Where Things Stand

As authorized by the October 20 Congregational Meeting, two search committees are seeking candidates for pastoral positions at Holladay UCC.

One committee is seeking a bridge pastor (a temporary pastor who steps in while a congregation is on the path to fill a pastoral vacancy).  

The other committee is seeking a settled pastor (settled ministry that is considered permanent, has no predetermined end date, and is meant to mature in partnership over time between a pastor and a congregation).  Here are brief updates from both committees:

Settled Pastor Search Committee
We are enthusiastically under way updating the church profile. We will be working directly with the Rev. Erin Gilmore, our associate conference minister, as she guides us on the use of the new local church profile template.   We hope to have our draft of the profile complete by the first of the new year and ready for review by the congregation.  If you have questions please reach out to any of us on the committee.

Members are:  Martha Bale, chair; Ruby Hammel, Linda Hilton, Teri Jewell, Trent Parkhill, Steve Schneider, Amy Spratling.

Bridge Pastor Search Committee
The Bridge committee will meet on December 3 to plan next actions. Meanwhile, we are doing necessary homework including consultation with Rocky Mountain Conference leadership.  We are committed to act expeditiously but wisely to ensure consistent senior ministerial leadership. 

Members are: Carl Adams, interim moderator; Dennis Bayes, Leslie Jerominski, Dawn Mangelsen, Laurie McBride, Rori Piggott, Rick Spratling.

In the interim period, the Rev. Marijke Rossi is serving as supply pastor, and is a candidate for bridge pastor. The Rev. Chelsea Page is serving as associate pastor for youth and families, a settled position.

Homecoming

The Rev. Marijke B. Rossi is headed back to Holladay UCC, returning a familiar presence to our pulpit.  Pastor Marijke was called as supply pastor this week by the church’s executive committee. A supply call was authorized by an October 20 Congregational Meeting.
Rev. Marijke will temporarily perform duties of a senior minister until a bridge pastor is called. A search committee made up of council members will begin seeking a bridge pastor promptly. Pastor Marijke has indicated she will be a candidate for the bridge position.
Meanwhile, a second search committee is seeking a settled pastor.
The plan is intended to assure uninterrupted pastoral leadership during our transition.
Pastor Marijke (pronounced muh-ray’-kuh) will begin at HUCC on November 4, one day after the final HUCC sermon by Pastor Fred Evenson, who is moving to a church in Rhode Island.

“We are both sorry and blessed,” said Interim Moderator Carl Adams. “Sorry to lose Pastor Fred but blessed that Pastor Marijke was willing to rearrange her schedule and be with us in our time of need.”

The pastor’s journey

Seminary Training
Pastor Marijke received a master of divinity degree in 2009 from Salt Lake Theological Seminary. She was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 2016 and has full standing as a UCC minister.

HUCC membership
She is acquainted with the people and history of Holladay UCC, where she became a member a decade ago, arriving at the end of her seminary training. She received “in-care” support from the HUCC family and served many areas of church life. These included worship planning, bible study, forum discussions, preaching, funerals and providing pastoral care.

New ways
Like many at HUCC, Pastor Marijke has experienced another religious tradition, in her case Lutheran. To build her knowledge of the United Church of Christ, she attended a class in UCC polity (church operation and governance) at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. Pastor Marijke also has served as a volunteer chaplain at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

‘Love the welcome’
I honor people in their journey,” the pastor explains in her profile. “I understand that all of us are different and that our journeys take different turns. I am passionate about being with people where they are in life’s journey. I love the welcome we give as a church to all who enter. I am passionate about creating a worship setting that brings people closer to God. I am passionate about being a pastor.”

Previous Pulpit
She was called as interim pastor by First Congregational Church of Salt Lake City in 2015, and then as senior pastor by the same church, serving there until 2019.

An Expeditious Plan

This Sunday will be your chance to fortify spiritual leadership at Holladay UCC during our transition in senior pastors.
At a Congregational Meeting after morning worship (October 20), members will be asked to approve several important steps:

• Authorize the Executive Committee of the Church Council to engage an ordained pastor to meet the needs of the church until a bridge pastor is called.

• Empower the council to appoint seven of its members to a search committee that will seek a bridge pastor (an ordained minister who takes care of regular pastoral duties in a congregation while the transition work is performed by others).  A candidate will be submitted for approval at a congregational meeting in the near future, date to be announced. This bridge pastor will not be eligible to be a candidate for settled pastor.

• Consider a motion from the Spiritual Gifts Team nominating seven church members to act as a search committee for a settled pastor.

The council met this week to lay transition plans as Pastor Fred Evenson departs.

Council members are planning a timely handoff to a seasoned though temporary minister.  The goal is to meet needs of members and provide support for the Rev. Chelsea Page, our associate pastor for youth and families. Thus the temp-to-bridge-to-settled arrangement.  At each step the council is acting in accordance with HUCC bylaws.

As they worked on the plan, council members recalled a signature line from a congregational conversation in late September, when member Trent Parkhill advised the church to “move expeditiously but not carelessly” in its pastor search.

NURSERY NOTE: Children will have the option of a craft to do in the nursery with Michelle while parents are at the meeting.