Local Church Search and Call

The staff of the Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences of the United Church of Christ (UCC) are ready to support local churches seeking leadership and pastors seeking a call. Our staff work with MESA (Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization) Team at the national UCC to help match the skills of qualified and vetted pastors with the needs of local churches.

For Churches

Immediately after learning that your pastor is leaving, send an email to [email protected] to get set up with Conference staff support. Conference staff helps your church leadership find interim pastors and determine its longer-term goals and leadership needs. Then they will train and coach your search committee to complete a local church profile. Finally, your search committee will evaluate candidates’ ministerial profiles, do interviews, and eventually call a new pastor.

For UCC Pastors in Search

If you are a UCC authorized minister seeking a call in the IA, NE, and SD Conferences, we welcome you! You should indicate on your pastoral profile that you’d like to circulate your materials in one of our conferences. Then, check for openings in which you might be interested on the national Ministry Opportunities page under the Iowa Conference, Nebraska Conference, or South Dakota Conference. You may also be interested to review our conferences’ salary guidelines in the “Pastor Compensation” section. Read more in the Guide to Pastoral Search and Call for Ministers/Candidates in Search. If you have questions, send an email to [email protected].

For Non-UCC Pastors in Search

If you are an ordained minister from another denomination seeking a call in the IA, NE, and SD Conferences, we welcome you! You will need to seek Standing in the UCC first.  Here are the ways you can prepare for the process:

Begin a process for UCC Authorization (Dual Standing, Privilege of Call, or Ordained Ministerial Partner Standing by connecting with our Conference Staff) and then get started with some of the basics in the process:

Search and Call Resources

Overview of the Process

A Guide to Pastoral Search and Call
Resources from the national UCC

Discernment and Search Committee
Diversity in the Search and Call Process:
Stretching Beyond Sexism
Stretching Beyond Heterosexism
Stretching Beyond Racism
Stretching Beyond Ableism

Booklet:
A Discernment Travelogue

DVD:
Sailing Through Faith

 

Communication Tools
Sample Letters to Congregation – (In “A Guide to Pastoral Search and Call”)
Creating Your Church Profile

Local Church Profile Form

To get a copy of your church’s 11-year report, email [email protected].

Calling a New Pastor
Pastor Compensation

UCC Pension Board Health and Dental Plan Highlights and Rates

IRS Mileage Guidelines

Salary and benefit guidelines for clergy in the Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota Conferences of the UCC are reviewed and approved annually. These are guidelines approved by the 2022 annual meetings for the year 2023:

2022 Guidelines:

    Have a question?

    Send an email to [email protected] to talk to the Conference staff who handle Search and Call in our Conferences.

    Search and Call Step by Step:

    Diversity in the Search and Call Process:

    Webinars for Pastors and Congregations:

    A webinar designed to help pastors get to know our states, our churches, and our search and call process.

    A webinar designed to help our congregations understand search and call process and available resources.