Ministry Call & Co-Ministry
Updates from the Ministerial Call Discernment Team
August 5, 2024
Dear Members and Friends,
We have some great news to share with you about our Fellowship! A proposal has been offered to move in the direction of a shared ministry between our two ministers—Rev. Christina and Rev. Hannah. This idea was presented to us by Rev. Christina and our Governing Board. To help shepherd the congregation on this path of discerning whether or not to make this move, a Ministerial Call Discernment Team has been assembled of Brian Murton, Marti Wheeler, Sam Zinth, Dave Gerlach, and Tim Watson.
Our task is to develop a process to help the congregation decide whether or not such a call is good for the Fellowship. You will have opportunities to ask questions, to get to know Rev. Hannah and her family better and to engage in open dialogue as a community. There will be formal meetings at the Fellowship, as well as cottage meetings in members’ homes to discuss and connect in a more casual setting (planned for October – dates and times available soon). At the end of this process, the Fellowship will hold a congregational meeting to discuss this opportunity and vote on the proposal.
Two important dates to mark on your calendars:
- September 22, 2024: Congregational question and answer session at the Fellowship
- November 17, 2024: Congregational vote on a proposal to call Rev. Hannah as our co-minister
On Sunday, September 22, Rev. Hannah will preach on the relationship between a called minister and the congregation. That afternoon, there will be a multi-platform Q&A session at 1:30 pm, followed immediately by a dessert social. On Sunday, November 10, Rev. Hannah and Rev. Christina will co-preach about trust and shared ministry. If you’d like more information about why we are exploring shared ministry at the Fellowship, you can contact one of our ministers ([email protected] or [email protected]) or a member of the Fellowship Board ([email protected]).
The ministerial call on Sunday, November 17 is an important step in the future of our Fellowship. Please make plans to be a part of it and attend the two big meeting dates outlined above!
Ministerial Call Discernment Team
Brian Murton, Marti Wheeler, Sam Zinth, Dave Gerlach, and Tim Watson
Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave
Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave’s ministry reflects the places she lives and works, and she is passionate about building religious communities that are grounded in local context while holding a radical vision for a more just and compassionate world.
Born and raised as a UU in Racine, WI, Hannah’s first taste of religious community was at Olympia Brown UU Church where she taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, and was an all-around Church Nerd. Between her growing up years in Racine and today, Rev. Hannah has done everything from teaching middle school to packing boxes in a warehouse to working as a restaurant host. She eventually earned her Master of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and served from 2017-2022 as the settled minister at the UU Church of Cheyenne, WY.
Rev. Hannah lives in Appleton with her wife, Catherine, and their two kiddos, Adah and Benjamin. With the two minutes each day they aren’t working or parenting, they enjoy doing crosswords, sampling local food and beer, and cheering on the Baltimore Orioles.
Important Dates
- Sunday, September 22: Rev. Hannah will preach on the relationship between a called minister and the congregation. That afternoon, there will be a multi-platform Q&A session at 1:30 pm, followed immediately by a dessert social.
- Sunday, November 10: Rev. Hannah and Rev. Christina will co-preach about trust and shared ministry
- Sunday, November 17: Congregational vote on a proposal to call Rev. Hannah as our co-minister
