After discussion this Spring between myself and our Board of Trustees, I’m thrilled to share that WellSprings will be hiring a Ministerial Intern, to start in the Fall of 2021!
WellSprings has been a teaching congregation before – supervising the internship of Rev. Greg Pelley from 2011-2013, and then my own internship, from 2013-2015. I’m so excited that once again, we’ll be able to support a new minister, in service to our wider Unitarian Universalist movement – and to see our community grow through the unique skills and talents they will bring, and through the experience of teaching and learning about ministry, together.
The new Intern will be a temporary member of our Staff Team, serving with us for one or two years. They will support WellSprings by preaching and leading worship, facilitating small groups, and providing pastoral care to members of the congregation during their time with us.
All candidates for intern positions are vetted and pre-approved by our denomination, and are typically at or near the completion of their graduate degree in ministry. The internship is among the last steps required before ordination – when a ministry student finally becomes a “Rev.”
We have a chance to help form and shape the path of another religious leader, in our beloved faith – but to make this a reality, we will need some help. There are two ways you can pitch in right now, so we can set ourselves up to be good hosts for our incoming student:
- Serve on the Intern Team. Our Intern is required to meet regularly with 4-5 members of the congregation who will get to know them, provide feedback, and support their growth. This is a time-limited commitment, where you will be serving for only 1-2 years. Absolutely anyone can be on the Intern Team – members and friends, young and old, leaders and newcomers – in fact, the best Intern Teams are representative of the diversity of the congregation, in all forms. Please e-mail me if you want to learn more.
- Donate to the Intern Fund. We hope to provide fair compensation to our Intern – a total cost of about $20,000, according to denominational guidelines. Unlike hiring regular staff, hosting an intern requires only a short-term commitment of funds, so we ask you to consider making a one-time contribution towards that goal. Click here to give.
We are interviewing potential candidates now, and I’m so excited to see what new gifts, talents, and perspectives a Ministerial Intern might bring to our community in the coming year. Stay tuned for a “Welcome” announcement with more details, later this Summer!
Take care,
Rev. Lee