The Search Committee has been meeting weekly via Zoom since June 2020, with a two-week break at Christmas. The first draft of our church profile was completed and sent on to the New Hampshire Conference UCC for review. While waiting to hear from the NHC, we started going through the by-laws to bring those up-to-date.
Suggestions from Rev. Slater
The Reverend Richard Slater from the NHC joined our January 20 meeting and made some suggestions to the profile. Overall, he stated, the draft was pretty good, but some areas still need work. Those included minor things like wording and adding more pictures. But a couple of things need more serious discernment.
- The first being ONA, which he suggested that we make that congregational decision before calling a settled pastor. Especially considering the next big surprise: our compensation package.
- Our budgeted compensation is below the UCC guidelines. Reverend Slater had some suggestions, but each one requires serious consideration.
- Among the suggestions are:
- cutting our expectations to a half-time position or where in our budget we can raise significant funds for a three-quarter-time position.
- “yoking” or sharing a minister with another congregation
- extending our interim pastor until the pandemic is under control
- hiring a designated term pastor
- posting our profile as-is and noting the shortfall.
- Among the suggestions are:
The committee will consider each option. Once a course of action is determined, it will be presented to the congregation.