Ministries at First Parish FAQ

Why is Reverend Erica’s contract ending? 

The Parish Minister’s contract has always been tied to the settled Ministry of First Parish. When Rev. Erica was hired in 2020, her contract was tied to Marta’s, meaning that if Marta left, Rev. Erica was to submit a letter of resignation for the Parish Committee’s consideration. It is UUA best practice to tie Ministry contracts together. 

There was no single decision made to end Rev. Erica’s contract, rather:

• Rev. Erica’s contract had built-in limits since it has always been tied to the settled Ministry at First Parish.
• The Parish Committee voted to offer Rev. Erica a new contract up to the end of the transition period.
• The Parish Committee is committed to prioritizing the Ministry of First Parish over individual ministers.

Rev. Erica had the option of applying for the new Settled Lead Minister position, however, as she announced earlier this year, she has decided not to apply for that position, which is a called position (voted on by the congregation) vs. a contract position, managed by the Parish Committee.

Will the Parish Committee offer Rev. Erica another new contract? If not, why not?

In accordance with UUA best practice, the Parish Committee has decided not to offer Rev. Erica a contract beyond the interim period.

The Parish Committee made this decision for the following reasons:

• We want to give our newly settled Minister the space and freedom to create their own vision of Ministry at First Parish – one that is aligned with the priorities and goals we set for ourselves during this period of transition, and a Ministry within our means.
• We would like to ensure we have the opportunity to attract the best possible new settled Lead Minister. Coming into a congregation with an existing Minister they had no input into hiring, will objectively be a negative on our desirability to many potential candidates.
• During this interim period, we will explore our finances and various staffing models (Assistant Minister, Co-Ministers, Membership Coordinator, administrative needs, etc.). It is premature to make significant staffing decisions before that work is completed.

How does Rev. Erica’s contract differ from our Settled Lead Minister’s contract?

A ‘Settled’ Lead Minister is ‘called’ to serve by a vote from the congregation. While the decision to hire a second minister was made by the entire congregation, it was decided to make that a contract position, rather than a called position, which gives the congregation much more flexibility to consider changes in our structure, as we are doing now.  Therefore, Rev. Erica is a contract minister, not a called minister. The Second Minister Search Committee and Marta selected Rev. Erica as a candidate, but the actual hiring was done by the Parish Committee. Employee contracts are managed by the Parish Committee and per UUA guidance, supporting minister contracts are tied to the settled Minister, putting the focus on the Ministry, not the individual. Rev. Stevie’s Religious Education contract is not tied to the settled Ministry.  He has a specific charge, running the RE program, rather than being an Assistant Minister who shares the overall Ministerial duties with the Lead Minister.

How do financial and budget matters factor into this decision? 

First Parish is self-funding and over two-thirds of our budget is staff salaries and benefits. Our ability to raise funds within the congregation directly affects our ability to attract and hire high quality staff. It is also difficult to predict our finances: healthcare costs are rising, the local economy is under stress, we need to replace the meetinghouse boiler, and we strive to competitively compensate our staff. 

We are nearing the end of the annual stewardship campaign that will determine the financial situation of the congregation for the coming year and beyond.

How can I provide input into First Parish’s future?

We encourage everyone to attend listening circles and stay up to date on Transition Team work. The Transition Team will be scheduling additional events to gather input on priorities and possibilities.

The Settled Minister Search Committee will be elected at our Annual Meeting on May 3.  There will be opportunities to meet the candidates and we’ll be publishing their bios.  Get to know them and come to the Annual Meeting (voting will only be in person).  

The Search Committee will also be seeking input through a survey and focus groups, as they prepare the document packet that describes our congregation to prospective ministerial candidates, due in the fall.  Your participation will provide a more complete view of our congregation.

You may also email the Parish Committee (Parcom-members@firstparish.info) or the Transition Team (transitionteam@firstparish.info), find us at coffee hour, or contact any of us individually. In addition, congregants may share their feedback through this online form or in person during coffee hour in the Grady Room on March 29 and April 12.

• Parish Committee: John Anderson, Carolyn Hodges (treasurer), Joanna Pushee (clerk), Marie Meteer (chair), Susan Moore, Amy Speare, Al Tosti, Kate Tranquada (vice chair)
• Transition Team: Marilyn Downs, Lois Fine, Julie Garry (co-chair), Marc Jacobson, Lida Junghans, and Kay Snowden (co-chair).

What other communication has been shared on this topic?

• From the Parish Committee: What’s an Inside Candidate?
• A Note from Rev. Erica Richmond, Parish Minister
• The Parish Committee Thanks Rev. Erica