by Cindy Carrol
President of the Congregation
One of those realities is that we have set some ambitious goals for ourselves, goals which must be supported financially. Our Annual Canvass is beginning, and it is a challenge indeed. As I write this, the Finance Committee has not put the final touches on next year’s budget, but I know that our expenses will be considerably higher than last year. This is not a function of the rising cost of living. It is because we want this church to live up to our aspirations.
We want a full-time Minister of Religious Education. The education of our children in our liberal religious tradition is important to us. We are fortunate to have Beth Williams to guide us toward this goal. But the fact that she has been with us for a year means that she is most rightfully entitled to pension payments. We are also paying her a minister’s salary for a full year, which was not true last year. Our growing children’s R.E. program is something we have longed for, but the reality is that we must pay for it. Believe me, the small registration fee which families pay when they enroll their children in R.E. classes does not begin to cover the cost of the program.
Of course, our most urgent priority this year is to find a new Senior Minister. The Search Committee is beginning the pre-candidating process, which involves weekends spent in intense conversation with three ministers, any one of whom they believe will be a good fit for us. Although the process is not finished and negotiations about compensation are several months away, the reality is that it is probably going to cost us more than we are presently paying our ministers. There will be moving expenses and the cost of an Installation Service. We know we need quality, professional ministry. We will be expecting a lot. The reality is that we must pay a fair price for what we want and need.
We do not easily talk about money. The Annual Canvass, our concentrated, once a year fund-raising effort, is the only time we talk about financial matters as a group. It is also a time for us to articulate our aspirations for this beloved community. There should be at least one Board member at each of the upcoming gatherings. The Board has been charged to listen to your concerns and hopes for the coming year, and we will talk about what we have heard from you before the year is out.
The average cost of one church service, per person, is $15. That includes turning on the lights, paying the minister, cleaning the building, buying music for the choir, and providing seats to sit on. That does not include R.E., soup lunches, or counseling from the ministers. There is no charge for the healing, joy and spiritual growth we find here on a Sunday. Let us each think long and hard about the true value of the First Unitarian community, and try to live up to our own aspirations.
AT THE FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING. WE…
learned from the Investment Committee that our funds are doing well…and spent considerable time on a six-month Evaluation of our Interim Ministers.