In one of our last Governing Circle “meet-and-greet” sessions, we were asked whether we were continuing with a ministerial search. We feel we need to communicate the answer to the broader community. Here are the bullet points.

• The UUA coordinates an annual hiring process every spring. There are many more UU churches seeking UU ministers than there are ministers seeking positions. All churches seeking ministers submit a packet which includes church description, location, and salary range. All ministers seeking positions respond (through the UUA) to a few churches with their interest and bio. It all shakes out by late spring and hiring is done for the year.
• Based on UUA guidelines for salary, we thought we could afford to offer a 1/2 to 3/4 time position. Only one minister (located in Tennesee and unwilling to move) responded to our position. ​A​t the town hall​ last February, many people listed “local” and “UU” in their top priority descriptors of a minister, ​so the Ministerial Search Team did not pursue hiring that person.
• With current INUUC pledges at about $99,000 per year, and our current estimate that a 3/4-time minister salary, with benefits, Social Security, sabbatical fund, etc. would cost $90,000, we can’t afford to offer a 3/4 time position at this time.
• The GC estimates that the congregation would need to increase by 30-40 members or each person increase their pledge by 40-50% in order to fund a minister.
• The other large expense that INUUC may have is location rental, which may potentially reach $20,000–$30,000 per year to find somewhere with a large enough sanctuary, attractive space and location, and rooms for office and religious education. That is affordable for us; however, it further reduces the amount we could pay a minister. Our current space in Rockwood Community Center, while free, is not ideal because it is in a gated community and does not have good RE or office space. We are actively looking for a space to rent but it’s extremely difficult to find anything that meets both our needs and our budget. If we rent space from another church, we have to figure out Sunday morning service times and that is also very challenging.

Members of the Governing Circle are always interested in hearing congregation questions, feedback, and ideas. Please feel free to email us individually or at GC@INUUC.org, or talk to us in person.