This letter is to let you know about the recent activities of the Deacons’ Ministry in planning for Steve’s departure at the end of the year. As you know, Pastor Steve on April 27 announced his decision to retire; and in doing so, generously allowed the congregational leadership ample time to plan for a call to a new full- time permanent pastor for Community UCC.
The first step was to inform ourselves of the resources and guidance available from the denomination. In May Nora Faust of Eastern North Carolina Association (ENCA) of the Southern Conference, United Church of Church met with Deacons and Church Council members with this information. It is through the auspices of the ENCA Board of Ministry that we will receive referrals and profiles (applications) of candidates – first, for an interim ministry position, and then, for the new CUCC pastorate.
The search and call process presented to us in that meeting is described in detail (for all contexts including the relevant one of retiring clergy) in a document available online or in our library. There are many information-gathering tasks over the next year, but our next step was a decision to choose among several options to provide pastoral support while we go about the task of searching for a new minister.
The Deacons reviewed options in our July meeting and decided the alternative that best suits CUCC is to hire an Intentional Interim Minister in early 2015. An Intentional Interim Minister is an individual who has received extensive training and has chosen this role as a career path for his or her ministry—to lead congregations in transition. As some of you may recall, our most recent experience with the search and call process led by an Intentional Interim Minister was with Rev. Carol Ripley-Moffitt. She served in the process leading to our calling Pastor Steve, who was installed here in early 2004.
To achieve the goal of having an Intentional Interim in place by early 2015 the Deacons would like to create a small, short term search committee for this purpose. The committee’s role will be to publicize the position, review profiles, interview candidates, and make a recommendation regarding selection. Please note, this is not the search committee to fill the permanent pastoral vacancy. That will come later.
If you are interested in serving on this Intentional Interim Search Committee, please let the Chair of the board of deacons, Ellen Beidler, know by August 7th. The Deacons will be meeting again on August 14th. We also encourage you to alert any potential candidates for the interim pastor position you may know about our process as the search committee is established and when our announcement is distributed.
Yours in Christ,
Bill Lamb on behalf of the Board of Deacons
The first step was to inform ourselves of the resources and guidance available from the denomination. In May Nora Faust of Eastern North Carolina Association (ENCA) of the Southern Conference, United Church of Church met with Deacons and Church Council members with this information. It is through the auspices of the ENCA Board of Ministry that we will receive referrals and profiles (applications) of candidates – first, for an interim ministry position, and then, for the new CUCC pastorate.
The search and call process presented to us in that meeting is described in detail (for all contexts including the relevant one of retiring clergy) in a document available online or in our library. There are many information-gathering tasks over the next year, but our next step was a decision to choose among several options to provide pastoral support while we go about the task of searching for a new minister.
The Deacons reviewed options in our July meeting and decided the alternative that best suits CUCC is to hire an Intentional Interim Minister in early 2015. An Intentional Interim Minister is an individual who has received extensive training and has chosen this role as a career path for his or her ministry—to lead congregations in transition. As some of you may recall, our most recent experience with the search and call process led by an Intentional Interim Minister was with Rev. Carol Ripley-Moffitt. She served in the process leading to our calling Pastor Steve, who was installed here in early 2004.
To achieve the goal of having an Intentional Interim in place by early 2015 the Deacons would like to create a small, short term search committee for this purpose. The committee’s role will be to publicize the position, review profiles, interview candidates, and make a recommendation regarding selection. Please note, this is not the search committee to fill the permanent pastoral vacancy. That will come later.
If you are interested in serving on this Intentional Interim Search Committee, please let the Chair of the board of deacons, Ellen Beidler, know by August 7th. The Deacons will be meeting again on August 14th. We also encourage you to alert any potential candidates for the interim pastor position you may know about our process as the search committee is established and when our announcement is distributed.
Yours in Christ,
Bill Lamb on behalf of the Board of Deacons