The President's Corner

May 2008

Time doesn't stand still when the Tapestry President takes a vacation and it was never truer than the month of April 2008. We've barely had time to adjust to the shock and surprise of Rev. John's announcement that he is leaving and process what that means to the congregation and to each of us. Then, we learn we must deal with the uncertain status of the merger with Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church.

I encourage you to practice patience. I found this quote on the Internet and it seems apt:

"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow — that is patience."

We will indeed keep going. We have applied to the UUA Transitions Office for an Interim Minister and we have received the names and applications of five individuals, several of which are Accredited Interim Ministers (AIMs). The objective of the UUA's Accredited Interim Ministry Program is to develop and maintain a pool of seasoned ministers with advanced consulting skills whose competence in ministering to congregations in all the complexities of an interim period is proven and who are willing to relocate annually.

Accredited Interim Ministers (AIMs) are ministers who specialize in interim ministry. Accreditation is awarded by the UUA Department of Ministry on the basis of proven competence in interim ministry, advanced training, and continuing education.

We have formed an Interim Minister Search Task Force: Connie Pursell, Penny Kinnear, Michael Boys, Mark Fox, and Tara Sayre (when she returns from vacation). We've met and discussed the skills and core competencies we feel are essential in an Interim Minister so that Tapestry, especially in a time of transition, maintains the positive momentum achieved to date. We've identified the following specific goals:

1. Resolving the merger matter one way or the other and moving forward
2. Retaining members and integrating new members into the congregation
3. Exploring a move to a new building/site, with or without OCUUC
4. Continuing a culture of generosity, to increase/maintain our pledges and encourage more volunteerism by newer members
5. Working with children, assuring that we continue to be family-friendly, offering quality programs

As we formulate our interview questions and conduct our inquiries of the Interim Minister candidates, we will focus on exploring who best demonstrates the proven skills to help us reach these goals, in addition to being able to deliver thought-provoking and inspiring sermons, and provide collaborative leadership. A tall order!

We are patient, but we are not idle. We are gathering our reserve strengths and talents to persevere. We all need to remember we are up to the challenges and we are confident that we can continue to make progress in this transitional climate. After all, Spring itself is a time of transition and hope. So many UUs have been inspired by the forces of Nature — Emerson, Thoreau to name only two. May it be so for Tapestry as well — that hope and the energy of Nature, of which we are a part, will buoy and sustain us as we move forward together in support of our values and shared objectives.

Yours in Service,
Connie Pursell
Acting President, April '08