Local Church Search and Call
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:
- Complete a UCC History, Polity, and Theology course.
- Complete Boundary Training. Check out the Boundary Training schedule.
- Complete the Oxford background check
- Read our denomination’s Marks for Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers and the Ministerial Code
Search and Call Resources
Overview of the Process
Discernment and Search Committee
Stretching Beyond Sexism
Stretching Beyond Heterosexism
Stretching Beyond Racism
Stretching Beyond Ableism
Booklet:
A Discernment Travelogue
Communication Tools
Creating Your Church Profile
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
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:
- 2023 Iowa salary and benefit guidelines
- 2023 Nebraska salary and benefit guidelines
- 2023 South Dakota salary and benefit guidelines
2022 Guidelines:
- Iowa salary and benefit guidelines
- Nebraska salary and benefit guidelines
- South Dakota salary and benefit guidelines
Have a question?
Send an email to [email protected] to talk to the Conference staff who handle Search and Call in our Conferences.