Upon his retirement, Anglican Archbishop David Hope noted, “I have always hoped that it might be possible to conclude my ministry as I had begun it, as a parish priest…”

You have heard by now that your board and I reached an agreement to extend my interim ministry through July 1, 2027. Three points guided our decision: 1. There is still considerable work to be done before your next minister arrives; 2. Our overall relationship is such we can do that work; 3. The extension will allow QUUF access to many more ministers in search than in December.

For my part I get to continue ministry with a strong, talented and laugh-loving Unitarian Universalist congregation. What a gift after over 40 years of doing this work!

Renewing has me reflecting on all those years. I started out as a religious educator, and over time served in a variety of our recognized ministries: Contract, settled, community and interim. It has been quite a journey from the foothills of the Appalachians to the shores of western Washington.

Our shared ministry will build on the work we’ve done over the past 10 months, but with the board’s cooperation I’ll be monitoring my time more closely. (I’ve averaged over 50 hours per week. As I mentioned at your Annual Meeting, I’ll get more sleep and you’ll get better ministry.)

What won’t change is my commitment to a congregation ready and willing to do the unique, sometimes difficult, often rewarding form of ministry that called to me all those years ago.

Looking forward to the next part of our journey.