UCC Board outlines search process for next GMP, creates webpage for updates

Do you want to know more about the process of calling the United Church of Christ’s next general minister and president? There’s now a web page for that.

The page here, on UCC.org, will be updated with information periodically from the United Church of Christ Board’s GMP Search Committee. In this letter to the wider church, Board Chair Cameron Barr expands on the search and call process for the UCC’s next general minister and president.

To All United and Uniting in Christ:

The United Church of Christ Board has completed its preparations for the search for our next general minister and president and the search committee is now actively beginning its work. With the Rev. Noah Brewer-Wallin serving as chair of the committee and Brenda Dalton James serving as vice-chair, we have trusted and faithful leaders in place for this important process of discernment.

You can find information about the search committee and the search process on our web page. You may also read the charge document the board has issued to the search committee to define the parameters of our search. You will also find “Frequently Asked Questions” on the web page that include additional information about our process. You can send questions, make nominations of candidates, or express interest in the position to gmpsearch@ucc.org.

The UCCB is proud that our search committee broadly reflects the many communities, identities and lived experiences that make up the life of our denomination. The search committee was empaneled through an inclusive and consultative process of inviting nominations from major affinity and identity groups in our denomination. This approach has yielded a diverse search committee consisting of respected leaders throughout the wider church. A majority of the committee is people of color and identify as women or nonbinary. Inclusion of LGBTQ communities and those with disabilities was another priority for us. Our committee also includes representation from all of the church’s major geographic regions, a balance of clergy and laity, and faithful attention to a balance of other skills and life experiences important to attracting a diverse field of candidates. 

Our search is being supported by a team of consultants from the highly respected executive search firm Isaacson Miller. We believe that working with Keight Kennedy, Ernest Brooks and Shalini Uppu will extend the reach of our search, help our committee keep pace with the demands of communications and time management, and enact our commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

In the coming weeks, the search committee will be reaching out to the wider church for input to finalize the position profile, and we anticipate that in the early summer we will be ready to begin discernment with prospective candidates. Clear instructions for candidates interested in applying for consideration will be made available via the web page when the position profile is complete. 

Please continue to hold the search committee, the UCCB and our prospective candidates in prayer. We are committed to keeping the wider church informed along the way and look forward to sharing additional updates with you on this process.

In faith, hope, and love,

Rev. Cameron Barr
Chair
United Church of Christ Board

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