The Albany UU Ministerial Search Committee was elected at the Annual Meeting in May 2026 to carry out the congregation’s decision to call a Settled Minister. Since then, we have been working with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Transitions Office, Albany UU’s Interim Ministers, and Albany UU’s Board of Trustees to engage in the search for a new Settled Minister.
Members of the Search Committee are pictured here.
From left to right: Jaye Holly, Karen Strong (co-chair), Lisa Baranik, Stephanie Saunders, Jonathan Bick (co-chair), Michele Desrosiers, and Heidi Newberg
The Search Timeline
The search for a Settled Minister began in summer 2026 and will continue through spring 2027, with the new minister expected to begin their ministry in summer 2027.
The UUA has laid out an ambitious timeline for the search process. While the Search Committee works behind the scenes to complete the many tasks involved, the congregation will have opportunities to provide input throughout the process.
Settled Ministerial Search
Frequent Asked Questions
You can learn more about the process in the UUA Settled Minister Search Handbook.
You can also email the Search Committee at msc@albanyuu.org.
If the search process does not result in a call to a new Settled Minister, Albany UU will enter into an Interim or Contract Minister agreement.
The search process is highly confidential by design and remains confidential until the final stages of the process. The Search Committee has been entrusted to represent Albany UU throughout the search, utilizing input gathered directly from the congregation.
Confidentiality protects the privacy of ministerial candidates and allows them to participate in the search without unwarranted interference from other congregations that may be seeking ministers. A breach of confidentiality is a breach of trust, which is the foundation of the relationship between a congregation and its minister.
After the employment agreement has been negotiated and the background checks have been completed, the selected person will be announced and introduced to the congregation. They will deliver their first sermon as the new minister, and a congregational meeting will be held to officially call them as Albany UU’s Settled Minister.
There are many factors that contribute to a congregation making a successful match with a Settled Minister. The UUA has extensive experience managing the search process, and we trust their guidance.
The process also requires us to do some self-reflection as a congregation about who we are, who we want to be, and who we want to lead us in our next phase. The Albany UU Transitions Team has done wonderful work to help us reflect on our strengths and our aspirations as a congregation. That work has laid the groundwork for our search.
