It is a fact: I began my career in Unitarian Universalist Churches over 36 years ago as the Assistant to the Minister at Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota. I was 29, newly divorced, and the mother of a two year old when I began work at the church in a job loosely defined as Church Secretary/Facilities Manager/Secretary to the Minister. It also included, I quickly discovered, being the secretary to anyone who entered the doors of the church at any given moment!

Before leaving for theological school and formal preparation for the UU Ministry, I worked in that position as it evolved to include the Director of Religious Education duties and supervision of the growing staff. For five years I gained valuable hands-on experience about the many aspects of church leadership, lay-leadership and servant-leadership.

Last year, at the 2007 General Assembly, I spoke about my experiences as the Assistant to the Minister at the Association of UU Administrators (AUUA) at their annual dinner. I recounted my first day on the job which included assembling the newsletter, printing and folding it, running the copies through the ‘addressograph’ machine, sorting them by zip code, and taking the bundles to the post office. It could have easily been the only day of my church career as I was so exhausted at the end of it. Necessity brought me back the next day, and love for the people and the church kept me returning.

Then, one morning, I found a note left on my desk by a leader of a group which had met the night before. It said simply, “You have roaches in your kitchen.”

Of course I had to deal with the roaches.

I also had to come to terms with the implication that it was my kitchen, especially when it had roaches! I had to consciously decide just how much I needed to prove that it was not my kitchen, and if they would clean up after themselves we wouldn’t have to worry about roaches. I opted not to enlarge the roach-ness of our church, tempting though it was. It was the first in a long line of decisions made on behalf of the church rather than my personal need to make a point.

The people sitting at the front desk of a church, part time or full time, at a small, medium, or large church, feels its emotional life wash over them. I learned that, like the weather outside, churches have their own weather. Whether the front-line people are paid staff or volunteers, it is important to remember to be aware of the whole and not become distracted by the temporary dustups and rain showers.

Most importantly, during those five years I learned how valuable the people are who answer our church phones, respond to questions and greet those who tentatively come through our doors in the middle of the week wondering if our church is for them. I know how significant the people are who can call our long-time members by name and are genuinely happy to see them. Having sat in that chair for five years, I also know it often requires maturity, equanimity and grace.

There was no AUUA to support church administrators then. There were no list-serves or mentors to whom I could go with questions. What a huge difference these networks make in the lives of the people who are the voice and the face of our churches to our members and prospective members. They are often the first ones to say, “Hello” and “How can I help you?” or "Welcome". This work is extremely important to the health of our congregations and the growth of our membership.

When I am UUA President, I will use my knowledge and experience from those years, and all the years since, to continue my support for all who work in our churches, representing us on the phone and in person to anyone who calls or comes through the door - and to ensure that those who answer your calls and emails, and who welcome you to UUA Headquarters, will have the resources and support to serve you well.

Laurel Hallman

You can read the full text of my 2007 AUUA talk by clicking here.