Unitarian Universalists Have Elected

Barbara Fast As New Minister

DANBURY — Over the last two years the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury has undertaken an intensive search process to identify and select a new settled permanent minister to lead the congregation. As a member congregation in the Unitarian Universalist Association, the congregation has the right and the responsibility to call or elect its minister. The culmination of this search occurred in April, when the Reverend Barbara Fast was called to be the next settled minister of the congregation. Rev Fast has graciously accepted the call, and will join the congregation later this summer.

In a Unitarian Universalist congregation, the search for a new settled minister is a highly involved process that involves careful preparation and fulfillment. The process calls the membership of the congregation to establish its identity as a church, and explore what its needs are in a minister.

This information is gathered through an all-congregation survey, and what are called cottage meetings, which are focus groups held by members in their homes to discuss the search, and what they are looking for in a new minister. Once the information is gathered, and it is shared publicly along with a call for applications, the congregation begins to review potential new ministers.

This spring the congregation received interest from 21 applicants. A search committee made up of lay leaders from the congregation reviewed the applications and whittled the pool down to nine candidates, which they later interviewed via phone.

Once the initial interviews were complete, the list of candidates was narrowed even further to four. The committee then met with, and heard sermons from each of these ministers. From this process, the committee chose Rev Fast, as its top choice.

Rev Fast is currently serving as senior minister at Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, R.I., where she has been since 2006. During her years there, Westminster has had a highly successful capital campaign slated for a new and green parish house for which her ministerial presence at Westminster has added great enthusiasm.

Her outgoing style, inspirational preaching, and pastoral presence have gotten the Rev Fast rave reviews from both her current congregation and her previous work at the Unitarian Church in Westport. At Westport she served as associate minister, assistant minister, and director of religious education. She left Westport in 2005 after five years as associate to take on her solo ministry at Westminster.

Rev Fast is a graduate of Yale Divinity School. She practiced law in New York and taught trial practice at the University of Bridgeport School of Law (now Bridgeport School of Law at Quinnipiac College).

During the week of April 11–17, the congregation has participated in the final phase of the search process, what is called Candidating Week. Members of the congregation used this week to gather in meetings, meals, and services with Rev Fast to get to know her, and learn more about her experiences, and come to understand her as a minister. By the end of the week, the members had more than 20 opportunities, and two Sunday services, to get acquainted with Rev Fast.

On Sunday, April 18, after the second of her two services, the congregation voted unanimously to call Rev Fast as its new minister.

As she says: “It is said that a calling is where your greatest love meets the world’s greatest need. Mary Oliver writes: There is only one question: how to love this world. Congregational life calls us to love one another and the world into greatest life.”

Thriving on roots first planted in 1822, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury (UUCD) is an open religious community that welcomes a diversity of people, ideas, and beliefs. A member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the membership of UUCD includes individuals and families who come from many backgrounds, including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Humanists, Pagans, and many others.

UUCD encourages lifelong spiritual and intellectual exploration, and works to create a just society and a sustainable Earth.

Its church building is at 24 Clapboard Ridge Road. Call 203-798-1994 or visit UUDanbury.org for additional information.