By Chris Marietti, UUCWC Board of Trustees

When I wrote an article in the fall at the start of my tenure on the board, I mentioned that one of the draws was the amazing folks I get to do this work with. Today, I wanted to take some time to highlight one of those amazing folks. As a member of Reverend Lisa’s Internship Committee, I could see firsthand the depth and breadth of preparation and hard work that goes into the journey from intern to full-fledged minister. As I write this, her ordination hasn’t occurred yet.  However, by the time you read this, it will have.

Let me update you on what’s happened so far. Rev. Lisa came to us as a ministerial intern in the summer of 2023. As a teaching congregation, we’ve had a history of hosting interns as the stepping stone between their studies at seminary and, if all goes well, their ordination as ministers. The period of internship is described by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) as 1,000 or more hours over one to two years. Rev. Lisa’s internship was part-time but shorter than two years, as she eschewed the summer breaks and ultimately spent closer to a year and a half with us, wrapping up her internship on February 23, 2025.

Before finishing her time with us, however, she had some heavy lifting to do. In addition to fulfilling the time obligation, she had to show proficiency in eight different areas of ministry through her time in the internship. For example, some of those included Worship and Rites of Passage,  Pastoral Care, Spiritual Practice, Social Justice, and  Administration. Each general area contained multiple aspects that she could either experience anew or hone previous experiences. In addition to doing all those things, she also met regularly with Rev. Kim, the Internship Committee, and other mentors. Given the density of the agendas of our meetings, I find it a marvel that she had enough time and energy to create the outlines, let alone experience all the things she did. But if all that experience wasn’t enough, Rev. Lisa had to present the culmination of her work and learning to the MFC, which she did to great success in November amidst all the turmoil of the election cycle.

In January, at a special congregational meeting, UUCWC voted overwhelmingly to ordain Rev. Lisa and create a 15-month Assistant Minister position to serve the congregation. While the vote was not one to install Rev. Lisa into that position, it was widely hoped that that would be the result. We are so fortunate and overjoyed that that has come to be. After a month’s well-earned respite, Rev. Lisa returned as the Assistant Minister at the end of March. Her time with us as a Ministerial Intern was exciting, as she showed her ability in many ways. In her new role, the excitement will be just as present, but now it will be to see her put her energies and passions more specifically into worship, pastoral care, and justice work.

As our congregation increases, it continues expanding its internal offerings and reach into the community. Rev. Lisa’s contributions as Assistant Minister will be vital in sustaining this growth. As her position is only funded through next summer, the task and challenge of sustaining our growth past that will fall to the rest of us. Looking for increased donations seems tough in an increasingly uncertain world with each passing news cycle.  But when we see the work this congregation does to celebrate life, create community, and change the world, hopefully, it is equally as tough not to answer that call.