SUUC’s search for a new minister continues!
Shoreline UU Church is seeking a new settled minister to partner with us beginning in August of 2023. The Ministerial Search Committee (MSC) is tasked with preparing for and conducting this search. Below is an overview of the process and biographies of the new MSC members. Look out for periodic updates in the weekly email bulletin and monthly Soundings newsletter. For more information, please email us at SUUCMinisterSearch@gmail.com
The 2022-23 Ministerial Search Committee
Front row: David Metting, Shannon Scott, Kevin Brock
Back row: Kristen Lassen Hunt, Carrie Cameron, Jennifer Klock
Not pictured: Laura McCarty
We owe a debt of gratitude to last year’s MSC, which laid the groundwork for a successful search this year. Thank you to Laura Banks, Carrie Cameron, Jon Grout, Michelle Martin, Krista Tenney, and Karen Thompson! 👏👏👏
Front row: David Metting, Shannon Scott, Kevin Brock
Back row: Kristen Lassen Hunt, Carrie Cameron, Jennifer Klock
Not pictured: Laura McCarty
We owe a debt of gratitude to last year’s MSC, which laid the groundwork for a successful search this year. Thank you to Laura Banks, Carrie Cameron, Jon Grout, Michelle Martin, Krista Tenney, and Karen Thompson! 👏👏👏
David Metting:
David has been a member at SUUC since 2016, along with his wife, Stephanie. He has a daughter named Penelope who is almost two. In his professional life he works as a social worker with the Downtown Emergency Service Center, where he serves as a project manager for an outpatient mental health program. At SUUC he is active with Game Night & AHA (Atheists, Humanists & Agnostics). He loves to read. David looks forward to serving on the MSC.
Shannon Scott:
Shannon is an artist who has lived in the Seattle area for 25 years and been a part of SUUC since 2012. She is mom to Rhiannon, a college sophomore, and Rhonwen, a five-year-old. Shannon was raised in Evangelicalism and came to Unitarian Universalism after a lengthy period of deconstruction and study of religions and theology. She previously served on the Worship Planning Committee and currently serves as a Worship Companion and as an occasional chancel musician.
Kevin Brock:
Kevin was raised in Oklahoma, graduated from high school in 1980, and spent eight years in the U.S. Navy, stationed mostly at Bangor Base on the Kitsap peninsula. He moved to Houston to be with family then returned to Seattle almost 20 years later. Raised in a Southern Baptist family, he was allowed by his parents to seek his own path and found that UU appealed to him, “as long as it doesn't get too Jesus-y.” Basically agnostic, he enjoys theology and is always thirsting to learn more. He has been a member of SUUC off and on since 2008 and attends with his wife, Diane, and occasionally his daughter, Sarah.
Kristen Lassen Hunt:
Kristen has been an active member of four Unitarian churches in which she has been involved with religious education, Buddhist meditation, groundskeeping, interior aesthetics, and women's groups. She and her husband Bruce have been active at SUUC since moving to the Seattle area in 2012. She is an artist who enjoys working in oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel.
Carrie Cameron:
Carrie is a caring cat-sitter and lifelong Seattle suburbanite whose hobbies include music-making and video editing (see “Music & Memories at Shoreline UU Church”: https://bit.ly/3lobFcF). Devoutly Christian in college, she studied world religions and became devoutly UU. For over 20 years at SUUC, she has contributed to the music ministry, youth and young adult ministries, Welcome Team, Tech Team, and previous MSC. She will seek a minister who strives to include the “misfits” among us…and who is ideally a cat person!
Jennifer Klock (MSC Chair):
Jennifer grew up in the southeast, mostly in north Florida. She attended Episcopal and UU churches in her youth and explored different religions and spiritual groups before settling in the Seattle metro area in 1991. Once in Seattle, Quaker and UU organizations drew her attention. In 2008 Jennifer settled in Shoreline and in 2019 she joined SUUC as a member. In 2020 she led the Women’s Circle to make the move to Zoom meetings. Other SUUC activities have included the Tiny House build in 2020 and the Committee on Ministry.
Laura McCarty (not pictured):
Laura has been a member of Shoreline UU since 2009. During that time she’s served the community and made good friends in several ministries including as SUUC Board of Trustees member, Co-President and Vice President (’10-’14), two turns on the Care Team (’08, ’21), the Stewardship team (’10), and Endowment (’20-’21). Laura has always enjoyed the cerebral aspects of UUism. She came to SUUC for the sermons and stayed for the friendships. In her work life, Laura is a consultant for the energy industry specializing in energy trading and the aggregation of energy assets (especially renewables) into the grid.
David has been a member at SUUC since 2016, along with his wife, Stephanie. He has a daughter named Penelope who is almost two. In his professional life he works as a social worker with the Downtown Emergency Service Center, where he serves as a project manager for an outpatient mental health program. At SUUC he is active with Game Night & AHA (Atheists, Humanists & Agnostics). He loves to read. David looks forward to serving on the MSC.
Shannon Scott:
Shannon is an artist who has lived in the Seattle area for 25 years and been a part of SUUC since 2012. She is mom to Rhiannon, a college sophomore, and Rhonwen, a five-year-old. Shannon was raised in Evangelicalism and came to Unitarian Universalism after a lengthy period of deconstruction and study of religions and theology. She previously served on the Worship Planning Committee and currently serves as a Worship Companion and as an occasional chancel musician.
