Ministerial Profile
Desired Leadership Qualities: The ministerial candidate
- is an ordained minister or in the process of becoming a Unitarian Universalist minister
- is an effective speaker-inspiring to diverse perspectives
- can relate to and engage with other religious communities, and exercise diplomacy
- is welcoming to other faiths and promotes visibility within the community-at-large*
- is dedicated, optimistic, enthusiastic, and approachable
- has a sense of humor, good listening skills, and is spiritually mature and wise.
Strong considerations will be given to applicants who:
- will reside within the Swannanoa Valley community
- have an interest in longer term service/growing within the congregation
- demonstrate a strong interest in Religious Education for adults and youth
- recognize the importance of children and youth in a congregation and promote intergenerational worship services and programs.
Job Description for Half Time Minister
The congregation has the following expectations:
The minister will
- preach twice a month for 10 months for a total of 21 services a year with a segment of the service involving children/youth at least once a month,
- attend at least 2 times a year a Sunday morning class dedicated to Religious Education for children and youth
- provide pastoral care
- attend committee meetings such as: Board of Directors meeting - Program/Worship Committee meetings - (and other committees as needed on a rotating basis.)
- lead Membership Orientation 2x a year
- teach 2 classes to adults per year - (i.e., 2 series of 4 week classes, 2 hours/week, plus prep time.)
- conduct ceremonies for memorial services, weddings, child dedications and other life celebrations and rites of passage.
- offer presence in the Community e.g.
- Board of Alderman meeting in Black Mountain once a year
- Swannanoa Valley Ministerial Association
- charitable functions, social assistance organizations
- Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Breakfast.
Initial Salary Package
- Salary/housing: $24,000
- Retirement: $2,400
- FICA $1,836 Medical: 80% to a maximum of $3,000
- Total package: $31,236 plus expenses of $3,000
It is expected that the minister will have one month of vacation and one month of study time during the year.
Our church building has limited space. It is likely that a minister’s office would need to be RE/meeting room on Sunday. We plan to provide a minister with a lockable computer unit, computer, phone, table, and file cabinet in this multi-purpose room.
Congregational Profile
The Town of Black Mountain, located near Asheville in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, enjoys mild weather, outdoor recreational activities, and diverse flora and fauna. Five major denominational retreat centers and the historical site of Black Mountain College are in the area. Many ministers choose to retire here. Black Mountain is a small town with large seasonal community, international dining experiences, municipal golf course, public swimming pool, an arts center, and several yearly festivals. 500 Montreat Road, our church address, is a prime location with a charming building, wonderful trees and adequate parking for current activities.
The friendliness and energy of our congregation are most evident on Sunday mornings. Our speaker might be a UU minister or one from another denomination, our favorite pagan, college professor, social activist or lay leader. (Our “theology” may well be eclecticism). Six to 10 visitors arrive on any given Sunday to be welcomed by greeters and recognized during announcements. Attendance at the service is between 60 and 80 on most Sundays. The congregation values warm, sincere, from-the-heart speakers with a message to inspire. Coffee hour following the service (includes children and youth) offers light snacks and lively greetings and conversation, with a full-meal potluck at least four times a year. Committees often meet before the service or after the coffee hour. Our 100 members and many friends come from as far away as 40 miles or just down the street. Approximately 20 members live in Asheville, 16 miles away. More than half of the congregation is over 50 years old, but this is changing as more young families attend. A substantial number of members are involved professionally or as hobbyists in the arts.
The glowing coal at the center is the sense of community in the congregation that is expressed in the enthusiastic and widespread participation in committees and related events. The Board of Trustees and over a dozen committees involve at least 50 members of the congregation in any given year. It might be said that a few people serve on too many committees, and sometimes we try to do too much.
In addition to the committees necessary to carry out the responsibilities of church life, we are very proud of our efforts with our partner church in Romania; Covenant groups; and our active Welcoming Congregation process which was completed on September 16, 2007. The vote was 57 – 0 to become a Welcoming Congregation. A Green Sanctuary process began in the fall of 2007.
The UUCSV is a consistent Merit Congregation with a healthy financial picture, which was significantly aided by the award of a Chalice Lighter grant to assist with the purchase of our first church home. Our building challenges include a potentially leaky roof and an antiquated heat/AC system. We need to deal with growth issues while desiring more young families with children. Growth will present space issues in building and parking. In our seven-year history we have had two consulting ministers and two paid Religious Education Coordinators. All were treasured employees who resigned because of distance issues or health reasons. Our current RE Coordinator is very effective with her 20 hours a month. Enrollment in RE is around 30 children, with four separate classes in the fall of 2007. Our part-time administrator has been with us nearly three years. During the 2007 – 08 church year, the Reverend Sarah York is our Ministerial Consultant, preaching 11 times a year and consulting with committees on an as-needed basis. Although we have been functioning quite well with lay leadership, our membership feels strongly that we will benefit from having a UU Minister for guidance in the congregation and presence in the community.
Address all correspondence to:
Ursula Goebels-Ellis
31 Eden Glen Rd.
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Email: ursulage@bellsouth.net
