November 2, 2025
Dear First U Members,
It has come to my attention that there is some confusion by some on the different minister titles and the situations that might arise in hiring these different minister positions. I am going to cover three in this email: The Called Minister (what the church is embarking on now), the Senior Interim Minister (me), and the Associate Minister (Rev. Beth).
A Called Minister comes about (i.e. Christine Robinson from 1988 to 2017) when a Search Committee, appointed by the Nominations Committee (aka Leadership Succession Committee, and sometimes appointed by the Board in smaller congregations), interviews potential candidates after many interactions with the congregation (including giving written summaries of church culture to potential candidates). After interviews, the Search Committee recommends a final candidate to the congregation to vote on after that minister is invited to preach in April or May (for this congregation it will be in 2027). This is typically a 2-year process to have the congregation identify what a good match in a minister might look like, empower a Search Committee to find that minister, and for the congregation to affirm with a congregational vote that this is the Minister to serve in the congregation’s future.
In this above-mentioned 2-year period, there is typically an Interim Minister serving the church. An Interim Ministry typically happens after a ministry ends, due to retirement, etc. Because getting an Interim Minister requires a faster turn-around, the Board is given the responsibility of hiring an Interim Minister (and other short-term ministry settings), and hence this minister reports to the Board (as opposed to other structures that include the wider congregation of a Called Minister). The Interim years allow a congregation to take a more deliberate and no-rushed approach in finding a settled minister. This allows a larger buy-in by the congregation of who their next Minister might be. An Interim might not be a perfect match for the congregation, as the same amount of research and buy-in by the wider congregation has not occurred. The Interim is usually tasked by the Board with specific things—assisting the Search Committee, assessing a stable budget for the future Minister and congregation, and assessing any perceived weaknesses in the system, such as lack of transparency in the wider church culture. or working to strengthen covenantal culture. There are national UUA guidelines and rules that prohibit a Senior Interim Minister from serving as a long-term Called Minister. One of the tasks as an Interim is to change things up a little and to help the church identify who they are (with or without a Minister) in order to ultimately attract a Minister that is a good cultural fit (not just a good leader/orator, in general).
An Associate or Assistant Minister is not typically called, but can often serve long-term. The Senior Minister is in charge of hiring the Associate or Assistant Minister (as I did with Rev. Beth). The Associate Minister does not report to the Board or the Congregation, but to the Senior Minister.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Your Board of Directors is also available after Sunday 11 am services for the next two weeks.
In faith,
Rev. Stacey
