In the months that have passed since Mark announced his retirement, I have experienced feelings of both sadness and perhaps even a little denial. I can definitely say that for my family, Mark has been a comfort, a supporter, and an inspiration through both good times and bad since my husband and I first became members of UUCA in 2008. As we approach Thanksgiving, Mark Ward is high on our thankfulness list indeed!

However, in addition to this nostalgia and gratitude, I am sure that I am not alone in wondering what his departure will mean for us as a congregation. What will happen once he moves on?

Ministerial transitions, by nature, are periods of change filled with nervousness for congregations, but I believe we can also look at this upcoming transition as a time of excitement and energy as we map out a new future for the UUCA.

In the coming months, there will be much to talk about. We will share information and updates as well as opportunities to support and guide this transition. The bulk of this work won’t really begin until after the coming of the new year, but I figured that now would be a good time to begin to share some basic information and the timeline on our road ahead together.

There are two types of ministers with whom we will be involved in the coming years. First of all, beginning in January, we will begin the process of seeking out a “Transition Minister” (also called an Interim Minister). These ministers have special training to help guide congregations in transition through a series of tasks that help them prepare for their next permanent, or “Called Minister.” Mark has served as our “Called Minister” for the past 15 years.

Once we have a “Transition Minister” in place, we will work with them for 24 months to find our “Called Minister.” Why two years?! The UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) Transition Office suggests that congregations that work successfully with their “Transition Minister” for two years have a much greater success (90%) of finding a “Called Minister” who matches their needs, while congregations working with their “Transition Minister” for 12 months or less have a lower (56%). success rate. The mantra of the UUA Transition Office is “Doing it well beats doing it quickly.”

Therefore based on this guidance, it is the intention of the Board of Trustees to begin the search for our two-year “Transition Minister” in the months ahead. This is how that process will work:

With guidance from the UUA Transition office, the Board will begin seeking congregational members to form the Transition Minister Search Committee. This committee will consist of 5 members who will lead the search process. The selection of this committee will be finalized in the early months of 2020.

Once the committee has been selected, they will begin preparing and completing an Interim Search Packet and submitting it to the UUA for publication and promotion. The earliest submission date for this information is April 9th, 2020.

On May 2nd, 2020, the UUA will release the names of all interested applicants to us. Committee members will sort through these applicants and conduct interviews. A few weeks later on May 18th, the board will finalize the committee’s recommendations to the UUA Transition Office. On May 20th at noon, offers will be extended to the desired “Transition Minister”.

It is important to note that several people have asked me if Rev. Claudia would be able to apply to be our “Called Minister,” but the UUA does not recommend that a Minister of Faith Development become a “Called Minister” in the same congregation. The board intends to follow that recommendation. Also, Rev. Claudia has told us that she is not interested in applying for the Lead position. Rev. Claudia will continue to be fully present and serve our community with her passion, love, and joy during this time of transition.

At times our work together will be filled with trepidation and uncertainty, but as a Board we will strive to be as transparent about the process as possible. To this end, the board will host a series of information Q&A’s in December to provide more detailed information and to answer questions about our upcoming work. We will widely publicize dates and times as soon as they are confirmed.

In addition, any Board member is also available individually to answer your questions, take your comments, and just listen to your thoughts about this process. As Board President, I am committed to this as well. You can email me, call me at (919) 619-7298, or simply grab me by the arm when you see me at services.

We are all incredibly grateful for all that Mark has done to serve us as individuals, as a congregation, and as a part of our larger community in Asheville. In the coming months, we will share that gratitude with him as we prepare for a new “Called Minister.”

I am thankful for this congregation as a whole. We are healthy and caring and creative. That will serve us well as we move into this transition and new future together!

Ryan Williams
Board of Trustees – President