Ministerial Fellowship Student Liaison Reflection
Rev. Susan Conrad
This December I had the honor of serving as one of the liaisons to candidates who were interviewed by the MFC in Berkeley. It was a fascinating, rich experience that gave me a great deal of appreciation for the thoughtfulness, care, and hard work of the committee in assessing the readiness of candidates for our UU ministry. As one of the liaisons, I was able to participate in the MFC's meetings, read the packets submitted by the candidates, ask questions of the candidates, and participate in discussion about the candidates, but was not a voting member of the committee.
First and foremost, I was impressed by the integrity of the process and the seriousness with which the committee members take their role and responsibility, and by the commitment of time and energy it takes to interview candidates and do the additional work of the committee, which included work sessions of various work groups (Exec, Settlement, Process, and Candidacy). I have full confidence in the integrity and commitment of each of the MFC members, and their commitment to evaluating candidates' readiness for our ministry in a fair and appropriate manner. I also experienced the MFC as especially dedicated, thoughtful, and committed in regards to anti-racism and anti-oppression work, both within the committee and in the movement as a whole.
Out of my experience with the committee at the December meeting, I have gleaned observations for the committee, and some suggestions for candidates. I list both sets of these below, in the hopes that they may be of interest to both groups.
For the Committee:
- In a number of the packets I read, I noted what seemed to be a lack of familiarity or knowledge of non-UU or non-liberal Christian theologies. I wonder if this is something that others have noted as well. I am concerned about this, especially with regard to our public ministry. If, as liberal religious leaders, we are committed to engagement in the public sphere, I wonder whether we can be adequately prepared to do this without some familiarity with the more conservative theologies that we may come up against.
- I wonder about the wording of the theological essay question in the packet. I wonder if it is collapsing two questions into one; perhaps: 1) how do you articulate your theology? And 2) how do you understand your call to ministry? Or, perhaps the question could be worded as: “how do you understand your call to ministry theologically?” I remain somewhat confused by the phrase, “the theological context of your call to ministry.”
- Now that ministry tracks are being eliminated, it seems to me there is a need to ask the candidate to express in writing the candidate's vision for his/her ministry. I don't find a place in the existing form for the candidate to articulate this, and I would argue for such a place, or an expectation that the candidate would address this somehow in the packet.
- I am struck by the fact that a good number of the candidates who had difficulties at the MFC did not have the benefit of sustained participation in a seminary-based UU student group or a peer group of their UU colleagues. In my experience, participation in a UU peer group in seminary is a crucial piece of preparation for ministry. I worry that some candidates are missing this piece, and then struggling when they reach the MFC because they have not had the experience of participating in collegial relationships with peers in a sustained way.
For Candidates:
- When you schedule your date to be interviewed by the MFC, please make sure it is with the sincere intention to meet them at the time that you request. Of course, there are some last minute situations which can't be predicted and require cancellation of your interview. But be aware that the impact of pulling out of an appointment even a couple of months in advance is hard on the committee, and also impacts other candidates, who could have interviewed in that slot had it not been filled. Please respect the process by securing a date only when you have the full intention of appearing before the committee at that time.
- In your essay responses, it helps the committee a great deal when you can be as specific as possible about situations in which you've actually demonstrated your heartfelt convictions, or lived out your theology. If you say you're committed to counter oppression, the committee wants to know how you've done that. Give them concrete examples. This will also help you own your successes along your journey, and be more articulate about them when you come before the MFC.
- Please take the time to proofread your packet and correct glaring errors. In my experience, it's deflating to come across lots of typos or word errors in a packet, and makes me wonder about the level of care and awareness of the writer.
- Take the Statements of Competency seriously. Some of the packets the committee reviewed had SOCs that were skeletal, or offered generalizations about which books were read without listing actual titles. The SOCs are important, and spending the time needed to fill them out in detail honors the integrity of the process. If you have questions about how to fill them out, the Ministerial Credentialing Office will be glad to assist you.
- Make the time to build peer relationships with your colleagues in seminary, through a student group or MFC prep group. The MFC appreciates being able to see that you've modeled the kind of supportive and honest peer relationships that can help sustain you in ministry for the long haul.
The road to ministerial fellowship is profound and transforming – be in it deeply, and with integrity. It is well worth the effort!
In the faith,
Rev. Susan Conrad
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