March 17, 2021
Dear Members and Friends,
This month I’ve shared with ERUUF’s Board of Trustees that I plan to leave my position as Lead Minister in fifteen months, June 2022. Nothing is wrong, in fact both ERUUF and I are at wonderfully good places in our shared ministry. So while this might seem like a strange decision at an odd time, and it is unusual to give this much notice, I’ve acted after careful thought and discernment. Let me share my thinking.
ERUUF is in a really good position in terms of membership and the engagement and commitment of our members. Our annual pledges have remained steady through the pandemic, and for the first time in our history, our fellowship has significant operating and unrestricted reserve funds. While it’s taken time, we’ve succeeded with our past strategic plans, and late in 2019, just before the pandemic began we’d started to look ahead in anticipation of the next one.
Reflecting on all this, over time I began to feel as though I was standing at the top of a hill having just emerged from a forest, and the road ahead led through an open, sunny landscape. That view seemed full of so much possibility and clearly led to exciting new places. So I was surprised as I waited for understanding of what I’d do next there, and increasingly sad when I couldn’t imagine myself fully engaged in that good future.
Being your called Lead minister has been one of the greatest adventures and honors of my life. I love this congregation and each of you very much. So much that I want the very best for this fellowship, starting with a Lead minister whose heart and mind are fully engaged. This is not so much about working hard, or smart, or meeting goals, though I do these things and believe they are important. This is about soul. My soul is calling me to something new, and I’m not yet sure where or what that will be.
It has always seemed to me that ERUUF has a shining light. And my friends, the world desperately needs this little light to shine as brightly as possible in these times. So many people are yearning for the welcoming, inclusive, loving spiritual community that we strive to create together. Here we hold ourselves accountable to something greater than ourselves. We tell the truth, listen, and learn to respect each other across our differences. We find ways forward together, figuring it out as we go. We create the path by traveling together.
There’s another reason I’ve shared my plans now. Rev. Brett has received full fellowship with the UUA. Her light shines very brightly, and she will be in search this year for a settled ministry. ERUUF’s bylaws allow for the possibility of calling a minister who’s already part of our staff team. But there has to be a real search process and no assumptions that this is automatically going to happen. Both the congregation and minister have to determine whether this is genuinely the right thing for each of them. Our bylaws specify that the congregation will elect a Search Committee to manage this process (it’s the way all UU congregations have agreed to do this). I’ve shared my plans now so that you have the option of electing a Search Committee at Annual Meeting in June 2021.
I plan to be here as Lead minister this coming year to lead us through the process of reopening. It’s becoming clearer each day that congregational life post-pandemic is going to be different than it was, and that together we have to figure out some big changes. I’ll also continue to manage our search for ERUUF’s next Music Director, and finish work I’ve been doing on several different adult programs.
There will be much to do over the next fifteen months, and it is not yet time to say good-bye. It’s time to listen to each other, and the Spirit of Love, and to future possibilities that, like seeds, are eager to burst forth into new growth. Our journey together continues for now.
With gratitude, love, confidence, and hope,
Rev. Deborah Cayer
