Special Message from ERUUF’s Board of Trustees

March 18, 2021

ERUUF Members and Friends,

Yesterday you heard from Rev. Cayer on her plan to leave her position as ERUUF’s lead minister in June 2022. The Board spoke at length with Rev. Cayer on her plans and the transition process on Tuesday evening. We are writing to you today to let you know what to expect in the coming months.

First, the board would like to express our deep gratitude for Rev. Cayer’s service as our lead minister over the past 10 years and we look forward to her continued leadership in the coming year. The impact she has made on our community to date is indescribable, and in all measures, ERUUF is in a truly healthy place. Our membership is an impressive 727 members and 341 friends meaning we are actively serving 1,068 adults, our financial picture is stronger than ever, our programming (even in the midst of the pandemic!) is vibrant and broad, and we are making significant strides toward infusing racial equity and inclusion, in both knowledge and practice, throughout our community.

In a time of great abundance we also find ourselves entering a phase of transition. This weekend, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rev Cayer’s ministry, we reflect both on the gifts she shares with us in her time and talent as our lead minister and consider a future with new leadership. While we recognize anticipated change and unknowns can produce anxiety, we will be approaching this with a measured and planful process. We have been here before and we can successfully navigate these waters once again. As a Board, we commit to keeping the lines of communication open, and ensuring a smooth, thoughtful, and transparent transition process.

We are in communication with an experienced member of the UUA transition office who will help us tailor the well established transition process to the specific needs of the ERUUF community. In a general sense the timeline is as follows: this spring the Nominating Committee will recommend a Search Committee for presentation and approval by the congregation at the annual meeting. The Search Committee will guide the process for finding our next lead minister. This summer the committee will conduct a congregational survey, host small group conversations and arrange for a UUA Beyond Categorical Thinking Workshop for the whole congregation. By the fall, the Search Committee would have the option to interview and recommend an inside candidate or search more broadly for another candidate. Potentially, by the winter or early spring of 2022 the Search Committee will have a candidate to present to the congregation for consideration as our next settled minister. And then, when the time is right and we are ready, we will take care to say full and appropriate thank yous and goodbyes to our beloved, Rev Cayer.

During this time, both the Search Committee and the Board will make details available as we know them, and we ask for patience as each of the necessary transition steps plays out.

Please know that you are integral to this process. Congregational input will be central to this transition and there will be many opportunities for your involvement. We will prioritize and are committed to the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion in every step of the process because every voice will be vital in helping our community collectively determine what ERUUF’s needs are, both in this moment and looking to the future, and informing our best path forward. We look forward to hearing from everyone and hope that you find meaningful ways to participate.

Stay tuned to the E-News and Board News for more details about the process, anticipated timeline, and upcoming opportunities to participate in conversation. Rev. Cayer and I will be at coffee hour on March 21st if you would like to come speak with us. You can also reach the board by speaking with any board member directly or emailing

With an open and grateful heart, I look forward to being in community with all of you in what I expect will be a deeply engaging process of transition and growth.

 

Bonnie LaCroix

Chair, ERUUF Board of Trustees