First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Albuquerque, NM

Ministerial Covenant

Ministerial Covenant
Between the Rev. Angela Herrera and the Rev. Bob LaVallee
First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque

 

As ministers sharing ministry with and to First Unitarian Church, our covenant grounds us in our work to serve the Spirit of Love through the mission of the church; orients us in our relationships towards one another and the Spirit; and encourages us to grow in joy, faithfulness, and commitment to our Unitarian Universalist faith.

As colleagues, we covenant with one another to:

  • Support each other in growing into our highest potential in our ministries so that we may minister to this congregation and to others more joyfully, faithfully, and well; and that we each live fulfilling and balanced lives as ministers;
  • Act always with the welfare of the congregation, the Unitarian Universalist ministry, the values and heritage of Unitarian Universalism, and the needs of Albuquerque and the wider world in mind;
  • Respect and honor the perspectives, gifts, and skills that we each bring to ministry and the respective roles we each fill in the congregation, knowing we will be continually learning from each other as we create a sacred space for all in the congregation;
  • Keep the lines of communication open, speaking honestly, including sharing with each other all church concerns so that we can best minister in partnership to the whole congregation;
  • Name and transform dynamics of identity, power, privilege and rank, that permeate our society, and thus our partnership and the congregation we serve;
  • Recognize Grace, and the presence of Spirit and the Holy in our work, and practice mutual commitment to our personal spiritual work;
  • Honor the interdependence of our work by being clear in our requests, cooperative in our work styles, and accountable for our responses;
  • Recognize that conflict is a healthy part of all communities, and facilitate constructive engagement with conflicts or differences of opinion;
  • Carve out time together for in-depth relationship building and connection across roles, including substantial periodic check-ins about our lives in ministry;
  • Meet together with a spiritual director or coach on a regular basis;
  • Continue to grow in faith and professional skills as individuals, and to support each other’s ongoing growth;
  • Be as fully present as possible with our doubts, fears and failings as well as our joys and successes;
  • We assume we will stumble at times and encounter challenges that test the well-intended explicit and implicit promises of this covenant. When these challenges arise, we promise to turn to each other, and seek counsel from colleagues or designated consultants as we may need, to seek and offer forgiveness generously, to learn well from our experiences, and to begin again.

We covenant to live these values and commitments with each other and with the entire congregation. Knowing that in time these commitments may change, we commit to revisit this living document regularly as we live into it in our work.

October 17, 2019