Dear Friends,

We find ourselves in transition here at UCG. Whether this feels like we are “once again” or “still” in transition may depend upon your individual perspective. As a congregation, we have been having some important and difficult conversations recently, one centered on hiring an outside consultant to help us heal, grow, and face change. We wanted to outline the reasons why we, the members of the Congregation Ministry Review Board, voted unanimously to support not only the engagement of an outside consultant, but also the “total package” of work proposed by the Pathfinder committee early this fall.

We do have a lot of work to do as a community. We continue to be inspired by the good works that we do for others, the worship and celebrations and retreats, the sense of community and welcome, the vibrant programming on any given evening, our history, and the many other amazing things about this church. However, as we look back on the last decade: two of the three ministers we have called have stayed for a shorter-than-expected and certainly shorter-than-hoped-for time; we will have gone from three ministers to one minister in less than two years; our membership has plateaued and declined (though in context of a larger national decline); and, we struggle to demonstrate our commitment and enthusiasm by meeting our financial goals. In the last year we have witnessed difficult and divisive conversations related to our staff and ministers, conversations that have strained our sense of what it means to live in loving community. Not all these issues are solely UCG’s “fault” – a national decline in church membership, Florida’s political climate, inflation, and the pandemic certainly have some impact. We believe, though, that looking at and being willing to change how we work together, and how UCG is structured as a church as an organization, needs to play a role in meeting our challenges and moving forward.

Why do we need an outside consultant? We will admit it feels strange to look outside for help that we feel could or should be available within our talented and dedicated membership. But despite numerous initiatives and committees including discernment and transition teams, search committees, financial sustainability initiatives, and grievance procedures, we find ourselves in this season of our church’s life, where some wounds are still fresh, and the way forward is not clear. Perhaps, then, it is time to responsibly seek some outside help. We are not the first church to go through a time like this, but for many and probably most of us this is the first time we have gone through something like this personally. Could we benefit from the wisdom of those who have lived through and helped other churches in times like this? Could we benefit from the objectivity of those who are not sad or hurt or angry? We, as the members of CMRB, think so. Already our Interim Conference Minister Rev. Nayiri Karjian has brought a new perspective and wisdom from her experience with churches in transition. Our interviews with potential consultants have revealed similar experience, wisdom, and perspective that we do not necessarily have.

How can we hire a consultant responsibly? The Board of Business and others have identified funding sources that do not come out of our regular budget: Florida UCC conference funds, directed donations, and endowment-based funding. A team has met with and interviewed three potential consultants, using a list of standardized and direct questions about what value they will offer for the money and how we might take advantage of their services. We have identified multiple options, some significantly scaled back from the Pathfinder Committee’s original proposal.

Won’t the Interim Minister do the same thing as a consultant? We don’t have an Interim Minister right now, and we don’t know exactly what skill set ours will have. Finding a progressive Interim Minister who meshes well with UCG and is willing to move to Florida for 18 months to 2 years (the typical tenure) may take time – 6 to 12 months or longer. Our belief is that starting, in good faith, to work on healing and change will put us in a better position to take advantage of what the Interim Minister has to offer AND make us a more attractive church both for the Interim Minister and, eventually, our next Settled (long-term) Minister. Our belief is also that engaging outside help will allow Talia the spiritual and organizational space to devote to her core functions as our current Minister.

We are not abandoning our internal efforts to grow and change – multiple groups continue to work on by-laws, policies, staff structure, congregational behavior and relationships, and other areas. Even we, as CMRB, are redefining and redesigning our role, particularly how we simultaneously both support and evaluate our ministers.

We humbly ask you to consider the many potential benefits of a consultant as part of our journey together in the coming several years. We view this as an ongoing conversation, as we all strive to serve our church and each other.

Yours,

The Congregation Ministry Review Board