Are you still wondering what this interim ministry period will be like? Please read on for some insight into what happened during past interim periods at UUCC, and what we can expect this time.
So, what’s different? Yes, we’ve welcomed Rev. Lisa, and she does some things a bit differently from the way Rev. Paige did. But things at UUCC may not seem very different … yet.
Don’t let the current status quo fool you. Rev. Lisa’s primary focus in the first few months is to meet us, watch, listen, learn, and discover who we are and how our processes work. So far, even as she preaches, leads, and provides pastoral care, she is mostly in observer mode. That will change in the coming months as the Transition Team (being formed now) comes together and begins to organize events and activities for us to interact, experiment, and learn about ourselves and our aspirations as a congregation.
The interim period is a time for exploration, experimentation, and renewal. It is a process for rediscovering who we are, where we’re headed and what we need and want as a congregation. The current recommendation from the UUA, which we have implemented, is for a 2-year interim ministry. This gives us a year to move past sadness and old habits, rediscover ourselves and explore possible changes so our Ministerial Search Committee, which will form for the second year, has a clear understanding of what we’re looking for in a new settled minister. This is important. In UUCC’s history, we’ve experienced what the UUA warns. Interim periods of one year or less too often lead to calling ministers who are not an ideal fit and may result in messy departures. We were extremely fortunate to have had an unusually long and loving ministry with Rev. Paige Getty, who carefully planned her departure to set us up for a successful transition. We miss her, and we’re moving on.
Apart from selecting a new settled minister, every interim ministry at UUCC has been a vibrant time of exploration and growth (in membership as well as in programming). There have been 3 past interim ministry periods since UUCC’s founding. Each has been unique.
Becky Reese shares personal recollections gathered from a selection of long time congregants on these three interim periods:
INTERIM MINISTRY 1 | 1989-1990
Rev. Bob Kauffman served during 1989-1990 following the departure of UUCC’s beloved first full-time called minister, Rev. Stephen Kendrick. Described by one long-time congregant as “curmudgeonly,” Rev. Kauffman invited various interesting speakers based on his MENSA (membership organization for the mentally gifted) connections. UUCC congregant Glennor Shirley was so impressed by Ralph Nader’s presentation that she decided at once that this was the congregation for her! Another notable speaker invented a solar-powered airplane that is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. (During the 1980’s, the congregation was largely comprised of humanists and lots of services focused on science.)
INTERIM MINISTRY 2 | 1993-1994
Rev. Thea Nietfeld served in 1993-94 following the congregational split over disagreements related to the leadership and worship style of Rev. Steven Beall. Rev. Nietfeld brought deep caring, and a healing presence. Some congregants felt her sermons were not dynamic enough, but others loved her soothing, mystical style. Becky remembers a touching sermon in which Thea described her process of lovingly blessing each empty room in her new home before moving her belongings in.
In a reconciliation move following the congregational split, Thea inspired the board to rename the UU Society of Howard County (UUSHC) to UUCC (UU Congregation of Columbia) because we were no longer the only UU congregation in Howard County. Thea also inspired the congregation to become a Welcoming Congregation for LGBT people. We grew into this mission gradually and benefited greatly. Norm Hazzard fondly recalls how Rev. Nietfeld joined congregants to plant trees in open areas left by the construction to widen Rt. 29, which cut off neighborhood roads in the vicinity of Allview Estates. Those are now beautiful forested areas.
INTERIM MINISTRY 3 | 2001-2003
Rev. Richard Nugent served as interim minister for 2 years (2001-2003) following Rev. Cindy Snavely’s departure as the congregation was launching its first OBIC (Owen Brown Interfaith Center) building expansion. His experience as a political consultant, Senate staffer and lobbyist served us well in our capital campaign for the construction. He led us to normalize talking about money. (A skill we would do well to refresh.) Rev. Nugent led us to hold dessert parties to define our “desirements” for outcomes the building would enable. The process was highly collaborative and guided us toward contributing generously to bring our dreams to reality. These parties ultimately involved nearly everyone associated with the congregation. Rev. Nugent attended so many that he gained weight! There were also lots of get-to-know us events to define the congregation, its goals, and what we were looking to become.
Rev. Nugent also provided back-bench support for the board’s work to define and implement policy governance for UUCC using John Carver’s books as a guide. This approach to governance frees the board from managing tactical minutia by developing a robust set of policy limits as guidance for the administrators, who are then empowered to implement programming with broad discretion. The congregation was vibrant, grew, and achieved a lot during these 2 years. The search process resulted in calling Rev. Paige Getty, who arrived when the initial building renovations were nearly complete. She presided over the dedication of the new space in her first few months.
TODAY’S INTERIM MINISTRY | 2024-2026
Based on our start so far, and past experiences at UUCC, we, the board, expect this interim period to be vibrant and productive as well. We are different now than we were 20 years ago. As Rev. Lisa shared in her sermon on September 15th, the primary project for the interim period is to figure out “who are we, who is our neighbor, and what are we called to do?” We will go through a process of discovery focused on the 5 themes of heritage, mission, leadership, connections and future. While there are some standard events that occur in sequence, the process itself is not linear. It will be led by Rev. Lisa, who will play a consultative role, organized by the transition team, and supported by the board and staff.
We urge you to heed Rev. Lisa’s request to enthusiastically show up and take part in the process with a spirit of curiosity. This is a time to engage and be active, rather than to sit back and watch. Especially, please stay closely tuned in to emails from UUCC so don’t miss anything as the interim process unfolds.
So what will interim ministry be like for us this time? Largely, that is up to what we each bring to it. We need your voice and energy to help us frame our collective hopes and intentions. The story is just beginning. It is an exciting time. What will we build together?
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