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A New Chapter

             
            
                

 

In January 2023, Senior Pastor Julie Peeples and Associate Pastor Paul Davis announced their retirement effective the end of the year.

The church officers were informed in late 2022 and together, the Pastors and the officers agreed on the search and call process to replace Pastor Peeples. This plan was presented to and approved by the Church Council in January 2023. The Church Council appointed a Call Committee, chaired by Robin Long, and the committee is at work seeking a new Pastor. It is a long and intense process. Meanwhile, the ministry of the church is moving ahead apace.

The process Congregational UCC has chosen to follow allows the Pastors (married couple) to scale back responsibilities and working hours to part time in the Fall 2023. Our new Pastor will have the opportunity to overlap with our current Pastors to ensure a seamless transition, provide support and share experiences. This overlap model has some history in the UCC and continues to be explored as an option for churches whose clergy are transitioning to retirement. This model also allows the Pastors to provide support and guidance to the Call Committee, church leadership, and the congregation during the transition period. These duties often fall to an Interim Minister, and while both Julie and Paul have been trained in Interim Ministry, there is a belief that following this process is preferable to the standard interim ministry model.

In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Pastor Davis currently manages the building maintenance oversight. He is working closely with members of the Board of Management to transfer those tasks to the Board, including upkeep and repair of the physical building and grounds, rental contracts and renter relations, finances, and stewardship. With the new pastor and input from the congregation, the Church Council will review needs and establish a solid staffing plan. The Associate Minister position will be on hold during our current search for a Lead Pastor.

The Call Committee is actively engaged in the search and call process. If you are interested in speaking with the Committee Chair, please contact Robin Long at searchcallcucc@gmail.com.

Search and Call Documents

Below you’ll find a collection of important documents related to the search and call process. The first section – Information for Applicants – contains information from the Call Committee especially for applicants for the Lead Pastor’s position. The second section – Communication with the Congregation – contains documents from Robin Long (chair of the Call Committee), and Pastors Peeples and Davis to the congregation. These documents explain the search and call process, its steps, how the congregation can help, and more. Both sections will be updated with new documents as the search and call process moves forward.

Information for Applicants

Communication with the Congregation