From Our Minister: Dwell in Possibility–And So it Begins
You have a new minister! I can’t tell you how happy I am for CCUU and for the soon to be Rev Dr Emma Farrell as you step into your next chapter together. Beginnings are full of hope and possibility. You all have the power to make this ministry rich, rewarding, and sustaining for all concerned.
CCUU is a wonderful congregation, and I trust that Emma will love you as well and deeply as Rev Karen and I have these past two years. You’re lovable and possibilities abound.
But Dr Emma’s beginning will be very different than when Karen and I arrived in August of 2024. At that time there was, sadly, a bit of discombobulation and even distress. That Ministerial Search hadn’t gone well, your Religious Education person was AWOL, and folks were not exactly trusting the universe. We entered a system that had circled the wagons in many ways. Completely understandable!
Rev Karen and I understood that our ministry goal was to help you find your way back to yourself. To remember your strengths and to get back on your intended path. I’m happy to say that together, we all made great progress and this church is strong, solid and ready for a new beginning.
But I do want to offer a bit of advice. The hope is that this new relationship will transform into a long-term Called ministry and I would encourage you to treat Dr Emma as if they already are your Called Minister. This is the time to go all in.
When I arrived, I took the time to meet nearly 90 church members one-on-one. It gave me a deep look into the challenges of the previous years, and I needed that in order to figure out how to meet you; to discern what was required.
I found a church that had convinced itself that it really didn’t need ministers all that much. With Rev Hillary’s illness keeping her away for much of her last five years, the aftermath of the pandemic, and an Interim Minister strong on disruption but less skilled at building relationships, this church had created a strong ethos of taking care of yourselves and getting things done without much ministerial relationship (or interference!)
I admit to some surprise that I didn’t get invited to many of the plethora of groups meeting in the church. It seemed odd that the Finance Committee never reached out to let me know when they were meeting, didn’t consider adjusting their meeting dates, and weren’t particularly interested in what the new minister might think.
You WERE very welcoming and kind, but I also got the sense that you didn’t really need me for much beyond Sunday mornings. Odd, but again, entirely understandable with the history I’d uncovered. All of it made sense with the experiences you’d had prior to my arrival.
But it’s different now. You are beginning a new chapter from a very different place – and I’m encouraging you to flip the script with your next minister. Invite them to get to know you with open arms. Your book clubs, your Justice meetings, your morning forums and evening AHA groups. Invite them to Feminine Divine, Buddhist group, Tai Chi and Transitions. Don’t expect they’ll be able to attend all of them in the first few months or even regularly but keep your invitations open. Let Dr Emma get to know you as deeply and well as Rev Karen and I have eventually gotten to. Because Rev Karen and I were seasoned ministers, we essentially elbowed our way in, and created great relationships throughout the church.
We have functioned as unintentional Interim Ministers for you and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve witnessed as you remembered your strengths, deepened your connections, and stepped into a new vision of ministry during a very challenging time in the wider world. Rev Karen and I are convinced that this church is on the verge of an exciting new chapter of expansion and growth – and we’ll watch from afar and cheer you on with pride.
We have one more monthly article and will include our many thanks in that one. But for now, the best gift you could give us is to continue being the amazing, generous, open-hearted, and loving community we’ve come to love. You are indeed an island of sanity in a chaotic and changing world. You have so much to offer and so many possibilities for growth when you remember to do it together. Give Dr Emma the gift of walking alongside you all and intentionally finding your way together.
Blessed be. ~ Rev. Pam