News and Announcements

On Sunday, November 1, Trustees and Officers of the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis tallied the votes for the Ministerial Search Committee. Out of 324 eligible church members (those who signed the membership book at least 60 days prior to the election), a total of 184 members voted, including 93 absentee ballots (mailed or dropped off at church before election day).

The following seven people were elected:

Jeff Cary
Tony Fathman
Chris Fawcett
Rob Harding
Joan Kindleberger
Caitlin McQuade
Jeanette Myers

I ask the congregation to join me in extending heartfelt thanks to all ten of the candidates who were willing to commit to undertaking this important work on behalf of the congregation, and for participating in a process that allowed the congregation a choice.

Emily Troxell Jaycox
Congregation President

Tags: Board, Ministerial Search Committee, Transition by admin

Meet with the candidates on Oct. 25 in Hope Chapel following the 10 a.m. service. If you are not able to attend, or want additional information, please go to the church’s website and visit the Ministerial Search page for additional information on each of the candidates. We encourage everyone who is eligible to vote.

Tags: Ministerial Search Committee, Transition by admin

NOMINATING COMMITTEE SEEKING NOMINATIONS
FOR MINISTERIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE

Do you know someone who would be an excellent member of the
Ministerial Search Committee? Who has a deep roots in Unitarianism and
is committed to our church? Who collaborates well in groups? Who can
devote 20 hours a month to this task for the next eighteen months? If
so, complete a nomination form and submit it to Nominating Committee
for the Ministerial Search Committee by Homecoming Sunday, September
13.

Forms are available on the Web site
(http://www.firstuustlouis.org/MinisterialSearch_2009.html) and in the Church office.

Completed forms should be given to Margaret Weck, Nominating Committee
Chair.

Tags: Ministerial Search Committee, Ministry, Transition by admin

As part of our transition ministry, the Board has named six church members to serve on the Transition Team. The members of the team are Joan Kindleberger (chair), Helen Cadoret, Brian Deason, Emily Gray, Susan Mueller, and Joe Polman.

According to one UUA document, the team’s role is to provide the transition minister with “insight, organization and facilitative talent, and willing hands as the ministry proceeds.” Please feel free to speak with any of the members and to Sam about the progression of our transition time. At the end of our transition ministry, they will plan Sam’s good-bye party and then disband.

Tags: Board, Ministry, Transition by admin

Your participation is not only welcome, but encouraged, in helping to select potential members of the Ministerial Search Committee. This committee’s role is to select a candidate for minister, who will be voted on by the Congregation. Its activities will include surveying Members’ and Friends’ assessments of who we are, as a church, and the kind of ministerial leadership we need.

As you consider applying to be a Committee member yourself and/or nominating someone to be a member, you can find four helpful documents on the Church’s website at the “MINISTERIAL SEARCH” heading. They are Calling a Minister: the Role of the Search Committee, which describes the Committee’s crucial role; Guidelines for Choosing Members of a Ministerial Search Committee, which gives characteristics to seek in members and ones to avoid; the Nomination Form; and Application Form. All may be downloaded.

These documents also are available at the “Ministerial Search” area of the sign-up table in Fellowship Hall or by calling Terry Smith in the Church Office, (314) 361-0595, ext. 21. Please submit your application and nomination forms at the sign-up area, or mail them to the Church Office. The deadline for applications and nominations is Sunday, March 22.

Tags: Board, Transition by admin

On Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, the Rev. Samuel Schaal is to begin an 18-month term as our Transition Minister.

Sam, our Lewis Ministerial Intern from January to June 1997, has been Associate Minister with the 800-member First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa, Wis., since 2003. He was recruited to that position after his very successful three-year transitional ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Church West, of Brookfield, Wis. Prior to that, Sam, who received full fellowship as a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in 1998, served churches in Texas. Before being called to ministry, Rev. Sam, who is single and has two grown sons, enjoyed a successful career in the business sector.

Tags: Board, Transition, Worship by admin

We are in the process of arranging for the Rev. Dr. James Daugherty, who well served our church during two ministerial sabbaticals — one in 1982 and one in 1988 — to be our minister on a part-time, temporary basis until we have an Interim Minister.

He earned an accounting degree before earning graduate degrees from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. A United Methodist minister, Rev. Daugherty has, since coming to St. Louis in 1973, been a hospital chaplain and pastor. Now he is semi-retired.

He will deliver a sermon once a month and work one day each week, making himself available for pastoral care and counseling, as well as supporting staff, officiating at rites of passage, and collaborating with the Worship Committee.

It is expected that he will begin service with us the week of Oct. 6 and will preach on October 26, November 16, and December 7.

Tags: Board, Ministry, Transition by admin

The Interim Minister Search Committee is in the process of reviewing five prospective Interim Minister candidates suggested to them by the Rev. John Weston, Transitions Director, Unitarian Universalist Association, last Sunday, when he was here as our guest minister.

The committee is seeking an Interim who will serve us for 18 months — from January 2009 through June 2010. The committee, should it choose to recommend a candidate to the Board, likely will do so at the Board’s regular meeting on Monday, November 10.

Tags: Board, Transition by admin

The Board has accepted, with regret, the resignation of the Rev. Mary Hnottavange-Telleen, AIM, as our Interim Minister, due to medical reasons. In the past few months, she has come to know some of our history, dynamics, and talent. Her ability and experience have shown in her quick, sound insight into group and individual behavior and what makes for healthy congregational life. We regret that she is unable to be with us this year, and we wish her all the best.

Tags: Board, Ministry, Transition by admin

The Board is pleased to announce the Rev. Mary Hnottavange-Telleen, AIM (Accredited Interim Minister), as our Interim Minister. Her ministry with the church, based on a one-year, renewable agreement, officially begins August 15. (To help you welcome her, the pronunciation of her family name is not-uh-VANJ tel-LEEN.)

A forthcoming letter will provide more information about her and the coming year of interim ministry with her.

Tags: Board, Ministry, Transition by admin