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A message from the Church Council,
By now, you may have read Rev. Don’s resignation letter as the Senior Minister for the Congregational Church of Plainville. A copy of the letter he shared with the congregation on Sunday, August 17, 2025 can be found here.
Many of you have expressed concern due to the lack of consistent communication during other ministerial transitions. We do not want this to occur again. We pledge to each of you to be honest, open, and transparent. We will release updates as often as we can in as many ways as we can. We want all of you to know what is going on, so we do not repeat the mistakes of our past.
To start with, we want to summarize what has happened up to this point.
- On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Rev. Don submitted his letter of resignation as Senior Minister, the Congregational Church of Plainville, United Church of Christ. Per Rev. Don’s call agreement with us, he is required to give 90 days’ notice. Based on the August 5th date, Rev. Don’s last day with us will be November 5, 2025.
- On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Rev. Dr. Charlotte Wright was contacted. She is the Bridge Area Conference Minister for the South-Central Region of the SNEUCC. She will be shepherding us through this journey.
- On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, the Church Council met and regretfully accepted Rev. Don’s resignation. As stated above, Rev. Don’s last day with us will be Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
The Church Council discussed the specific ministerial roles available within the UCC. They are as follows. Pulpit Supply typically lasts one to two months. Leave Coverage typically lasts one to four months. Bridge Ministry typically lasts two to six months. Intentional Interim typically lasts 1 ½ to 3 years. Designated Term Ministry typically lasts three to five years. Settled Ministry is usually long term.
After discussion and based on where we are as a congregation, the Church Council unanimously voted to work with Rev. Dr. Wright to bring in a Designated Term Minister. This decision was based on the following: a) The previous searches and calls we have done in the past have taken far too long; b) We need to honestly assess where we are as a congregation.
Since the Designated Term Minister is a Called position, we will need a search committee.
There will be an All-Church Meeting on September 21, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. We will discuss a handout regarding the Designated Term Ministry and answer any questions you may have. We also will have identified members of the Designated Term Minister Search Team and vote to confirm them. Rev. Dr. Wright will be meeting with the Church Council prior to this meeting and will provide information to be discussed.
Per UCC and SNEUCC guidelines, there are 5 phases to a successful ministerial transition.
Phase 1: Ending Ministry Well
Phase 2: Preparing for the Search
Phase 3: Discerning Through the Search
Phase 4: Completing the Search
Phase 5: Beginning Ministry Well
Our congregation is presently in the early stages of Phase 1. One of the hallmarks of Phase 1 is the need for communication. Everyone has their own preferred communication style. Please let us know how the council can best communicate with you.
Please, read your emails. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t gossip. Don’t spread rumors. Be kind. Be full of grace. Be merciful to each other and to the council. Lift up one another. Love each other ferociously.
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