The search has begun for a new pastor at the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor. At the church’s annual 2021 meeting, the congregation appointed a 10-member search committee to handle all aspects of the search process. The church has been blessed to have interim minister, Peter Ilgenfritz, fill the pulpit since the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Sarah Foulger in October of 2019. Sarah served the Boothbay Harbor church for 16 years. When hired, the new minister will be the 56th settled pastor in the church’s 255-year history.

Search Committee members include: Nancy Adams, Ken Bradsell, Tom Dewey, Judy Eastwood, Barbara Fritz, Vicki Haugen Amy Minzner, Richard Shepard, as well as Marianne Reynolds and Ron Ross, who co-chair the committee.

An earlier Transition/Church Profile Committee, chaired by Peggy Pinkham with members, Ken Fitch, Barbara Fritz, Bob Hilscher and guided by interim pastor Peter, worked for several months. The Church Profile is an extensive document that describes the church in all its aspects: mission, history, future, finances, programs, focus, etc. Posted on the UCC conference website, it is used as a tool by a prospective candidate to determine if our church is a good fit for him/her.

The search committee works closely with the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The Maine Conference forwards profiles from ministers expressing interest in the position to the committee. The committee then reviews the profiles, listens to sermons, and gets additional information from online sources. Initial interviews are conducted via Zoom until finalists are identified, and then scheduled for in-person appearances.

The search committee has also placed an ad in the widely read Christian Century magazine, and has contacted numerous seminaries for posting to their alumni.

Information on the job opening can be found on the Maine Conference website at https://oppsearch.ucc.org