for congregations which do not support the UUA’s Annual Program Fund at the Honor level. There is no fee for Honor congregations.
Timing of search: January-April, with months of preparation leading up to the search
A Guide to Interim Ministry
Interim ministry is a transitional ministry designed to help a congregation between settled ministries.
Interim Ministry
Type: Full-time, hired by the board, transitional, not eligible for a call
Duration: Usually 24 months (two annually renewable agreements)
Best for: Congregations with more than 125 members between settled ministries or before a developmental ministry
Goals: The minister assists the congregation in
- moving beyond its last ministry
- equipping itself for a new, different ministry
- examining practices that may or may not serve the congregation well
- assisting the congregation through the emotional process of transition
- connecting the congregation to needed resources.
Timing of search: April-May
Settled Ministry
Type: Open-ended, covenantal partnership, full-time (Note: in a contract-to-call situation, a settled ministry can be any percentage of time)
Duration: Unlimited
Best for: Congregations with more than 125 members which can sustain full-time, fairly compensated ministry for 4+ years.
Unique features: Search process takes most of a year and requires a serious volunteer commitment from 7 search team members; new ministry partnership begins with a congregational vote (not a board hire)
Cost:
- $1,000-$3,500 for UUA search support depending on congregation’s level of support for our UUA’s Annual Program fund.
- search team needs a budget of $10,000+ for their year of work
Timing of search: June to May of the last year of an interim or developmental ministry
Short-Term Ministry (Targeted or Sabbatical Coverage)
A Guide to Short-Term Ministry
The UUA has a couple of creative ways to support short-term ministry needs of congregations other than settled or transitional ministries.
Type: Full or part-time, hired by the board, considered a transitional ministry
Duration: 2-6 months, may not be extended
Best for:
- congregations which need coverage for a minister’s sabbatical
- limited ministry partnership to help a congregation with an off-cycle ministry need until they can conduct a search during the UUA’s annual search cycle
- support for a project which would benefit from a professional ministry partner.
Goals: Usually basic ministry or project support
Timing of search: Most favorable timing is December-April, but can happen any time