Our Next Interim Minister

On May 7, 2012 UUCE's Board of Trustees approved the Interim Search committee's recommendation to engage the Rev. Donald L. (Don) Rollins for our next two-year interim ministry period.   

Rev. Rollins is an Accredited Interim Minister who is currently wrapping up his two-year interim ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, NC; he will join UUCE at the end of August 2012.

Rev. Rollins was our first choice of interim for the next two years for many reasons: 

• He feels that UUCE is a good match for his skills, talents and expertise
• He can build on the foundation that we have built the last two years with Rev. Forsey’s guidance
• He understands the issues we face and the focus on our new Mission to acheive success
• He is organized, focused, experienced and has a strong history of congregational management
• He is passionate about worship and feels that it should meet a variety of needs (laugh, grieve, think, hope, engage, be touched)
• He has organized in-house leadership schools to train congregational leaders
• He believes in a strong social justice model and will engage the entire congregation in a limited number of social justice projects, working together
• He has a strong history of increasing giving, stewardship experience, and understands that it is necessary to “Change the Culture” to a "fair-share giving"standard of generosity
• He has the goal of as well as the ability to attract a broad diversity (including multi-cultural/racial/ethnic, class, age, and gender)
• He is a great musician and works very well with others interested in music
• He was "born to be an interim" and has experience with growing congregations
• He is a "great writer"
• He has a personable and steady presence

Why Interim Ministry?

Our current Interim Minister, Rev. Alicia Forsey, is completing her 2 year Interim Ministry with us this June 2012.  We are grateful for her loving service to us in discovering our strengths, weaknesses, and encouraging growth in our leadership and organizational structure, as well our common goals of right relations and embracing change.

Unitarian Universalist congregations depend on "Interim Ministers" to deal with the transitions between "Settled Ministers."

With our move into a new building in May 2012, we expect that the members who make up our congregation may change. We need to have a sense of "who we are" as a congregation before we call our next settled minister, so that we are able to match a minister with our focus, our needs, our goals, and our mission. In order to accomplish this, another interim period is desirable while we settle into the new space and our new neighborhood.

There is more preparatory work to be done before we call our next Settled Minister. Accredited Interim Ministers (AIMs) are trained to work with churches in transition, such as ourselves. We are searching for a new 2-year Interim Minister to continue and build upon the challenging and fruitful work already begun with Rev. Forsey's guidance.

Interim Ministry Search TEAM:

In February, the Board of Trustees organized the Search Committee consisting of the following church members:

• Emmet Band, Co-Chair/board member (541)-684-3867
• Lesley Rex, Co-Chair (541) 636-3093
• Jason Dedrick, board member
• Jeff Jackson
• Marilyn Junkins, board member

Legal and ethical codes of confidentiality prevent the Committee from revealing information about the candidates. However, we can provide information about where we are in the process and how the process is unfolding. This news is available through announcements in the order of service on Sundays, pulpit announcements, newsletter articles, e-Bulletin updates, this web page, and a poster in the Social Hall. Either of the Co-Chairs are available before and after Sunday services to answer questions. They can also be reached by phone if a response is necessary.

Status of our Interim Search Process

Our Interim Search Process has been completed!

1. DONE! An Interim Ministerial Search Committee has been selected by the Board of Trustees.

2. DONE! The Interim Search Committee has completed an online informational packet about our congregation. Online, web-based packets are now the preferred method for interim searches.

3. DONE! Our application was due in the UUA's Transitions Office on April 15th, but our application was submitted more than two weeks early.

4. DONE! We have received a list of six interim candidates from the UUA's Transitions Office and have reviewed their ministerial records.

5. DONE! We have contacted the candidates we felt were the best match for us, sent them a link to our Online Interim Search packet and requested a link to their online packet.

6. DONE! We have interviewed our selected candidates (by video conference) and their references (by phone). 

7. DONE! We have selected a final candidate. We made an offer to our first choice of candidate this morning, May 4th and that person accepted our offer.

8. DONE! On May 7, 2012 the Board approved the search committee's recommendation to hire Interim Minister Rev. Donald L. (Don) Rollins for a two-year interim ministry period. 

Why Accredited Interim Ministry?

     There have always been ministers available to fill a vacant pulpit until a new minister is called. However, recognition of the complexities inherent in this period has led the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Transitions Office to develop a specialized program for ministers who make interim work their calling. The Accredited Interim Minister (AIM) designation is conferred on ministers who complete the program, attesting to their competence both in parish ministry and as resident consultants, able to assist congregations in reviewing and revitalizing their operations. In addition to carrying out the normal responsibilities of congregational ministry, including worship and pastoral care, they possess specific skills in assisting a congregation in:

• claiming and honoring its past and engaging and honoring its griefs and conflicts
• recognizing its unique identity and its strengths, needs, and challenges
• clarifying the appropriate leadership roles of minister(s), church staff, and lay leaders and navigating the shifts in leadership that may accompany times of transition
• making appropriate use of District, UUA, and other outside resources
• proudly coming into possession of a renewed vision and strong stewardship, prepared for new growth and new professional leadership, ready to embrace the future with anticipation and zest.