Ministerial Search News - January 8, 2013

[Toby Smith Ropeik]

For those of you who enjoy statistics, the eight members of the MSC collectively spent approximately 700 hours during the month of December reviewing 25 ministerial records, reading 12 packets, conducting Skype interviews, listening to dozens of online sermons, calling nearly two dozen references, and meeting as a group. During January and February we are hosting our final three pre-candidates, giving us a weekend to get to know each and hear a sermon preached at a neutral pulpit. A sample weekend schedule is posted on our Web page and attached to this email.

Please mark your calendars NOW! Candidating week (when you get to meet our candidate) will be April 28 – May 5, 2013, which means OUR congregational vote to call a new Senior Minister will be on May 5, 2013. Please note that only signed members of First Parish can vote. According to our bylaws, the deadline for becoming a member in time to participate is April 5th.

Now Consider This! (adapted from the BCT Workshop): UUA Case Study #11 (a true UU story)
After calling a LGBT minister, a parishioner expresses fear that the church may become a target of violence, in protest to its liberal views. How would you address this concern?

As always, feel free to contact any one of us:  John Boynton (j...@firehousecapital.com),  Caroline McCloy (cmcc...@aol.com), Rhoda Miller (rhod...@aol.com), Toby Smith Ropeik (t...@tobyasmith.com), Terry Rothermel (ter...@verizon.net), Mary-Wren vanderWilden (vander...@verizon.net), Fred Van Deusen (fredv...@aol.com), Alec Walker (alecw...@aol.com)



Best, Toby

-- 
Toby Smith Ropeik
978.369.0007
E-mail: t...@tobyasmith.com