Editor’s note: The following was sent to the TP Web Vine email list last night:
Hi all,
I have great news to share with you. At the unanimous recommendation of the Interim Ministry Search Task Force, the Board has hired a 3/4 time interim minister starting in early-mid September.
Her name is Gabrielle Parks and she is from Columbia MD. She is married to her husband Roger and they have two 21 year old twin daughters. She is out of the same mold as David Chandler. She was a layleader at the UU Congregation of Columbia MD and then decided to enter seminary.
She graduated from the Lancaster Theological Seminary and she recently completed a one year internship at the UU Fellowship of Huntington, NY. She was chosen among a select group by the UUA to be trained as an interim minister. She has completed her first part of that training and will be ordained this Sunday in Columbia MD. She will complete additional IM training in mid-late September.
During her interview this week it was clear that she had an engaging personality, she was thoughtful in answering questions (she did not give canned answers) and she had concrete suggestions on how to help us resolve issues and prepare us for our settled minister next year.
Although her schedule and contract have not been completely worked out, she will rent a place in the area and be here for an extended period of time the weeks she is preaching or is attending other Fellowship activities. After I get back from vacation, I will arrange for her to meet with the Board and the
congregation.
I would like to personally thank Virginia Kirk, Marian Augustine, Mary Lynne Carlisle, Cathy Stratoti and Seth Finkle for not giving up and for continuing to pursue new candidates that had very recently been submitted by the UUA. Although Gabrielle is new to being an interim minister, we all felt that she
had the energy and skills to get the job done and put in place the practices that will allow our community to grow and stay healthy.
I am looking forward to an exciting church year with a new interim minister, a newly renovated sanctuary and a search process that will lead to our next settled minister. Great times are ahead for the Thomas Paine UU Fellowship!
Best regards,
Tim Johnson
President, Thomas Paine board of trustees
