FRSUU Welcomes New Interim Minister!

Dear FRSUU Community,

The FRSUU Board of Trustees and the Interim Minister Search Team are excited and proud to announce the selection of Rev. Connie Simon as our new interim minister.

Rev. Connie, who is completing her interim ministry at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bethesda, MD, will start her two-year ministry at FRSUU on August 1. Her first official Sunday in the pulpit will be September 13, Opening Sunday for the 2026-27 church year.

“Rev. Connie was our search team’s unanimous first choice,” said Tom Himmel, chair of the Interim Minister Search Committee and next year’s Parish Board chair. “And we were her first choice as well, so we are well matched. The team was impressed by her very positive, upbeat manner combined with her directness. The references at her current church spoke highly of her directness, ability to manage conflict (she is a coach on the Unitarian Universalist Association conflict team), and to reach out and help people feel welcome. They added that we will be lucky to have her.”

About Rev. Connie

Rev. Connie (she/her) is a UUA Accredited Interim Minister and a member of the national Interim Ministry Network. Prior to her current ministry, she served as settled minister at First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati and interim minister at the UU Church of Davis in California.

Rev. Connie explains her approach to interim ministry on her website: “I’ve chosen to focus my ministry on transitional work because I genuinely love it. There’s something deeply meaningful about accompanying congregations through periods of change—helping them reflect on their history, clarify their identity, strengthen their leadership, and step intentionally into their future. Transitions are challenging, but they’re also extraordinary opportunities for growth, healing, and renewal.”

She came to ordained ministry after a varied career that included law, organizational development, education, political training, and nonprofit leadership.

“My approach to interim ministry is grounded in deep respect for congregational wisdom and potential,” she writes. “I bring both pastoral sensitivity and organizational expertise to help congregations do the transformative work that transitions make possible.”

Next steps

Interim ministers most often serve a congregation for two years. In addition to customary ministerial duties, the role of an interim is to help a congregation make changes between settled ministries, address problems, and prepare the way for the next minister.

We will be selecting a Transition Team to work with Rev. Connie. It will help with her onboarding in the early weeks of her tenure and also serve as a liaison among the minister, the Parish Board, and the wider congregation. More details on this team and its composition will follow.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Interim Minister Search Team for its committed, time-consuming efforts: Tom Himmel (chair), Amy Cameron, Holly Cashman, Julie Menin, and Sharon Tillman.

Please join us in giving a warm and joyous welcome to Rev. Connie!

With gratitude,

The FRSUU Parish Board

Bob Higgins, Chair

Jeff Bard

Lori Clark

Kathy Desilets

Tom Himmel

Liss Larsen

Andy Lobb

Julie Menin

Leslie Lawrence

Sarina Khan Reddy

Rebekah Stafford

Jim Supple

Renee Wolf Foster