The Senior Minister Search Process Overview
It will take a team to discern who our new senior minister will be. Below are some of the groups that will be involved and how they will work together.
The Senior Minister Search Committee is a group of congregational members who have volunteered their time and talents and have been approved by both Church Council and the congregation to help execute on this important mission. Our committee will be most involved in the search. Our first big job has been to digest the “all church survey” and complete the Senior Minister job description/Opportunity Profile for use during our search. Both the survey and the resulting profile reflect who we are, what our priorities are as a congregation, and what the profile is for next Senior Minister. Next, we have begun our initial networking and outreach efforts. Our profile has been sent to UCC and has been posted across relevant periodicals and job sites. As a result of these recruiting and solicitation efforts, we will begin to receive and review profiles of potential candidates. The committee will select and assess candidates for consideration by, and final interviews with Executive Committee with subsequent approval by Church Council and YOU – our congregation.
We do want to be clear that our Search Committee is very much committed to a consensus -driven model. With this, we are committed to only moving a candidate forward assuming we all agree that we have our final candidate.
Although the Search Committee will take the lead in finding the new senior minister, the Executive Committee will remain involved in the process. For example, Kathy Vega and Tom Mitchell (our Moderator and Associate Moderator) will stay in regular contact with the Search Committee as well as the National HQ of the UCC and the Illinois Conference. The Executive Committee will also work with the pastors, the church communications team and others to “unpack” the survey results and develop ways to effectively communicate them to the congregation. The Search Committee will keep the results in mind as they speak to prospective candidates, and the church will also be sharing these results with our new Senior Minister when we begin the Minister transition. Once our Search Committee has presented the final candidate(s) to the Executive Committee for consideration, if one or more is suitable, the Executive Committee will recommend a final candidate to Church Council for their consideration.
Once our Search Committee has finished its work and they have presented the final candidate(s) for consideration, if one or more is suitable, the Executive Committee will recommend a final candidate to Church Council for their consideration.
The National Headquarters of the United Church of Christ oversees the UCC Profiles Office. This office manages the UCC Ministerial Profiles Portal and the UCC Ministry Opportunities Listing. Using these web-based resources, we can attract and interview candidates from all over the country.
The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ is our regional association and the third-largest UCC conference in the country. Part of its mission is to support Illinois Conference congregations as we begin and conduct our search over the next several months. The Illinois Conference offices may also be sharing candidate profiles with us and can help us through the search process if needed, as well.
The Congregation – YOU will also play an important role! We will be providing a variety of ways for you to share your voice as we work to discern our church’s priorities and who God is calling us to be. YOU will also ultimately vote on calling our new Senior Minister. So, please feel free to share your hopes and dreams as well as your worries or concerns about a new Senior Minister — all feedback will be helpful.
If you have any questions about the process or the timeline, please contact Brian Clarke and Sonja Martinez by clicking the button below.
Our Senior Minister
The Role in Our Church’s History and Its Future
As we look to the future, we are excited to find a Senior Pastor who will guide our growing church family, deepen our faith, and help us continue to live out our mission with love and purpose.
Please click the button below to read more.
Senior Minister Search Committee Covenant
The members of the Search Committee for First Congo have been selected recognizing the impact of its efforts, deliberations, and recommendations to the church, its mission, ministries, and the spiritual health of our congregation. To review in more detail what the Search Committee Covenant includes, please click below:
Senior Minister Search Timeline
The committee will be regularly communicating with the congregation as to the status of our search. You can find updates by clicking the button below:
UCC Local Church Profile
The new Local Church Profile is not just for congregations in search of a pastor. All congregations are encouraged to engage in its process of discovery every 3–5 years. The UCC Local Church Profile reflects valuable data, assesses ministry, clarifies change, and helps advance the calling of the congregation. Not just to be completed by a search committee – the more participation, the better! To download the UCC Local Church Profile, please click the button below: