​March 24, 2020

​Dear Unity Church Members and Friends,

This past weekend your board of trustees met to consider the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on the life of the church and our role as trustees in helping to foster the well-being of our shared ministry. We want to acknowledge the flexibility and creativity of the ministers and staff as we find new ways to come together in these challenging times.

We are blessed to have a strong and effective pastoral ministry. More than fifty “congregational connectors” have volunteered to help us keep in touch and take good care of each other. The ministers and the pastoral care team stand ready to continue to reach out with grace, sensitivity, and compassion.

Among the responsibilities assigned to the board is the selection of an interim senior minister to join the executive team for a year after Janne and Rob retire. Given present circumstances we believe an effective interim ministry experience is unlikely. We wonder if it is even possible for an interim minister to move to Saint Paul and begin serving our community by the end of the summer. 

We are convinced that what our congregation needs most now is stable, seasoned leadership. In light of these considerations, the board has asked Janne and Rob to stay with us for another six to twelve months. They accepted our invitation and share our sense that extending their ministry among us is in the best interest of the church. 

The board and executive team will work together over the coming weeks to determine logistics, reevaluate timelines, and consider other factors in play so we can effectively move forward. Rob and Janne’s ministry will evolve over the coming months as we clarify our staffing needs and plan for the future. We are grateful for their flexibility and commitment to our community.  

We will continue to stay in close touch with you as we work together in service to the values we all share. 

Respectfully,
Jackie Smith, Chair
Unity Board of Trustees
Alex Askew, Justin Cummins, Clover Earl, Nila Gouldin, Ruth Kirkland,
Louise Livesay-Al, Jennifer Tong, Jill van Koolwijk

CLICK HERE to watch this message as a video from Jackie Smith.
​The Rev. Jen Crow, a trained UUA transition coach, former Unity intern minister, and senior co-minister at First Universalist Church of Minneapolis led a special meeting of the congregation to help build our understanding of how the search for our next called ministers will be conducted. 

Updates

February 2020 Update 
​January 2019 Update
​May 2019 Update
​November 2018 Update

Documents

Senior Co-Ministers Retirement Announcement
​2018 Annual Report
2018 Annual Meeting Information Packet

Contact

Board Transition Subteam