Clergy Corner – September 2025

by Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper

Two famous nuns, Sister Alegria and Sister Confiancia, spent most of their time in prayer. About two hours a day they did missionary work. Am I making these two up? Or did they really exist? That is riddle one of this message.

Riddle two is how Talia and I divide up work that is meant for three clergy, who have genuine support staffs as opposed to only program staffs, into human size work. Possibly, our work as clergy with you can be done by two people. Indeed, the rule of thumb is one clergy person per 300 congregants. We could likely MAINTAIN you. But if we had three people, which is likely impossible at this bend in the road, imagination would also flourish among us. BTW, according to Convergence, the organization led by Rev. Cameron Trimble, the average American congregation, including the evangelicals and the congregations of color, is 67 people. They only get 1/3 of a minister. So please count your blessings.

This riddle is not just about the two of us, of course, but my shadow client, the minister who follows me in a year or so. Patterns matter. How Talia and I remain happy and confident will forecast certain elements of our church profile, the document potential candidates will read.

As I muse with you, I think how excited I am for the Convergence Report. Here is a taste: Some big wows are in it about how healthy we are, again, compared to the rest of us. Great questions: “How to raise our street profile? Maybe put Welcome to UCG UNDER the current Banner, UNDER the window, with the church’s web site and worship time?” “Perhaps focus on one thing a year as opposed to 27?” “Excellent news about the participation in our virtual congregation on Sunday morning.” “You are a destination congregation: why not do some off-site events in places where people usually have to drive to get a program?” “Why not give people more opportunities for spiritual leadership?”

That last question, a good riddle also, leads me to explain that in the month of September we will be transitioning from Ministerial Mornings to a lay-led experiment called “Seekers of God However Known.” See information here. Talia and I may continue ministerial mornings in some form. For now, let’s see what happens if we have something like an adult Sunday School to study together? Consider this an experiment.

I’m hoping for a good crowd at my Thirsty Thursday Zoom September 11 at 11 a.m. Why? We sent out an invite to about 35 people who are among the missing since Covid. Several have already said they’ll join. What is Thirsty Thursday? It’s an open forum about hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Righteousness is an old-fashioned word for right-relationship. Join in. You too can be a thirstie.

Update on the Troubles: You can’t ever bury it or close the page on it or make believe it has gone. You can move on. You can declare learning. Just because we are peaceful now, doesn’t mean we will be peaceful always. We most of all want to learn from the conflict, get better at conflict, and learn as Convergence says to “Self-Mediate.” What that means is we know how to have difficult conversations with each other without help of even an interim or even a pastor or even a hired specialist. Depending on the peaceful time during an interim is as bad as depending on the pastor to resolve our conflicts. Ah.

Who do we love? Our next, hopefully long-term pastor, who would beat national odds by staying more than three-and-a-half years. That’s who we love. We want to work with them on being a good church.

We know what we have learned. Yes. We have learned how much we count on each other and on this community. Convergence wants us to probe the question of what we can give Gainesville. Wow.

We have also learned how valuable our compact is. How fragile it is. And how sturdy it is. During this sixtieth anniversary year, we are going to learn a lot more! Let’s go.

I want to be Sister Confiancia. And yes, my sister and I want to pray and be creative and happy all day long. No riddle there at all.