Via Zoom
We scheduled this meeting as a follow-up to our April 28 meeting, as we did not have time then to properly address this very important issue: whether to begin the process of calling Reverend Jessica Star Rockers to become our Settled Minister at Kitsap Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
By Friday evening, two more items had made it onto our agenda.
Board members present: Eric Harrold, Nathan Emmett, Jack Peterson, Jackie Westwood, Terry Mallory, and Lisa Johnson. Absent: Peter Kreidler (excused) Guests: Beth Wilson and Margaret Wilder
We began the meeting with a Chalice lighting and reading of our Board Covenant. We followed with these items:
1. Transitioning Reverend Jessica into settled ministry: Long before this pandemic hit, Reverend Jessica had shown herself to be a stunning asset to KUUF.
· Our membership was growing, and we were thriving with new people, including families, joining us.
· Then, with our need to Stay Home and Stay Safe, she has led us into virtual services, spiritual practices, and networking to care for our community.
· Many in the congregation have already expressed the desire to “hold on to her, whatever it takes.”
· If called to settled ministry, Reverend Jessica would still maintain a ¾ position. As we already pay the accompanying benefits of a ¾ time position, settled ministry would not be an additional expense.
· Settled ministry is a deeper commitment than her present, year-to-year agreement. That deeper commitment is on both sides, minister to congregation, and congregation to minister.
· The process of calling Reverend Jessica to settled ministry would take several months, and require a task force appointed by the Board; the task force’s development of a plan for sharing with the congregation; a series of small-group meetings to assess our readiness, with records kept at all these meetings; and a vote to call receiving a 90% yes.
The Board voted unanimously to begin this process. We hope to complete this by the end of our current fiscal year.
If you are interested in being part of this task force, please contact Lisa at linezj@wavecable.com to have your name added to the list of candidates.
2. Communication with the greater congregation: At a recent Wednesday evening Conversations meeting, the issue of clearly sharing information with our greater community arose, including information about our financial health. An ad hoc committee formed, comprised of Beth Wilson, Deborah Welsh, Jackie Westwood, and Ellen Newberg (with Susan Welsh in an advisory capacity.) This ad hoc committee (dubbed “KUUF, Karma, and COVID-19”) met twice, and composed drafts of letters to go out to the congregation from the Board. The first letter will be a brief paragraph of concern for our community. The second will an update on how we are functioning under the SHSS order, and the third an overview of our financial situation in this time of lost revenue for so many of us, including KUUF.
The Board voted unanimously to approve both letters. They will be sent out separately via blast email.
3. KUUF needs to replace the roof on the Easter Seals (Matan) building. At first, we thought it was possible to simply patch the weak spots, but on closer examination we found that to be insufficient. The cost of replacing the roof is $35,000 to $45,000. Most of that money is currently set aside in the Matan budget, but because of the amount (more than 5% of our budget) the expenditure must be approved by a congregational vote. We will send out the vote soon via a blast email and paper ballot to those who request it. (Please share this information if you know someone who does not have access to internet now.)
Please, if you are experiencing difficulty during this challenging time, please contact Reverend Jessica at minister@kuuf.org, any member of the Board board@kuuf.org, or our Caring Committee caringcommittee@kuuf.org.