About Find-A-Minister
A Great New Member Benefit for UUMA Members Only
Many of you have been telling us you need more ways to promote your ministries. We are excited to have designed a tool that we hope will advance your ministries in meaningful ways.
What This Is: Find-A-Minister is a new search tool on our site which is fully integrated with our membership management system. The only thing you need to do to be included is fill out the Find-a-Minister section of your profile and check that you’d like to be included in user searches. This tool will offer benefits to members seeking to find other members, including replacing our clunky mentor database. Current mentors should select the kinds of mentoring they are available for in the Member to Member section and, if open for a mentee, opt-in to be listed in the search. It will also benefit members with innovative and entrepreneurial ministries as well as members seeking opportunities to provide ministerial services for a fee such as pulpit supply, rights of passage, coaching and consulting services.
This tool is intended to highlight and promote the diversity of our members’ ministries. Modeled after Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist, its mission is to connect those seeking ministerial services with UUMA Members offering those services for a fee. Find-A-Minister will also help members deepen their collegial networks and relationships. The UU Ministry has a rich heritage of mentoring, offered free of charge, from one generation of ministers to the next. Robust participation in Find-A-Minister will make it easier for ministers to learn about and connect with other ministers and will create more access for those seeking ministers for compensated services.
Once launched beyond our membership, the intention of this tool is to help congregations and organizations identify ministers who may be interested in very short-term, time-limited paid opportunities for ministerial services such as guest preaching, officiating rites of passage, leading a board retreat, short term pastoral care coverage, etc. Please note, the UUMA is responsible for ensuring that all ministers on this site are members of the UUMA and in fellowship or formation with the UUA. We are not responsible for services rendered by any individuals.
We designed this tool with access and security in mind. Members control whether you opt in or out and what shows up on searches. Searchers will be able to access only what participants have shared. To submit an inquiry users will click a button that forwards their information to the member. This means no one will have access to member contact information unless and until you share your contact information by responding to the inquiry..
What This is Not: This tool is not intended to be an alternative for the UUA processes for hire or search. We ask and expect that congregations and organizations looking to employ a minister on an ongoing basis contact the UUA Transitions Team for assistance with posting a position. This is true for all employment positions whether full or part time, ongoing or temporary. If you are not sure whether the work you have in mind ought to be considered employment or not, please reach out to the UUA Office of Church Staff Finance for guidance.
How to Enroll: The Find-A-Minister Tool pulls data directly from Member Profiles. To be included in the search navigate to the Member Center and select the profile button. Scroll down to the “Additional Information” section and select the tab entitled Find-A-Minister. To be listed on the search click the box next to “I would like to be listed” and complete the remaining fields. .
Who Can Participate: The Find-A-Minister Tool is a benefit of UUMA Membership and all members of the UUMA have access to this new tool without additional cost. Our great hope is to facilitate more connection between members and those who would benefit from their ministries.
When is This Available: Now! At this time, we are in Phase 1, which means access is limited to members so we can promote engagement and help you learn how to use the tool. In Phase 2, we will make the tool available to congregations (for a small fee) with a special focus on reaching out to lay-led congregations who do not have the financial resources to employ a minister but who have some resources to bring ministers in as guests for various roles. In Phase 3, we hope to promote the tool more broadly in locations where people may be seeking ministerial services.