The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin is seeking nominations for members to serve on our ministerial search committee!
HOW
There will be multiple ways for you to make your nominations:
● You can click on this link to go to the survey and respond with your nomination(s).
● A survey was sent out to the entire congregation on 01/20. Check your email inbox and
respond to the survey.
● After service there will be a physical box in Howson Hall, with instructions, pens, and cards, to be filled out and placed in the box. You may use two (or more) cards if you want to nominate more than three people, but you may not nominate the same person more than once.
● On 02/05 and 02/12, members of the board will be available after service, in Howson Hall, with phones, tablets, laptops, and cards, to assist you in making your nomination(s).
● On 02/12 there will be a meeting to discuss the interim ministry report, a resource for the search committee’s work of putting together the search packet. The transitions team will be present to facilitate your nominations.
Members can nominate themselves. All nominations must include the named nominator, with contact information.
The deadline for submitting your nominations is Friday, 2/17/2023! All nominations must
be received before that date to be considered.
WHO
All nominees must be current members of the First UU congregation.
As you and your household are thinking about who you would like to nominate, please think
about these questions:
● Who can represent and serve the whole congregation well, and not just a piece or “faction” of the congregation?”
● Who has been and/or is active in the congregation, including new members, and has demonstrated or expressed both responsible participation and responsible leadership?
● Who in the congregation works well with others?
● Who in the congregation has demonstrated a commitment to the 8th Principle, adopted by the congregation last year.
● Who do you trust to speak for multiple voices in the congregation, including those people that haven’t yet found us?
● Who do you trust to speak for LBGTQ church members? Members of color? Young adults? Children?
● Who knows (or can learn) the history and culture of the congregation, whether a member of long standing or relatively new? Who can use this history proactively instead of reactively on behalf of the congregation?
● After a high salary, the most attractive quality a congregation can have is self awareness– awareness of strengths and weaknesses, what the congregation is like at its best and
at its worst, as well as on an average day. Who would be able to know and relate all this to potential ministerial candidates?
● After thinking about all of these questions, who would you trust to serve on the search committee on behalf of the congregation?
WHEN
The deadline for submitting your nominations is Friday, 2/17/2023! All nominations must be received on or before that date to be considered.
The search committee will be made up of seven congregants, willing and able to serve throughout the process. The board will identify candidates based on the nominations, after interviews and considering the diversity of the search committee. The congregation will elect five members of the search committee via competitive ballot and the board reserves two seats for appointment to ensure a diversity of perspectives. The election will occur in April (date TBD) after a meeting to discuss the search process and search committee membership .
The elected search committee will begin its work in May and will be committed to the process
throughout the summer, fall, and possibly the following winter and spring.
WHAT
The work of the search committee will be to prepare the ministerial search packet, describing First UU of Austin and what we want in our next settled minister. The preparation of that packet will be informed by…
● The interim ministry report from the current ministerial team, reflecting on information gathered during the listening circles, the church history workshop, and other interim activities.
● A full congregational survey, to go out during the summer.
● Multiple meetings with members.
More details about the expectations of search committee members are available here.
This process will lead to the search committee and Rev. Chris Jimmerson mutually deciding if he is the right fit for the position. If all agree he is a good match for the position, the congregation will vote in October. If the committee and/or Rev. Chris decide, for any reasons, not to hold an inside candidate election or if we hold an election and Rev. Chris does not meet the threshold percentage of votes, then the search committee will finalize the search packet for distribution throughout the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) by 12/1/2023. The committee will then review the applicants, select pre-candidates, attend pre-candidate
weekends, and ultimately identify a candidate for the congregation to vote on in the spring of
2024.
WHY
Remember…
● The search committee should represent the entire congregation.
● The search committee should be trusted by the congregation.
● The search committee should be in touch with the changing nature of the congregation.
● The search committee should be responsible for developing a good process for itself, the congregation, and Unitarian Universalism.
Serving on the search committee is a serious time commitment, and it may be some of the most important work for the church that any of its members will ever do. Please seriously consider your nominations. This is a huge opportunity to serve the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin!
If you have any problems at all in making your nomination(s), or if you have any questions about the process, please speak to any board member.
A study commission of the central organizing and support structure for our faith, the Unitarian Universalist Association (or UUA) has recommend that we, the constituent congregations and faith groups of the UUA, consider a change to the bylaws for our association. 