From the Emerita Team:
In finishing up our listening sessions, here are some Frequently Asked Questions that we heard with some repetition.
Q. Why are we pursuing this honor now and not last year?
A. We looked into bestowing the honor of Emerita on Jill last spring, but didn’t do it soon enough before last year’s annual meeting, so the Board asked us to wait until this year, when we would have sufficient time to hold listening sessions and have conversations with the congregation well before this year’s annual meeting in May.
Q. Would it be better to wait until next year or even two or more years from now?
A. Many members have asked us to pursue this honor for Jill now, so while the memory of Jill’s loving and beautiful ministry is still fresh in our minds, we wanted to express our gratitude by conferring this honor now rather than a year or more from now. Moreover, we realize that hopefully a year from now, our focus will appropriately be on welcoming a new, settled minister to our Fellowship, rather than on celebrating a past minister.
Q. What are the UUA guidelines for when to bestow this honor?
A. The UUA does not have specific guidelines for when to bestow this honor; some congregations do it when the minister retires, which is what this congregation did for two former ministers; some wait a year, and some wait longer.
Q. Are there guidelines determining the type of contact Jill may have with our congregation, once the status of Emerita is conferred?
A. Yes. These guidelines will be negotiated among our Interim Minister, Alex McGee, Carl English-Young, our Board President, and Jill, our former Minister. These guidelines will create a Covenant, which will be presented to the Congregation at our annual meeting in May. When a settled minister arrives, they will create a new Covenant with Jill concerning these same guidelines.