Since July 1 of 2019, TJMC Unitarian Universalist has not had a full-time settled Minister.
Our part-time Assistant Minister, Alex McGee, has been preaching one Sunday a month and she has been scheduling guest speakers, including our Director of Faith Development, Leia Durland-Jones, for the other Sundays. There is also a team of Worship Weavers in place to assist with the Sunday Worship. Alex has generously agreed to continue to schedule the Sunday speakers to the end of this fiscal year or July 2020.
Eventually we will call a settled minister, but our next step is to hire an interim minister.
There are four different types of interim ministers and their compensation packages for a church of our size in a city with similar demographics are all about the same, $93K salary + 35% benefits or just over $125,000/year. These salaries are determined by the UUA, and as a member church we are asked to follow these guidelines.
Regular Interim Minister
The role of an Interim Minister is to help a congregation stabilize and make healthy adjustments between settled ministries, and to give individuals in the congregation time to process their feelings about 6 the ministry which has just ended before looking for a new settled minister. Three Board members form an Interim Search Team. The online search takes place from February to April and Interim Ministers are hired by the Board (not called by the congregation) in May for August 1 start dates. Interims typically stay with a congregation 2 years and are not eligible to be called as the congregation’s settled minister.
Contract Minister
A Contract Minister is hired for a negotiated number of Sundays (32-36 Sundays a year would be considered full-time). They may do some pastoral care or social justice work. Online profiles for Contract Ministers are released by December 1 for an August start date. Salary and benefits are negotiated with the congregation but are typically in line with the UUA recommendations. Contract ministers are eligible to be called as a congregation’s settled minister.
Targeted Ministers
A Targeted Minister is typically a semi-retired minister serving a congregation for short term contracts (3-6 months) for specific duties (Sunday Worship, pastoral care, community outreach, etc..) Salary and benefits are negotiated with the congregation but typically in line with the UUA recommendations. Targeted ministers are unlikely to be interested in accepting a position as a full-time lead minister.
Developmental Ministers
Developmental Ministers are for congregations with significant challenges and targeted goals, the UUA Developmental Minister program helps congregations set goals, then matches them with a minister whose skills can help the congregation engage cultural change work to achieve those goals. The Minister is hired not called, and typically stays 5-7 years. Developmental Ministers are seasoned ministers with at least 10 years experience in congregational ministry.
Developmental Ministers are not eligible to be called as the congregation’s settled minister. The recommended salary for a Developmental Minister for a church our size in a city with similar demographics is $93K + 35% benefits.
It is likely TJMC will choose this forth option, the Developmental Minister, to help us work through the challenges of the past few years.
There is a timeline for hiring a Developmental Minister (DM):
- In November 2019 we must indicate to the UUA that we would like to hire a DM.
- The search process would take place between February and April 2020.
- The DM would be hired late in the spring with a start date in August 2020.
At this time, the Board has not indicated to the UUA that we are hiring a DM, nor has any type of Ministerial Search Committee been formed or even discussed. The budget has been the Board’s primary focus, and now that the congregation has passed a budget, and we have a better picture of our finances, we will turn our attention to the interim process.
Lorie Craddock,
President, Board of Trustees