From the developmental minister’s search committee.

It is with great joy and excitement that we announce the success of the developmental minister search.  Our mission was to find a UU Developmental Minister who we feel has the skills, temperament, and experience to help the FUUSB achieve the developmental goals put forth by our congregation and board of trustees.  Equally important to the committee was a desire to find a minister who we feel meshes well with the unique character of the FUUSB.

Working in consultation with the transition team at the UUA, we were provided a total of 9 applicants.  Each provided several references that gave the committee further insight into the candidates from the perspective of congregants, staff, and fellow professionals. We are pleased to have come to consensus to enthusiastically welcome Reverend Patricia Hart. Rev. Hart’s passion closely matches the mission and goals of our congregation and her energy and experience will provide ministerial leadership for the FUUSB as we work move into the future.

The Developmental Search committee would like to express our thanks to the board and the congregation for entrusting us with this very important process.  We all feel strongly this is auspicious beginning to the next phase of our congregational journey.

-Dan House, Leandre Waldo, Suzy Comerford, and Justin Jackson

A word from Rev. Tricia Hart

Hello, I’m the Reverend Tricia Hart, and I’m delighted that in August I’ll be coming to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington to be your Developmental Minister.  I’ve been a parish minister for more than twenty years now, and I’ve served Unitarian Universalist congregations- eight of them- in New England, and also Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.  I’ve also consulted to a couple dozen other UU congregations around the country.

Each one of those congregations has been itself: a unique, special community.  All of them have taught me in different ways about the importance and the power of our free faith, especially in this time.  It’s an honor to be a Unitarian Universalist minister, and it will be an honor to serve you, in Burlington, as well.

I first came to New England almost fifty years ago as a teenager, and it’s been a long time since I claimed New England as my adopted home.  But I need you to know, that as a person who has lived and worked in Maine, and Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and even (briefly!) in New Hampshire, Vermont remains something of a mystery to me.  I’m counting on you to teach me about your city, and your state, and your congregation so that we can work together: so that together we can discover the best ways to shape the next chapter in your congregation’s history.

Thank you.  I’ll see you soon.