I’ve been hearing the questions, directly and indirectly, asking about my future with UCE. Many of you have been with me all along as I’ve travelled my path toward ministry and you want to know what’s next for me, so let me cut to the chase.
I’m staying at UCE for the time being. I am honored and grateful to remain as your Assistant Minister focusing on social justice, membership and pastoral care for another year. The other night I led our Journey Toward Membership class along with New Member Committee members, Meredith Haydon and Greg Grabowski, and I experienced, as I always do, the joy of this shared ministry. How meaningful it is to accompany people as they discover this faith, as they seek a community of belonging where they can ask big questions and discuss possible answers, without defensiveness or fear, argument or shame. I know the gift of this ministry when I talk with those of you who have lost loved ones or are facing tremendous challenges. I am moved to tears as I hear about your ministry to one another, holding each other’s hands through sickness and pain. I am inspired by you as we strive for a more just world, chipping away at the systems of oppression. We’re thinking together of the ways we can coalesce our energy and work collectively for liberation. I am so glad to be in it with you now.
And…
I’ve gotten word that I will not be able to earn my last renewal toward final fellowship while I remain at UCE. This means I need to eventually leave UCE in order to complete my credentialing and remain in good standing as a minister with the UUA and the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC). I can stay for now, perhaps another year or two, but eventually, I will need to move on. This decision of the MFC is in keeping with best practices and long-standing rules. After I earn Final Fellowship, I can serve wherever I am called.
So, let’s be in the now. For now, we’ll continue to live our shared mission together. We’ll keep on growing together in love and service to each other, to this community, and to Unitarian Universalism. We have life changing work to do. We have a future to continue to envision and build. I’m glad to be with you in this moment and in this shared endeavor.
Yours in faith, service and love,
Eileen
Practicing Beloved Community at UCE 