"Number Eleven" by Rev. Barbara Merritt

[Memos from Rev. Barbara Merritt and Rev. Tom Schade]

M I N I S T E R ‘ S   M E M O

“Number Eleven”

One of the most depressing statistics I have ever encountered in the story
of the “modern church” is that no matter the denomination, the average
parishioner stays five years.

While some of this is explained by job transfers, and death and illness,
what is new is the dominant attitude in American culture of the consumer.
This mentality looks at all services, programs and institutions as places to
meet immediate needs. When needs shift, when the initial enthusiasm of
novelty wears off, the consumer moves on in search of new destinations, and
a never-ending variety of experiences. According to the studies I’ve read,
this is true not only about people who drop in and out of religious
communities. It is also true of our recreational habits, our exercise
routines, and the way we furnish our homes. This pursuit of what is novel
and fresh, and momentarily engaging is written large across 21st century
America. Some trends must simply be accepted.

And yet at First Unitarian, we seem to be at least a little out of step.
When I went this week to look for a beloved Responsive Reading from 1992, I
found the names of Lisa and Barry Siciliano, and Bill Densmore, and Laura
Howie, and Jennifer Bowes, and Steve and Frankie Knapp, and Cliff Browning,
and Mark Lincicome, and Liz Gustavson, and David Blodgett, and Bob Shaw, and
many, many more people who are front and center in today’s church.

When this parish called The Rev. Thomas Schade to be the Associate Minister
in 1999, I thought it was the best piece of luck imaginable. The Search
Committee including Jay Lavelle, Sara Glenn, Mary Melville and Lee Reid had
managed to find a strong, brilliant, enthusiastic, mature and visionary
leader who was willing to conduct his first parish ministry with an
experienced senior colleague. We wrote into his contract that he had to
promise to stay three years. We were aware from the start that he would
receive many invitations to serve as the sole minister in other UU parishes.
These invitations have occurred with some frequency. Yet seven years later,
Tom is still with us. He has now served longer than two of this parish’s
previous ministers
.
If you ask Tom, he will say that he has stayed because you are a vital,
engaging, growing congregation that continues to challenge him and allow him
to work at his creative best. To say that his leadership here has been
invaluable would be an understatement.

Tom has been an innovator at First Unitarian, helping to develop a new
governance structure, including the Lay Leadership Council, the Time for
Community before the service with News from the Pews and Announcements,
experiments with small group ministries, our current website and email
lists. This year, he is leading a year-long program of education: The First
U School of Theology and History. He has introduced the returning Young
Adult service at New Years, and the early Family oriented Christmas Eve
service and has organized the summer services series each year. On the
district level he has been President of the UU Minister’s Association, is
currently ”Good Offices” (handling crisis’s in other parishes between
ministers and congregations), and has been a leader in a professional study
group. At the national level, he has served as the President of the UU
Christian Fellowship, is leading retreats for UU ministries, and has been
asked to speak throughout the country. In Worcester, he serves on the Board
of the Worcester Pastoral Counseling Center and with the Faith Group of the
Central Massachusetts Partnership for Compassionate Care at the End of Life.
And he was essential to the rebuilding efforts after the 2000 fire. What you
haven’t seen is that he has talked me out of quitting, more than once.

It was in the summer of 2000, only a year after his arrival that Tom stopped
functioning as an “Associate,” and started sharing the ministry with me. The
demands of the institution required it. And because each of us has different
strengths and compatible theologies and complementary styles, we have forged
an effective partnership. Because this has been a shared ministry, many in
the congregation, especially the Prudential Committee, have asked why Tom
still carries the “Associate” tag.

On Sunday, November 12th, there will be a special congregational meeting
after church to allow the congregation to vote on recognizing Tom’s
important ministry among us. I am the 10th minister. I fully and
enthusiastically support this congregation’s move to officially recognize
The Rev. Thomas Schade as its 11th minister. There will be a listening
session on November 5th, after church, hosted by the Prudential Committee.
Please try to attend if you have any questions or concerns.

Variety is nice. But what a blessing it is to live in right relationship
through long and fruitful years.

                              Barbara

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