The Board is rated positively, by those who know the Board

Since the Fellowship Board has important functions, it’s critical that they have the support of the Fellowship.

UUFSD’s Fellowship rates the Board very positively in many areas – how well they communicate with the Fellowship, how representative they are of the Fellowship, that they encourage and develop participation and new programs, and are responsive to the Fellowship.

However, more than half of the Fellowship answered “Don’t Know” to these assessments of the Board. This says that although those who know the Board’s work rate it highly, most of the members aren’t familiar enough with the Board’s work to rate it.

The crucial skills and enthusiasms we want in a minister

Members have voiced a clear message about what they want in a new minister.

We want a minister who will draw together and build the UUFSD community, a minister who will guide and enhance its leadership, and offer uplifting worship.

There’s a saying that if you give someone a fish, they will eat for a day. If you teach them to fish, they will be empowered to eat for the rest of their life. 97% of members said that “building community within the congregation” is a somewhat or very important skill in a minister.  They want someone who will help us see our own talents and strengths, to rally us to effective action, all in a framework of mutual support and trust.

Spiritual leadership was ranked at the top of the list of priorities by 89% of the fellowship, while Administration, Interfaith activities, and Denominational activies were ranked last.

This fellowship wants an articulate, strong preacher with leadership skills, as acclaimed by more than three-fourths of the fellowship. At 84% of the fellowship, they strongly favor a minister with a personality that is ”authentic, genuine, ethical, candid”, in stark contrast to the 18% who prefer “energetic, driving” or 4% preferring “confident, poised.” It’s not about action and energy and motion, it’s about sincerity.

What skills and enthusiasms we want in a minister

There’s a part of the congregational record where we’re asked to summarize the skills and enthusiasms we want in a minister.

 

The Fellowship wants to be drawn out and drawn together, to be inspired to be vibrant, active, and to reach beyond their shorter-term views towards a longer-term, more far-reaching vision.

 

The Congregational Record, submitted to the UUA Transitions department, required us to look across all of the survey and focus group questions to prioritize what we need in a minister. Our instructions were very strict, to only list 4 items as crucial, 4 as significant, 4 as modest, and the rest as other.

 

Here are the results:

• Crucial

  • Community building

  • Leadership development

  • Preaching

  • Worship

These crucial items reflect that, above all, this Fellowship desires a minister that has the skills and interest to pull us together and inspire us.

• Significant

  • Children’s Religious Education (RE)

  • Facilitation

  • Spiritual guidance

  • Stewardship

These four items express what two-thirds or more of the Fellowship identified as important or critical: hope for the future and support in getting there.

• Modest (not the top 8 items, but still rated strongly by more than half of the Fellowship)

  • Home visitation

  • Hospital calling

  • Personal counseling

  • Youth work

These issues reflect the hope that the minister will attend to the personal needs of the Fellowship.

• Other

  • Administration

  • Scholarship

These rankings are primarily based on responses to the congregational survey. Additional consideration was given to those issues stated as most imporant in the focus groups. It was difficult to rank only four items as Crucial and four items as Significant, as many of the listed skills and enthusiasms are considered somewhat important or very important.

What kind of leadership skills do we want in a new minister?

In the focus groups, members offered numerous dimensions of leadership they want in a new minister. 

Leadership

A leader inspires, engages in dynamic dialogue with the congregation, helps us progress along our spiritual paths. Leadership spawns leaders, encouraging and training lay leaders and other volunteers. He or she will draw us together, help us become what we can, and encourage us to act thoughtfully.

Our members asked for a minister who :

• ministers to everyone so we are not separated into groups
• reaches all, from Christians to atheists
• can expound upon our sources, speak to each of the UU living traditions
• is a unifying force among diversity in thought
• good with different factions
• has a vision of where we need to be
• with vision and with the ability to articulate that vision
• channels our energy in some direction
• brings us together
• has a strong voice
• engages congregation in a two-way dialogue
• provides leadership and direction to the Board
• provides structure and change to the Fellowship
• excites people
• energizes us
• inspires us
• encourages us to be thoughtful and act thoughtfully
• is sensitive to all our needs and firm in guiding our growth
• has an opinion

• builds something new without throwing out our favorite traditions