FAQ's on Don's Retirement

FAQ’S About Rev. Don’s Retirement

1. Why is Rev. Don retiring? Rev. Don is following his inner guidance that is telling him that his time at Unity of Charlottesville, and his work here are complete. Rev. Don and Rev. Patricia served here for 20 years together, and for the past three plus years, Rev. Don has been the senior minister. While this has been, and continues to be, a difficult decision, Rev. Don is looking forward to spending more time with Patricia, more time traveling, and more time in his spiritual practice of Transcendental Meditation.
   
   
2. Did something happen to make Don leave?Absolutely not. Nothing happened. Nothing is wrong. Don’s relationship with Patricia is wonderful. His health is good. And Don and Patricia plan on continuing to live in Charlottesville. They will not be moving to a new church.
   
   
3. When will his retirement be effective?Rev. Don’s last Sunday will be March 23.
   
   
4. What will be happening between now and then?We will continue to operate as usual with Sunday services, classes, workshops, social events, and meaningful time together. In addition, Rev. Don will be available for one-on-one meetings with congregants, as well as small group meetings to process this change and help us to say goodbye.
   
   
5. Will Rev. Patricia be leaving too? Yes. The ethics and protocol of Unity Worldwide Ministries requires that both Don and Patricia disconnect from Unity of Charlottesville to allow for the transitional minister to do his/her work.
   
   
6. When will we get a new minister?Can’t we just hire a new one now? The board will first work with Unity Worldwide Ministries to hire a transitional minister who will help the church learn to operate without Rev. Don. The transitional minister is specially trained for these situations and the board will be interviewing the ones that are available. Hopefully, this will happen as quickly as possible. If there is no transitional minister available, we have many exceptional Unity ministers and speakers we can call on to host the Sunday worship services. Once a transitional minister is hired, that person will guide us in the search for a new and permanent senior minister.
   
   
7. Could someone else from our congregation be senior minister?A Unity church is required to have a credentialed Unity leader as our minister.
   
   
8. Why do we need a transitional minister?When a minister leaves a church after having successfully served for many years, Unity Worldwide Ministries recommends a buffer time before a new minister is hired. This gives the congregation time to grieve and adjust to operating without the departing minister. The transitional minister is specially trained to lead a church during this critical time and steer the change process.
   
   
9. What is the process for selecting the transitional minister?Unity Worldwide Ministries will provide our board of trustees with the names and background information on a few qualified individuals who could serve as transitional minister. These are Unity ministers who have undergone specialized training in this field for two-three years. Our board will review the candidates, conduct interviews, and select the individual who is best suited to our community.
   
   
10. Can the transitional minister stay if we like him/her?No. Unity Worldwide Ministries’ guidelines specifically forbid the transitional minister from staying on or applying for the permanent senior minister position.
    
    
11. What is the process for hiring a new senior minister? How long will it take?The transitional minister will lead us in the search process for a new senior minister. The process includes developing a church packet to inform potential candidates of the opening, and the formation of a Ministerial Search Team to lead the effort. The Ministerial Search Team will send out the application packet, review all applications, determine the finalists, and invite finalists to come to Unity to give a Sunday talk and workshop, participate in a Q&A with the congregation, and meet separately with the board and key staff. After all finalists have visited and presented, the Ministerial Search Team will make a recommendation to the board for consideration. This process will take as long as it takes—likely months.
    
    
12. Who will decide who the next minister is?The board and congregation will make this decision based on the recommendation of the Ministerial Search Team. However, the board will make the final decision as they are officially the hiring body empowered by the election of voting members.
    
    
13. Who will be on the Ministerial Search Team?The transitional minister will support the board in creating a Ministerial Search Team. The board will appoint one trustee to serve as a liaison to the Ministerial Search Team and will review applications from the congregants for remaining members.
    
    
14. Will the congregation have a vote? The congregation will be asked for feedback after each candidate’s talk, workshop, and Q&A. Since the role of the senior minister involves much more than Sunday services, the Ministerial Search Team and ultimately the board will need to evaluate the candidate’s administrative and business skills as well as their pastoral and presentation skills. Based on all of the input from the Ministerial Search Team and the congregation, the board will make the final hiring decision.
    
    
15. What will the board be looking for in a new minister?The board and Ministerial Search Team will be looking for someone who aligns with Unity of Charlottesville’s vision, mission, and core values, and can take Unity of Charlottesville to the next level in terms of spiritual growth and impact.
    
    
16. Will our new minister be younger? Female or male? White or black? Straight or gay? We don’t know. It depends on the best qualified and best suited candidate to lead our church as we go through the transitional process. This is a community project, and your input and engagement are vital.
    
    
17. Who will be the primary Sunday speaker after Don leaves? Until the new transitional minister is chosen, we will rely on guest speakers, many of the Unity ministers who have spoken at Unity of Charlottesville in the past. We also have some wonderful presenters from our own congregation.
18. How will the church and ministry operate after Don leaves?Who will fill his role as CEO to lead the staff and organization? Until a transitional minister is hired, the board of trustees will liaison with the office manager to run the day-to-day operations of the church. When the transitional minister is hired, he or she will serve as CEO initially, and the new senior minister thereafter. We also have an exceptional office manager, music director, and youth education director who will continue.
    
