Both of these letters were mailed to UUFR members and friends on November 16.
Letter from Rev. Sasha Regarding Her Departure from UUFR in June 2024
Dear UUFR Members and Friends,
I hope that this letter finds you and yours well. I’m writing with mixed emotions to share the news that I have decided to end my ministry here at UUFR. I will be with you through next summer, but I am entering Ministerial Search to pursue a position beginning in August as the minister in a new congregation. It took many months of reflection to arrive at this decision, and while it wasn’t an easy choice, I feel that this is the right time to make it, both for me as well as for this congregation.
While I’m sad that I will be leaving you in a few months, I’m also filled with gratitude for my time here with you. During the eight years that I have served as your Assistant Minister, you have been more than a congregation to me; you have also been my teachers. You welcomed me among you when I was a brand new minister, and in fact you are the ones who ordained me to the Unitarian Universalist ministry almost exactly eight years ago. Although I spent a year as an intern minister at a teaching congregation before coming here, in many ways this is the congregation that taught me how to be a minister. I’m so thankful for all that you’ve taught me about ministry and for the opportunity to serve alongside you. I learned something from each of you and from each chance to minister to and with you. We’ve accomplished some amazing things together, and I’m proud of you and proud to have worked with you.
I want to take a moment to clarify, in case any concerns arise, that I am not leaving due to conflict or unhappiness. While we’ve been through some tough times together, I have felt fulfilled by my ministry here, especially during these past few years after Rev. James joined us as the Lead Minister. He’s been a fabulous colleague, and he helped me realize that I’m ready for the next stage of my ministry. That readiness is why I have decided to leave and pursue a position as the lead minister in another congregation.
I don’t know where I’ll be serving next, but I’m excited to explore different possibilities. I do know one thing, however: you have inspired me by your determination to be a force for good in the world, and I hope to find a congregation that shares your passion for justice work. UUFR has set the bar high, and I am excited to see who out there can match it.
I will miss you, and I wish I could take you all with me when I leave. But I know that in some ways, I really will be taking you all with me, because you helped form me into the minister that I am. I will always hold you in my heart, and I’m excited for what lies ahead for both of us. In the second enclosed letter, by Rev. James, you will learn a little more about how UUFR will search for a new Assistant Minister.
We will still have several months together before my departure, and I look forward to spending them with you. In the spring, we will have some opportunities to celebrate our ministry together and say goodbye to one another. My last day in the office will be June 30, 2024. Until then, let’s continue our good work together!
Yours in faith,
Sasha
Rev. Sasha Ostrom
Assistant Minister
Letter from Rev. James regarding the Search for a New Assistant Minister
Dear UUFR Members and Friends,
You have recently read a letter from Rev. Sasha announcing her decision to leave her position as our Assistant Minister at the end of June 2024.
I want to thank Rev. Sasha for her more than seven years of dedicated service to UUFR. She has stuck with the congregation through many ups and downs, including two Lead Minister transitions. Her ministry has touched so many lives and benefitted the congregation as a whole. She has been a wonderful colleague to me as well as to other staff members.
During my more than four years at UUFR, I have also seen Rev. Sasha grow tremendously as a minister. She is now ready to fly on her own! While I will miss her presence among us, I know the larger Unitarian Universalist movement has never been in greater need of ministers with her experience, knowledge, and skills. I hope members of our congregation will take pride in the fact that UUFR helped her develop professionally in ways that will soon benefit another congregation.
As Rev. Sasha begins searching for a new position, I will begin searching for a new Assistant Minister. At UUFR, the Assistant Minister position is not a “called” position but a “hired” position. That means that there will not be a lay-led search committee nor a congregational vote regarding the selection of a new Assistant Minister. Rather, as Lead Minister, I will be responsible for interviewing and selecting the new Assistant Minister as I did during our recent Family Ministry Director and Music Director hiring processes. I do plan, however, to ask several UUFR members to help me in interviewing and selecting a new Assistant Minister as I did in those other recent hiring processes.
This hiring process will likely begin in January. I hope to select somebody in the spring. Our new Assistant Minister will likely start in August. Despite the ministerial shortage of which I have previously spoken, I expect UUFR to attract several high-quality candidates for this position. As I said last Sunday, UUFR has never been in a better place than it is now, and we will be offering a competitive compensation and benefits package for this position.
If you have questions or comments about Rev. Sasha’s departure or the process of hiring a new Assistant Minister, please feel free to be in contact with me by phone or email.
Warmly,
James
Rev. Dr. James Kubal-Komoto
Lead Minister