Covenants for Ministerial Search

It is required for all searching congregations, searching ministers, and those who assist congregations and ministers in the search process to covenant with one another for a fair and responsible search process. This centers a key component of our Unitarian Universalist faith, the sacred promises we make to one another, in the vital work of ministry search.

As your Search Committee representing the congregation to the UUA and searching ministers, we covenant to:

​A. Serve our congregation to the best of our ability, realizing, both as a group and individually, we represent the face of our congregation and community in the ministerial search process. We will represent our congregation with forthright honesty, care, compassion, and respect.
B. Follow the rules and timelines within the Settlement Handbook and the Transitions Office website.
C. Honor a minister’s needs to follow the guidelines for the UUMA (regardless of membership).
D. Inform and work with the Transitions Office and regional staff throughout the transitional process.
E. Fund the cost of ministers’ and their partners’ travel to our congregation for all pre-candidating weekends and candidating week, if those events will take place in person.
F. Understand the need for fairness and confidentiality throughout the search process.

In our work together as a committee, we also covenant with each other. As we seek our next shared ministry partner, we will:

1. Represent our congregation and its members with honesty, care, compassion, and respect.
2. Cherish the unique gifts and perspectives we each bring.
3. Endeavor to share the work of search equitably.
4. Take care of ourselves to sustain ourselves for this year of work, and respect individual needs for rest and boundaries (e.g. scheduling, meeting formats, etc.). 
5. Ask for help when we need it, and extend grace and support to one another when help is needed.
6. Conduct substantive conversations as a whole group, not in side conversations.
7. Maintain appropriate confidentiality throughout the search process with everyone.
8. Keep our congregation informed about our progress.
9. Create an inclusive decision-making process and speak with one voice once decisions are made.
10.Treat one another with respect and consideration, especially when conflict arises, approaching it as a chance for growth and deeper relationship.
11.Commit to deep listening and repair when we cause harm, putting aside defensiveness and denial, with restoration as our goal.

We value the trust you have placed in us and welcome your input and comments throughout the search process. Please reach out to any member of the Search Committee if you have any questions or comments you’d like to share. You can reach our committee at [email protected].