Dear Members and Friends of QUUF,

An email from a member went around the last couple of days with respect to the Ministerial Search Committee survey which, first, suggests several things that are simply not true and second, unfortunately reflects a continuing misunderstanding of the process that we are using to choose our next settled minister. The Board of Trustees would like to address and correct any misunderstanding of the process, as we strongly believe that a sound process is critical to the acceptance and success of the choice that we will make. The Board would also like to express its full faith and trust in, and its support and gratitude for, the Ministerial Search Committee as it goes through this process.

The email suggested that the two people chairing the search committee believe that only a handful of people support Kate Lore as a candidate for our settled minister, and that this belief is what the committee will use to decide Kate’s fate. Neither of these suggestions is true. Both Kendra Golden and Kate Madson, co-chairs of the Ministerial Search Committee, and the committee as a whole, are completely committed to the process in which the committee is engaged and which the Fellowship entrusted to them and have no prejudgment about Kate’s level of support. Further, whatever they might believe about that at this point has no relevance to the process and is not a consideration in the work they are doing. Again, this seems to be a misunderstanding of what this process is about.

The job of the search committee at this point is to engage the congregation to discover what kind of minister that the congregation wants and needs, without regard to particular individuals or potential candidates. This is the objective of both the survey that we are now engaged in completing and the cottage meetings to come over the summer. After discerning what kind of minister and what kind of skills are necessary, the committee will then look at who will be that minister and has those skills. It may be that Rev. Kate Lore will be a good fit and will be the candidate that is brought forward by the committee. But it could also turn out that Kate Lore is not a good fit. If a candidate is e.g. a good fit for 40% of the congregation, but a bad fit for 60%, the committee should not bring that candidate forward. We won’t know that until we go through the process in which our Ministerial Search Committee is engaged.

We understand that there is fear out there that Kate will not be brought forward by the committee for a vote by the congregation. But the worse thing would be to bring the wrong person forward and call the wrong minister; if that were to happen, we would soon be back in this process. The committee’s task is to discern what it is that we want and need in a minister and look for a candidate that is a good fit for all of us. We should not prejudge their work.

We also understand that this process may be confusing to some and considered unnecessary by others. We believe it is completely necessary and we trust in the Ministerial Search Committee and know that they are committed to discerning as best they can what the congregation needs and wants. We have decided to commit at least the first ½ hour of Rev. Christine Robinson’s presentation on Sunday May 5 to talking about the process and answering any questions that are out there. Please join us in the sanctuary at 1pm.

Sincerely,

Board of Trustees

Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship