Rev. Michelle's Message July 11, 2024

What a wonderful time we had at our Annual Anniversary Sunday Service and BBQ! We celebrated Vicky’s 26 years as our beloved spiritual leader, the choir sang, people shared their heart-felt stories of what UMB means to them and how it has changed their lives, and we had delicious hot dogs and potluck! Also, our Leadership Council acknowledged my five-year anniversary as Associate Minister and then surprised me by promoting me to Co-Minister.

I want to thank our Leadership Council for this great honor and I especially want to thank Rev. Vicky for the many years of mentorship, guidance, friendship, unconditional love, and support she has given me, and for allowing me the opportunity to grow in my ministry skills by so graciously sharing her pulpit with me. Vicky and I are both excited to embark on this new adventure of Co-Ministering Unity of Monterey Bay together.

It occurred to me that some of you may not be familiar with the terms “Associate Minister” and “Co-Minister” and may not understand exactly what has changed, so I thought I would take this opportunity to explain it to you.

When Vicky and her late husband, Rory, came to UMB, they were Co-Ministers, essentially sharing the job of one minister. As Co-Ministers, they both had equal authority, workload, and responsibilities. When Rory passed away 17 years ago, Rev. Vicky became our “Senior Minister.” A Senior Minister is just what it sounds like–they are the most senior person in the leadership of the church, and have all of the duties and responsibilities that go along with that. 

In Unity, the minister of a church works closely with the board in managing the church’s operations. The minister is the spiritual leader of the church and as such is responsible for spiritual programming, leading or “officiating” Sunday services, giving Sunday sermons/lessons, teaching classes, and being the public-facing head of the church.

The board, or as we call it, the “Leadership Council,” is charged with the governance of the church, with powers such as hiring the minister, creating and implementing long-term goals and plans, and making fiscal decisions. When the board meets, the Senior Minister provides spiritual guidance and direction, and has a vote in all board decisions.

When I made the commitment to go to seminary and become a Unity minister, I became first a student minister or ministerial candidate, and then in 2018, one year before my ordination, Vicky made me “Assistant Minister.” When I was ordained in June 2019, I was officially installed as “Associate Minister.” An Associate Minister works directly for the Senior Minister (rather than being hired by the board), supporting them in their ministry in any way they request. As an Associate Minister, I gave Sunday lessons, taught classes, supervised the Children’s Church, served as a Prayer Chaplain and supported Sue Rojcewicz in her role as captain of the Prayer Chaplains, led the Care Team, and did whatever administrative tasks Vicky requested. I have been very fortunate to have such a wonderful Senior Minister in Rev. Vicky, who has given me so much creative and spiritual freedom and allowed me to find my own voice and my own ministerial style. Nevertheless, as Associate Minister I essentially worked “for” her and did not have a vote on the board.

With last Sunday’s surprise, Vicky and I have now become Co-Ministers of UMB, sharing the job of ministering equally. However, we both have different strengths and interests, so you will notice that we do different things at the church. Preaching is my passion and my heart’s joy, so you’ll notice that I give the Sunday lesson a little more frequently than Vicky. Vicky is an amazing administrator, so she handles more of the management and admin duties. We both love teaching classes, so we sometimes teach them together and sometimes separately, depending on the topic. Vicky is extremely passionate about COPA and devotes a lot of her time and energy to that work. I am most passionate about things like our church’s participation in Pride, support for trans youth, introducing new programming such as Day of the Dead and Pride Sunday, creating and sustaining Church of the Wild, and supporting our community’s prayer and pastoral care ministries. Vicky and I both participate in many of these things, but we are able to focus the majority of our energy and leadership on the things we are most passionate about.

Our community is extremely fortunate to have two ministers who have different skills, talents, and passions because we are able to complement one another. Also, Vicky is and always has been just so incredibly gracious about allowing me to find my own way–giving me just enough guidance but letting me learn and do the things I most enjoy. We are both looking forward with enthusiasm to see what this new chapter as Co-Ministers of UMB will bring and how Spirit will continue to express in and through our community.

I hope this explanation helps you understand a bit better what this change means for our community. I want you to know how honored and just pleased-as-punch I am to be able to serve our community in this role and I thank you for your confidence and trust in me. Your warm congratulations, ongoing support, and enthusiasm for my ministerial shenanigans is so appreciated. 

My Warmest Appreciation,

Rev. Michelle