Changes

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, a few months ago I announced my intention of leaving the First Unitarian Society in Newton at the end of this church year. These have been eight good years, and I expect I’ll write more about that as we move closer to the end of our time together. That happily acknowledged, it was also time to go.

After closely considering the congregations available and interesting this year, my list reduced to four, two in California, one in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island. After various conversations including exchanges of packets of materials, phone interviews, and reference checking, I was invited to be what we call in the Unitarian Universalist world a “pre-candidate,” that is a finalist by one of the California churches and by the congregation in Rhode Island.

After visiting with both search committees for long weekends, and frankly, feeling both represented wonderful congregations that I could serve joyfully, Jan and I weighed all our options, our hopes, our fears, our needs, and finally we decided we could both do our best work here in Southern New England.

So, I’m ecstatic to announce that I’ve accepted the invitation of the ministerial search committee of the First Unitarian Church of Providence to be their “candidate” to be the next minister of the church.

The process continues and the congregation must agree with the committee and me that I am the right person for the job through the direct election of the membership.

So, Jan & I’ll be there for ten days over the end of April and the beginning of May, when the congregation will vote.

More will follow…