The UCUCC Minister of Worship and Care position was posted to the national UCC website at the end of May. Since then, 18 minister profiles have been received and the committee has actively reviewed profiles and interviewed candidates whose relevant experience, pastoral disposition, and outstanding character appeared to be a good match for our congregation and leadership team.
Early August has been an intense period of interviewing and discerning ahead of Pastor Steve’s trip to Iona and the start of Pastor Amy’s sabbatical. The week of August 15, two candidates came out to Seattle and interviewed with Pastors Amy and Steve as well as the Search Committee.
After the interviews, the search committee will review all the information gathered to prayerfully discern whether there is a call for one of the candidates to join the UCUCC leadership team. The feedback gathered from the congregation has been a critical part of the discernment process. If a candidate appears to be a good match for the congregation, the search committee will endorse the candidate for call and recommend to the Council. If the Council also endorses the candidate, that person will come to Seattle for a few days to meet congregation members and committees. The following Sunday, they will preach during a Sunday service before a special congregational meeting to call the candidate.
The committee’s thanks go out to the many people who have taken the time to reach out to search committee members with their hopes, concerns, and wisdom over the past months.
Many thanks to the members of the search committee who have faithfully and thoughtfully participated in weekly meetings since November 2021. Committee members are Anna Van Pelt, Anya Peterson, Ed Coleman, Ellen Naden, Emily Morishima, Kathryn Robinson, Margaret Stine, Mike Zevenbergen, Nadine Santo-Pietro and co-chairs Berta Hollowell and Royce Morrison.
Submitted by Berta Hollowell, co-chair