Kevin Brock:
Kevin was raised in Oklahoma, graduated from high school in 1980, and spent eight years in the U.S. Navy, stationed mostly at Bangor Base on the Kitsap peninsula. He moved to Houston to be with family then returned to Seattle almost 20 years later. Raised in a Southern Baptist family, he was allowed by his parents to seek his own path and found that UU appealed to him, “as long as it doesn't get too Jesus-y.” Basically agnostic, he enjoys theology and is always thirsting to learn more. He has been a member of SUUC off and on since 2008 and attends with his wife, Diane, and occasionally his daughter, Sarah.
Kristen Lassen Hunt:
Kristen has been an active member of four Unitarian churches in which she has been involved with religious education, Buddhist meditation, groundskeeping, interior aesthetics, and women's groups. She and her husband Bruce have been active at SUUC since moving to the Seattle area in 2012. She is an artist who enjoys working in oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel.
Carrie Cameron:
Carrie is a caring cat-sitter and lifelong Seattle suburbanite whose hobbies include music-making and video editing (see “Music & Memories at Shoreline UU Church”: https://bit.ly/3lobFcF). Devoutly Christian in college, she studied world religions and became devoutly UU. For over 20 years at SUUC, she has contributed to the music ministry, youth and young adult ministries, Welcome Team, Tech Team, and previous MSC. She will seek a minister who strives to include the “misfits” among us…and who is ideally a cat person!
Jennifer Klock (MSC Chair):
Jennifer grew up in the southeast, mostly in north Florida. She attended Episcopal and UU churches in her youth and explored different religions and spiritual groups before settling in the Seattle metro area in 1991. Once in Seattle, Quaker and UU organizations drew her attention. In 2008 Jennifer settled in Shoreline and in 2019 she joined SUUC as a member. In 2020 she led the Women’s Circle to make the move to Zoom meetings. Other SUUC activities have included the Tiny House build in 2020 and the Committee on Ministry.
Laura McCarty (not pictured):
Laura has been a member of Shoreline UU since 2009. During that time she’s served the community and made good friends in several ministries including as SUUC Board of Trustees member, Co-President and Vice President (’10-’14), two turns on the Care Team (’08, ’21), the Stewardship team (’10), and Endowment (’20-’21). Laura has always enjoyed the cerebral aspects of UUism. She came to SUUC for the sermons and stayed for the friendships. In her work life, Laura is a consultant for the energy industry specializing in energy trading and the aggregation of energy assets (especially renewables) into the grid.
Search Process
Summer 2022:
The congregation elected members to the new MSC. The committee completed a five-hour orientation retreat with UUA Transitions Office staff. We learned a great deal about the search process, and the Transitions Office told us that they are holding our congregation in particular care since this is our second year of search. The committee began work to prepare our search materials.
Fall 2022:
The MSC creates a congregational survey to collect up-to-date demographic information and gauge current hopes and priorities for a new settled minister. Committee members update and edit the congregational record created by last year’s MSC and gather required documents. The negotiating team crafts a Letter of Agreement based on the current UUA model. The completed congregational record, document packet and Letter of Agreement are submitted to the UUA Transitions Office for approval in mid-November.
Winter 2022-23:
SUUC’s congregational record is available for ministerial candidates to review in December. In January, the MSC receives a list of applicants and begins interviewing them over Zoom. By early February, the committee selects the top three applicants as pre-candidates. During February and March, these pre-candidates travel to Shoreline for extensive in-person interviews, and the MSC observes their preaching in a neutral pulpit (another local church). This process is highly confidential.
Spring 2023:
The MSC selects a top candidate and completes an in-depth review of their references. An initial offer is made by the end of March. The negotiating team collaborates with the candidate to review the contract and finalize the offer. This process is highly confidential. Once the offer is finalized, the candidate gives notice to their current congregation, if any, and we announce that a candidate has been selected! The candidate travels to Shoreline during the last week of April. They will preach both Sundays, and the congregation will have several opportunities to get to know them. On the second Sunday, the congregation will vote on whether to accept the candidate and the contract.
Summer 2023:
The congregation and our newly called minister prepare for the start of ministry at the beginning of August.
The congregation elected members to the new MSC. The committee completed a five-hour orientation retreat with UUA Transitions Office staff. We learned a great deal about the search process, and the Transitions Office told us that they are holding our congregation in particular care since this is our second year of search. The committee began work to prepare our search materials.
Fall 2022:
The MSC creates a congregational survey to collect up-to-date demographic information and gauge current hopes and priorities for a new settled minister. Committee members update and edit the congregational record created by last year’s MSC and gather required documents. The negotiating team crafts a Letter of Agreement based on the current UUA model. The completed congregational record, document packet and Letter of Agreement are submitted to the UUA Transitions Office for approval in mid-November.
Winter 2022-23:
SUUC’s congregational record is available for ministerial candidates to review in December. In January, the MSC receives a list of applicants and begins interviewing them over Zoom. By early February, the committee selects the top three applicants as pre-candidates. During February and March, these pre-candidates travel to Shoreline for extensive in-person interviews, and the MSC observes their preaching in a neutral pulpit (another local church). This process is highly confidential.
Spring 2023:
The MSC selects a top candidate and completes an in-depth review of their references. An initial offer is made by the end of March. The negotiating team collaborates with the candidate to review the contract and finalize the offer. This process is highly confidential. Once the offer is finalized, the candidate gives notice to their current congregation, if any, and we announce that a candidate has been selected! The candidate travels to Shoreline during the last week of April. They will preach both Sundays, and the congregation will have several opportunities to get to know them. On the second Sunday, the congregation will vote on whether to accept the candidate and the contract.
Summer 2023:
The congregation and our newly called minister prepare for the start of ministry at the beginning of August.