We have broken the ministerial search into seven steps to help make the process clear and easier to understand. This is a shared journey that moves at a thoughtful pace, grounded in listening, care, and trust in one another as we prepare for what comes next at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio.
It has truly been lovely to get to know other UU ministers. Who are these ministers, you might ask? Well, we are at the part where we really can’t answer any specific questions. In order to protect the confidentiality of the applicants, we must continue to abide by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA, our national association) policies, procedures, and guidelines. Your MSC is feeling strong and optimistic at this point, and we are working hard to ensure we are representing you, our beloved congregation, and your voices. Thank you for your trust!
1. Voting to Search and Building the MSC
The congregation votes to begin the search and forms the Ministerial Search Committee or MSC. This group is trusted to guide the process with care and to keep the congregation informed along the way.
February through March 2025 – You began this journey. Congregants were invited to submit names of people who would serve well on the Ministerial Search Committee. Led by Lito and the Leadership Development Committee, this process reflected your trust and discernment. In May 2025, the congregation voted to affirm the MSC slate. From the very beginning, this search has belonged to you. The MSC was formed to serve as your voice.
2. Building Covenant and Community with the MSC
The MSC begins by building trust, shared values, and clear ways of working together, creating a strong foundation for the work ahead.
Summer 2025 – The MSC stepped into the work you entrusted to us. We met regularly, read extensively, and attended UUA workshops to prepare ourselves. In August, we gathered for a full day retreat to ground ourselves spiritually, clarify our purpose, and divide responsibilities among the seven of us. We knew we were not acting on our own behalf, but carrying forward the hopes of this congregation.
3. Learning the Congregations Ideas and Needs
The MSC listens through surveys and conversations to understand what matters most to the congregation and what we hope for in our next minister.
September through October 2025 – You showed up in remarkable ways. We held more than 25 focus groups and cottage meetings at church, in homes, and on Zoom. You shared stories, named challenges, celebrated strengths, and spoke honestly about what you hope for in your next settled minister. These conversations shaped everything that followed. The MSC listened carefully and carried your words with us.
4. Building a Congregational Profile
We tell our story as honestly and openly as we can, sharing who we are, what we value, and where we are headed as a community.
November through December 2025 – We gathered what you shared and wove it into a 62 page congregational record. This document tells the story of who we are, who we are becoming, and what matters most to this community. It was submitted to the UUA when the search opened, offering potential ministers a clear and authentic picture of this church, shaped by you.
5. Interviewing Prospective Ministers
The MSC meets with ministers whose experience and values feel aligned with our congregation and spends time getting to know them with care and curiosity. At the end of the UUA guided process, the MSC will narrow our choices down to the one minister we believe to be the best for our congregation. We will share our choice with the UUA and they will notify us if we have a match!
January through February 2026 – We are now reviewing ministerial records and interviewing strong candidates. In every interview, we are intentionally asking questions rooted in what you told us. Your priorities are guiding our discernment. The MSC is serving as your voice, holding both your excitement and your care as we seek the right match.
6. Meeting the MSC’s Minister Selection
The congregation has the chance to meet the MSC selected candidate, ask questions, and take part in the discernment and voting process. As we approach the congregational vote, we want to share an important piece of context. Your vote will determine if the MSC’s selected candidate is best for our congregation. While our bylaws require an affirmative vote of at least 90%, most candidates seek a vote around 95% to move forward as a strong affirmation that they are genuinely welcomed and wanted by the congregation they would serve.
April 18 through April 26, 2026 – Candidating Week will be a sacred and joyful time. The MSC will introduce the minister we believe best reflects what you have asked for and who can walk alongside this congregation in its next chapter. You will have opportunities to meet, listen, and engage. On Sunday, April 26, you will vote. This decision rests with the congregation, as it always has.
7. Starting our New Chapter
If the congregation votes to call the minister, we will begin a new chapter of shared settled ministry together. If the vote does not pass, the search process would pause, and the Board will need to consider next steps. These could include beginning a new search cycle, entering into a contract ministry, or engaging another interim minister for an additional year or two. While none of these paths are inherently negative, each would require additional time, energy, and discernment from the congregation. We share this information not to create pressure, but to ensure that everyone enters the vote with clarity about what each outcome means for our shared future. Either way, we remain grounded in relationship, patience, and trust in the process and in one another, knowing that this journey deepens our understanding of who we are and what we need as a congregation.
August 2026 – With your call and affirmation, we look forward to installing our new settled minister and stepping into continued shared ministry together. This is not just the arrival of a minister. It is the next chapter of our life as a congregation, written and shaped by all of us.
