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| 1. | Who is this website for?
UCC Ministry Opportunities is run primarily for authorized ministers in the United Church of Christ.
Some positions posted are not limited to authorized ministers, but are intended also for laypeople and those in leadership development. Other positions are posted by non-UCC employers who have indicated openness to UCC leadership.
However, all local church pastorates posted by conferences of the United Church of Christ are open only to authorized ministers of the United Church of Christ, those with privilege of call granted by an association, those from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or United Church of Canada denominations with ordained ministerial partner standing. |
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| 2. | Where do I start?
With prayer. Your life and the lives of those around you will be touched by your openness, your discernment, and your decisions. Our prayer for you: "May the Spirit of Christ keep you in all wisdom throughout your passage from familiar to unknown, from the boat to the shore and back to the sea, from one kind of service to another kind of service, and ultimately from glory to glory in Eternal hands. Amen."
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| 3. | How do I use this database?
Run a search using any of the drop-down menus, the Advanced Search, or the browse buttons. To track your search results, save them by exporting to an Excel file. Return to the web listing to make your application to the party specified in the contact box, or follow a URL within the ministry description. You can always start over by hitting the Home button on the upper left of the page. Run multiple kinds of searches for completeness, and double-check keyword searches for accuracy. Specific acronyms such as 'ONA' require single quotes, otherwise results will draw on every string of letters with 'o' and 'n' and 'a.'
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| 4. | What do I need to know about Search and Call in the United Church of Christ?
Those authorized to seek a call in the UCC are UCC Ordained Ministers, Ordained Ministerial Partners (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or United Church of Canada ministers with UCC standing), Privilege of Call, Commissioned, and Members in Discernment approved for ordination pending call.
Open clergy positions in United Church of Christ congregations are routed through Conferences, which care for the oversight of UCC ministers. (See Conference Map link above right.) Rather than apply directly to churches for ordained clergy positions, you must follow UCC processes to have your Ministerial Profile circulated to Conference staff, and from there to an interested congregation. Each Conference is different and has different procedures. UCC polity says you are eligible to have your valid UCC Ministerial Profile sent to any and all congregations you choose. A Conference will send it at your request, or at the request of a congregation.
Seeking ministers use a UCC Profile to document their authorization and good standing. A congregation’s Search Committee is discouraged from looking at applicants on whom they have not received a UCC Profile.
You may find it helpful to ask for or work with the Conference or Association staffperson assisting a church with their search process.
Upon receiving a call you need to transfer your Ministerial Standing to the new appropriate Association. |
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| 5. | Where can I volunteer?
Anywhere! UCC Volunteer Ministries programs run throughout the country. Plus, if you are able to volunteer working from home, you may be able to lend your skills right where you are! Use the keyword search to look for “virtual” or “at home” openings. Or, browse for a location near you. A keyword search might identify a match. Remember, all short-term UCC Volunteer Ministries positions have health insurance.
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| 6. | What does wider church/specialized ministries mean?
Many UCC clergy serve the church in settings beyond the local congregation, whether in community settings such as non-profit organizations, in denominational judicatories or financial instrumentalities, in institutional chaplaincies such as military or health care settings, in educational or ecumenical work, or even self-employed. Note that in every setting a congregation must authorize your ministry, by participating in a Four-Way Covenant with you, with your Association, and with the employer/calling body. Your church of membership and the Association holding your ministerial standing have the responsibility to discern UCC authorization for a particular ministry.
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| 7. | How do I apply for a missionary opening?
If you are interested in an overseas missions position, you may search by keyword including the country of your interest. However, please know that individuals once they start in dialogue with Global Ministries, often find they are routed somewhere other than they first thought. The application process for all missions personnel goes through a central office shared by the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ.
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| 8. | What kinds of organizations are listed in this database?
Organizations are here listed that have represented openness to United Church of Christ leadership. Not all are affiliated with the United Church of Christ: some may be secular organizations or ecumenical churches. Some organizations are members of a UCC network called the Council for Health and Human Services Ministries (CHHSM), or related to another UCC institution.
As described in the Manual on Ministry, all authorized ministers serving a faith-based setting beyond the walls of a local church building may have a Four-Way Covenant signed by Minister, Employer, Local Church of membership, and Association holding ministerial standing. These ministries, depending on the Association, might be considered ordainable “calls” because they reflect the church at work in the world, sharing its distinctive legacy of Word and Sacrament. |
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| 9. | What do I need to seek a UCC interim pastoral position?
Churches seeking an interim minister often utilize the support of their Conference. Please be in touch with Conference offices to find out their process for filling interim positions. Training for intentional interim ministry is available through the National Interim Ministry Network (IMN), or through AUCCIIM, the Association of United Church of Christ Intentional Interim Ministers. A current UCC Profile may be required.
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| 10. | What does "On Hold" mean?
Please check back. This listing may again become active, but for the moment an opening is not considering more applicants. (A church search committee, for instance, could be dealing with Profiles one batch at a time, or taking a hiatus, or perhaps nearing closure with another candidate. Or, seasonal camp counselor positions could close every year, only to re-open the next year at the same time.)
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| 11. | What are the four types of employed pastoral positions in the United Church of Christ - and how are they different?
Settled Ministry has no predetermined end-date, and is meant to mature in partnership over time between a pastor and a congregation. Supply Ministry is the opposite; it means meeting a temporary need. Intentional Interim Ministry meets a specific need by guiding the church in transitional work in preparation for the next settled pastor (for which the interim minister is ineligible). Designated-Term Ministry is specific but relates to one of any number of designated purposes, for a designated number of years. Examples of designated-term ministry are church turnarounds/revitalizations, church closure/legacy, or church redevelopment/new ministry start; in some of these scenarios the same minister may eventually be called as the settled pastor.
These four types of pastoral ministry are defined within the UCC profiles portal (under Geographic Availability), and are increasingly used across conferences. |
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