People who have recently joined this faith community often have questions about how we choose our ministers.
UU congregations ordain our ministers once they have attained a Master of Divinity degree and met with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. The MFC decides whether someone has the knowledge, skills, and attributes we seek in our ministers, and lets us all know who is eligible for ordination. These people are recognized at General Assembly during a worship service that recognizes those who have been through this process, along with religious educators and musicians who have completed their own processes for credentialing.
Members of UU congregations literally place their hands on a candidate for ordination during a worship service. People who have been ordained as UU ministers are eligible to participate in a search process managed by members of a search committee.
At UUFH, we’re currently in search of an interim minister who will serve this congregation for one or two years as we assess what we’ve learned during Rev. McKinley’s ministry here. More on this process in our next column. If you’d like to speak with a member of the Committee on Ministries, please contact one of us.
Committee on Ministries:
Helen Bishop, Chair
Stephen Cefalu ; Joe Criscione ; Keith Dalbec ; Chuck Elston ; Rev. Judy Long; Rev. Jim McKinley