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Following the acceptance of the Community Of Faith Profile in 2024, the Search Team, looking for new Ministry Personnel has been appointed by the AUC Council. Nancy Kerswill, chair of AUC Council, introduced the team to the congregation on Sunday January 19. 

The Search Team members are Brian Walter (Chair), Martha Bailkowski, Andrea Drost, Brandon Holmeshaw, Louise Procter Maio, Bill Newman, and Josh Szakal.

Barbara Hendren is the representative from Shining Waters Regional Council appointed by the Pastoral Relations Commission to work with our Search Team.

Joyce Hagarty, who will not be a member of the Search Team, but will be responsible for managing the profile and process on ChurchHub.

Here are the opening remarks from Brian Walter (with assistance from Andrea Drost and Louise Procter Maio):

 

Good morning,

As named members to the Search Team, we thank the Aurora United Church Council for the confidence and trust they have placed in each of us. 

To recap, this congregation approved the Community of Faith Profile in September 2024.  The essential elements in that document included:

  • the living faith story, which articulated this community of faith’s ministry needs
  • our financial statement
  • a financial viability review; and
  • a position description for a single minister

This document has now been posted to Church Hub, the United Church’s online pastoral relations tool. Church Hub is where ministry personnel search for a new call or appointment, and communities of faith search for a new minister.

With this work completed, the search process may now begin.

  The mandate of the Search Team is to:

  • review profiles of ministry personnel;
  • conduct interviews;
  • check references; and
  • eventually make a recommendation to you, the congregation.

Our goal is to select a minister whose fit and skills are a good match with who we are as a church.

It is then Aurora United Church Council’s responsibility to request a meeting of this congregation to consider the recommendation of the Search Team.

Additionally, Shining Waters, our Regional Council, is responsible for attending this congregational meeting via a representative who has liaised with the Search Team AND for deciding whether to approve the call or appointment. (p.7 Guidelines for Search and Selection).

However, it is important to note the 3 principles that underscore the work of the Search Team.

They are:

  1. We will respect the right to privacy of the individual, over how and with whom personal information can be shared, and in accordance with Canadian law.
  2. Confidentiality. This means ensuring that information gained in private discussion is not disclosed to others or used out of context.  To maintain trust and integrity of the process, it may be necessary to withhold some information.  Members of the Search Team must agree to keep the search process confidential.
  3. To ensure transparency, so that methods and procedures are clear and open.

Privacy, confidentiality, and transparency are essential for building trust. (p.6 Guidelines)   

And now the work begins!

The team has had a first preliminary meeting, getting to know each other and agreeing on how we will work together.  We are feeling excited, confident, anxious, daunted about our task, as you might well imagine.  

We have also received our first training from Regional Council including equity and human rights awareness.

The next step is to develop interview questions and to use Church Hub to search for potential matches.

And as we travel this pastoral journey, we will post updates in the Church Bulletin to keep you apprised.

Thank you.

We ask you to keep us and this process in your prayers.  (p.31 of Guidelines for Search and Selection).

 

Click HERE if you would like to read the document Pastoral Relations: Guidelines for Search and Selection (April 2020)