We did it! I am almost a free woman!
The ministerial search committee has chosen a candidate to present to the congregation. We have made the hard, hard decision, and I am happy with our choice. Our work is not completely over, but the most intense part is done.
We follow the rules of the Unitarian Universalist Association, so we will not be able to make an offer until April 2. If our first choice refuses, our second choice is perfectly acceptable. Then, the candidate will come to our church to preach on April 19. The candidate will spend the following week meeting and greeting. Of course the committee members will be introducing and schmoozing and subtly lobbying the church members. The candidate will preach again on April 26. Immediately following that service, the congregation will vote to accept or reject our choice.
Betsy asked a while ago, "Isn't that #%*! search over yet?" It has been a long haul, this work. It began in January a year ago, when I agreed to be on the committee. I thought then that my major qualification was that I have a good religious malarkey detector. I worried about my ability to make my wisdom, age, and grace heard in a group of nine. (One of us dropped out early on, leaving eight.) If we could have conducted our business by writing, I would have been confident, but in meetings? I don't do committees. I used to say that small groups must form the basic social organization of hell.
All summer and fall I worked with Jerry and Gerry to create a long document that would be a true and vivid picture of our church. This document, and a web site drawing on it, were our ""Help Wanted" ad for ministers looking for a job. I dug out 30 years of attendance and contribution data and condensed the history of the 170-year old congregation into four pages. We answered such lovely questions as, "What is the dominant theology of the congregation?" and "What issues will probably not be resolved in 5 years? 10 years? never?" I felt heard by these two bright men. We worked well together, and I gained confidence in my ability to produce something in a group.
On January 2 we got 20 letters of interest, and narrowed that number down by January 6 to those we wanted more information from. Then we selected further those we would interview by Skype. Those interviews took all of a Friday evening and all day Saturday. From those we chose a few to come for a weekend. For most weekends in February and March we picked up the candidate and spouse from the airport on Friday, and took them to dinner Friday evening. On Saturday we interviewed the minister all day at Ruth's comfortable house. On Sunday morning we traipsed an hour or two away to hear the candidate preach at a neighboring Unitarian church. We were like secret shoppers, trying to be inconspicuous. Then we took the minister to lunch for more conversation. On the Monday evening our committee would meet to discuss the candidate as a potential minister of our church. Rinse and repeat.
By the last Monday evening meeting, I was confident that I could state my my opinions in a clear, persuasive manner. Maybe I can work with committees. Maybe it's only purgatory.
The day after we made our choice, I asked Nurse Judy, "How does adrenaline leave the body? How long does it take? " I slept until 10 AM one day last week. Judy and I took a long drive in the blooming country.
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