Our Interim time has begun at First Parish. Following the Unitarian Universalist Association’s framework for when a Minister leaves a congregation, the “Interim” is a two-year period to prepare for and hire a new Settled Minister.
Our Search Committee selected Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong to be our Lead Interim Minister. He was heartily endorsed by Parish Committee and joined us August 1.
Central to the Interim process is the Transition Team. Rev. Jonipher and the Parish Committee are in the process of selecting the team who will work closely with the Minister and the congregation as we learn more about ourselves and set goals for the future.
Rev. Jonipher and the transition team will work together to create opportunities to gather input from the congregation and share what they learn as we go through the discernment process. Be ready to try new things as we explore how we see ourselves and what we would like to see in the future.
Timeline:
| Aug 1 | Interim Lead Minister Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong starts |
| Sept 7 | Ingathering |
| Sept 14 | Picnic to Welcome Rev. Jonipher |
| Winter 2026 | Nominations for Settled Minister Search Committee |
| May 2026 | Annual Meeting, Vote on Settled Minister Search Committee |
| Spring 2027 | Congregation votes on Settled Minister |
| Fall 2027 | Our new Settled Minister starts |
The Work of the Congregation During the Interim Period
The UUA provides these five focus points to guide us through the process of “discernment”, that is understanding the desires and needs of the congregation that will help us in selecting a called minister. We’ll also explore new models of staffing, lay leadership, ways of doing things, and priorities.
Heritage: reviewing how the congregation has been shaped and formed
- The congregation’s heritage, both corporate and individual, is the foundation upon which the present rests. Paying attention to heritage means encouraging and hearing all of the stories about the congregation’s past, and embracing the rich variety that makes up this particular congregation.
Leadership: reviewing the membership needs and its ways of organizing and developing new and effective leadership
- Transition time provides opportunity for individuals and the congregational organizations to examine the types of leadership needed. New leaders will emerge, while some seasoned leaders may re-commit or may decide to refocus their gifts.
Mission: defining and redefining sense of purpose and direction
- The primary work in this area involves clarifying the faith community’s identity and core values, working to develop mission and vision statements, and perhaps even working out short-term tactical plans.
Connections: discovering all the relationships a faith community builds outside of itself
- Sometimes congregational life is so busy that congregations and their leadership forget to attend to their connections both to their denomination and to the network of communities around them. Transition is an appropriate time to reassess old links and to consider new ones.
Future: developing congregational and pastoral profiles
- Focusing on the future requires a healthy and honest assessment of the other focus points so that the congregation can turn its energy toward proactive decision-making for the future. The Intentional Interim Leader offers the congregation a variety of possibilities to engage the Five Focus Points.
Selecting a New Settled Minister
- Any interested member will be encouraged to put their name forward for this work.
- The Settled Minister Search Committee will then be elected by a congregational vote.