On Sept. 23, the Rev. Doctor Kharma R. Amos was formally installed as the settled minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick.
In a worship service at the church followed by a celebratory reception, the congregation participated in a ceremonial recognition of Amos’ role in the church community. The Rev. Doctor Jim Mitulski, pastor of the Congregational Church of the Peninsula, UCC in Belmont, California, gave the sermon, and local clergy and colleagues of Amos participated in the service. Music was offered by the church choir and other church musicians.
Unitarian Universalist churches democratically call their ministers by voting for a search committee that discerns the needs of the congregation and, with guidance from the Unitarian Universalist Association, finds the best candidate to meet those needs. The search officially ends with a congregational vote to call the recommended minister.
From the minister’s viewpoint, accepting a call is a choice freely made after careful consideration. Hence, an installation service celebrates the mutual choice of congregation and minister, honoring both the freedom that the Unitarian Universalist tradition has always heralded and the responsibility that being together in covenanted relationship demands. The heart of the installation service is the covenant taken up by the minister and the congregation as they enter into a relationship based on mutual trust, commitment and vision.
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