MSR Guide - Unitarian Universalist Association

38
Goals of a Search Committee Retreat
Every year one or two search committees crash late in the process. The result—a second
year in search with a new committee. Lots of vexation and no small expense. Almost
invariably, the committees that crashed and the committees on which serious conflict
develops short-circuited the retreat. It is not a luxury—it is a necessity!
1. Get better acquainted—deeply acquainted. You will be going on a long, sometimes tortuous
journey together.
2. Build trust. There will be issues, principles, processes, and people about which you will
disagree, sometimes intensely. You need to develop the trust and mutual understanding now
that will hold you together then.
3. Learn about each other's skills and interests so that you can begin blocking out and dividing
up the tasks ahead.
4. Develop a timeline for your search process.
5. Develop your bases for making decisions. Consensus is to be hoped for, but a back-up
procedure is wise to have in place.
• When is total agreement necessary; when not
• When and how to eliminate candidates
• How to decide on pre-candidates
• How many reserve slots to leave for late applicants
• Rules and when to change them
• Confidentiality details and questions
• Communications with Board and Congregation
• Listening to one another and how to argue
• Roles for process observer
• Dealing with disagreements
• Places for unanimity
• How to keep the church "up"
6. Plan how you will include key leaders in your congregation and continuing staff members. It
is reasonable to have certain church staff provide input into the search process. Each search
committee needs to decide when and how this can best be done. These are the most common
ways of involving such staff as other ministers, RE Directors, and administrators:
• Search committee interviews the staff members early in the process to gain views on the
society, the new minister, their hope for salary parity and their role in the future. One
search committee member may serve as liaison with each staff person.
• Valued staff persons, ordained or not, should probably have time with each pre-candidate