The Search for an Interim Minister

Dear Families,
You probably know that Rev. Lora has resigned her position so she can spend more time with family and her last day at Horizon is June 30. I'm so very sad to see her go but know that she is making the right choice both for herself and her loved ones.

I have been a UU since 1995, and as a congregant I belonged to UU churches with interim ministers. In fact, our daughter was Dedicated by a wonderful interim minister at our UU fellowship in Montgomery. Although Horizon has never felt stagnant to me, interim periods can be exciting times when new ideas are brought in and changes are made. It can be an invigorating process. I also know it can seem a little challenging, especially during the pandemic. I wanted to reassure you that Horizon has an excellent team in charge of hiring the interim, one of whom is a parent with two children at Horizon, and many church leaders and staff members have worked with interim ministers in the past. The other circle coordinators and I will keep working with you to reopen the building and begin a new post-pandemic era with in-person and virtual opportunities for worship, learning, social action, and community building.

So why do we have to have an interim minister anyway? In Unitarian Universalism, each congregation calls (hires) its minister, but when the longtime minister leaves, we don't immediately replace that minister; instead we hire what is called an interim minister. The interim is specially trained, usually stays for two years and works with the congregation to grieve the departure of the former minister and help the congregation heal, to identify areas the congregation wants to work on, and to prepare for the new, settled minister. The interim is free to do work a settled minister can't because their time with us is finite. It's a healthy way to transition from one settled minster to another. Before I started at Horizon, there was a year's gap form the time the last religious educator left and I started. It was like a gift to me because I was not measured against my predecessor and that gap gave me a fresh start with you.

The interim minister hired by Horizon will be announced in about a month or so and will be in place August 1. That can seem like for-e-ver. For now, know that we're still offering great programming, we're working diligently to reopen the building when certain conditions are met, and the teachers, youth advisors and I are planning for the summer and fall. Be sure to check your inboxes because we will be asking the children to participate in a goodbye gift for Rev. Lora and farewell activities in June.
Yours in Faith,
Lauren

Lauren Daniell
Director of Lifespan Religious Education
DLRE@horizonuu.org