    
19. Will the transitional minister change things or keep them the same until the new senior minister is chosen?Change is inevitable. The transitional minister will be here not to keep everything as it is, but to help the congregation prepare for what’s next. The transitional minister will also help the congregation work through its feelings and let go of how things have been in the past. In this way, they will help to prepare the way for the new senior minister, and the exciting talents and opportunities they bring.
    
    
20. What have you done in the past when a minister left? This is not the first time a minister has left Unity of Charlottesville. There have been many ministers since 1978, when the church was first chartered. Before Revs. Don and Patricia were hired, a transitional process had occurred with an outside consultant from Unity Worldwide Ministries. A Ministerial Search Team was formed and interviewed Don and Patricia on two very lengthy conference calls. This led to five days of interviews before Don and Patricia were hired. In recent years, the requirement of a transitional minister by Unity Worldwide Ministries has become essential in the healthy transition of leadership for a Unity church.
    
    
21. How will youth education be affected?We are blessed to have Robin Shirley as our director of Youth and Family Ministry. Robin has had the full support of Rev. Don, Unity’s board of trustees, and the congregation. Youth education will continue to be a top priority for Unity of Charlottesville and if this is important to you, it will certainly be part of your decision in hiring a new senior minister.
    
    
22. Will we still have classes?This will depend on the interests of the congregation, the transitional minister, and the new senior minister. Spiritual Enrichment Classes are offered online by Unity Worldwide Ministries and also Unity Worldwide Ministries Eastern Region. There are plenty of opportunities to delve deeply into universal truth principles and Unity teachings.
    
    
23. Will our theology change?No! Unity of Charlottesville is, and will remain, a Unity church. As such, it embraces the teachings of Unity, and Unity’s emphasis on prayer, education, and community. The Unity movement honors all paths to God, all names of God, and all expressions of God. It is based on the teachings of Jesus, the power of prayer, the metaphysical interpretation of the Bible, and this wisdom found in all spiritual traditions. These are foundational to Unity and do not change from minister to minister.
    
    
24. What are the biggest changes the community needs to be prepared for?Not having Revs. Don and Patricia here will be the biggest change. Beyond that, things will change as our new credentialed leaders come on board. We don’t know yet how, but we will all be part of that change. We are here to shape the future of Unity of Charlottesville. Meanwhile, we have excellent team leaders in place and a compassionate and skilled board of trustees to guide us through this transition process.
    
    
25. After he retires, will Rev. Don be able to attend church here?Can he participate in classes and events? Under Unity Worldwide Ministries’ ministerial Code of Ethics, Rev. Don must “release his ministry” after he leaves. That means he must cease all involvement with the church. This is done so that the community can move forward—honoring the past without holding on to the past. Once a minister leaves a congregation, it takes time for both the minister and the congregation to adjust to this new reality. If, after at least one year from the hiring of a new senior minister, Revs. Don and Patricia wish to inquire about returning to Unity, they may speak to the new minister and Unity Worldwide Ministries to determine the best path forward.
    
    
26. Will Rev. Patricia be able to attend church here?Rev. Patricia is under the same Code of Ethics as Rev. Don, and she will not be able to return until at least one year after a new senior minister is hired.
    
    
27. What if I’d like Rev. Don or Rev. Patricia to perform a wedding or memorial service? The transitional minister, and eventually the new senior minister, will be available to perform special services. Because Rev. Don and Rev. Patricia have such long and established relationships, they would need special permission from the transitional or new senior minister to perform weddings or memorials at Unity.
    
    
28. What if a member of the staff needs Don’s help, guidance, or direction based on the things he and Patricia created and/or led while they were ministers? The intention of the board of trustees is to find their way without Rev. Don and to have all the information and operational procedures in place before Don’s departure. Rev. Don is committed to making this a smooth and easy transition. The board will also have the full support of Unity Worldwide Ministries.
    
    
29. How can I best support Unity of Charlottesville during this transition?

• First, recognize that the church is not the minister.Unity of Charlottesville is much bigger and stronger than the leadership of a single person. You are part of a spiritual community and a consciousness that continues on, no matter who is in charge.
  
  
• Second, lean in, not out.It may be normal for some people to think this would be a great time to take a break from church, and to stop attending, contributing, or volunteering. PLEASE DON’T! Community is strengthened when we stick together through times of change and shape our future together. You are a valued part of our spiritual family. Unity of Charlottesville needs you! Please take this opportunity to engage even more deeply with your Unity spiritual family.
  
  
• Third, hold positive intentions for our future minister and our evolving community. We have a strong board, strong staff, strong team leaders, and strong lay leadership. Try to see this change opening the way for an exciting new era for Unity of Charlottesville.

30. Who should I contact with questions? You may submit your questions to the email address: board@unitycharlottesville.org. A member of the board will monitor the email and get back to you with a response. You may also contact any member of Unity of Charlottesville’s board of trustees. Our goal is to be completely transparent and accessible during this process.