Dear Members and Friends,
We are writing to let you know of important changes happening with the staffing of Sanctuary United Church of Christ.
The Community Minister position will be not be renewed at the end of this year. The position of full-time Community Minister was established two years ago with a contract to run through December 31, 2017. Two years ago the congregation was considering initiating alternative worship services in additional venues reaching out to different segments within the Medford community. With Sanctuary’s sustainability in mind and after much prayer and thoughtful reflection on the outcomes of and possible continued need for the second, ordained clergy staff position that has been in place since March of 2016 the Leadership Circle has determined to reduce the staffing model to one clergy person.
This means that Rev. Lambert Rahming will not continue his work with Sanctuary. We have released him from his duties as of October 13, 2017 to allow him to search for his next professional opportunity – as we continue to compensate Rev. Lambert through the end date of his current contract (12/31/2017). Our mutual contract with Tufts for Rev. Lambert to be sent as the Africana Associate Chaplain will continue through 12/31/2017.
We know this will be disappointing to many in the community as it is for us, especially for those with whom Rev. Lambert has established personal connections. The ministry and community partnerships we have shared with and through Rev. Lambert have been good and important and we thank him for the ways he has brought new and fresh ideas and energy to our emerging church experiment.
We wish Rev. Lambert Godspeed and great things as he proceeds in ministry. We hope to plan a mutual time to bring his ministry with us to a close. Please watch for more information.
Linda Malik has resigned as Church Administrative Manager. Linda has informed us that she has purchased a home in – and is moving back to – Syracuse, a community in which she has thrived and been enriched for many years in the past. Her decision has also been prompted by the matter of her sustainability – financial, personal and spiritual. Linda has a strong community of loved ones in Syracuse, where she lived for almost 20 years before coming to Boston, and a deep connection to the arts community there. The cost-of-living in Syracuse has allowed her to purchase a lovely new home that is move-in ready!
In her words, “This is a very wise, happy and healthy decision for me.” We are so very glad for her.
Linda will be leaving Sanctuary in very short order (within one to two weeks) but is working hard to develop and leave succession documentation as well as potentially work with an interim/temporary staff person to hold us in place while we discern our way forward. We are already in conversation with staffing agencies and hope to allow Linda to train an interim.
We are planning to honor Linda’s time with us and send her with our prayers, blessings and a celebration as part of ARTChurch on
Sunday, October 15, 10:00 am.
Please plan on joining us.
The Leadership Circle's plans and recommendations for this moment and beyond.
In the immediate term:
- Rev. Lambert’s duties will be assumed by Rev. Wendy.
- We are consulting with staffing agencies to determine the most efficient and financially smart solution to cover the duties currently held by Linda Malik. This may mean one or two part-time staff roles depending on the skill set of candidates.
- We encourage you to share the news that Sanctuary is seeking staff replacement that can handle hand-on, small-business administration, communications and bookkeeping. An interim job advertisement can be found here.
For the long-term:
- Based on our experience over the past 3 years, the Leadership Circle is recommending that we focus our ministry model on successful, sustainable ministries, concentrate on volunteer development outside the core congregation, and contract essential growth-oriented technical expertise that does not exist in our current staffing model such as marketing, social media and financial development.
- We will try to consider all the functions needed to be sanctuary in Medford. In conjunction with our 2018 ministry planning and budgeting, we will propose to the congregation the best staffing model for meeting our current needs – taking into account pastoral, community organizing, management, administrative, bookkeeping, marketing, media, and financial development functions.
We are aware that this is a lot to process and a lot to do. Yet, we see this as a God moment – a chance to collect the wisdom learned from the past three years of our experiment and re-boot, having been informed by the lessons and experiences therein.
We are looking forward to collaborating with members of the community organizations we have helped to develop and with YOU to streamline where needed, build-out where called forth and be sanctuary in ways that will lead us to sustainability.
With continued prayer and courage,
The Leadership Circle
Paul Roberts, Moderator
Bruce Roberts, Vice Moderator
Amanda Coughlin, Treasurer
Carvina Williams, Clerk
Branwen Cook
Joanna Begin
