References
Creating a list of references for any job, never-mind a role so personal as that of a settled Minister, has always struck me as a strange act. If the process were truly transparent what really should be mixed into any list of names and phone numbers would be a sampling of people who don’t like you, your style, or your work. With a real pride, and a gratefulness that I am not forced into a difficult act of honesty, nobody comes to mind.
Of all the choices for references I could make, I have chosen the simple path of offering up the names of the three All Souls Board Presidents I have worked under in my eight years in Braintree and the real leader of the Bernardston Unitarian Community. In regards to Pacific Unitarian Church, I have chosen perhaps the most engaged couple on campus whom I have served with in an endless number of capacities, and another older and very involved couple who adore me and won’t hesitate to share their honest criticism. (The contact information for these references can be provided upon request as I am not comfortable sharing personal information on a public website.)
I feel that without cherry-picking the people you might want to talk to, these varied congregants can provide a representative sample of who I am as a person and Minister.
I invite you to forgo the distant politeness, and ask all the questions you really want answered. My references have been primed to be honest and forthright. If you want more names, I got em!
Testimonials
Probably more artistically interesting, and worth a scan is the collage of praise, thanks, and churchy sweet nothings that years-ago I pulled together one snowy afternoon. Not knowing what to do with the nice cards, notes, and e-mails that I had begun to collect in an old-fashioned file folder, I decided to make an art project. created years-ago as a means of expressing both that people are inclined to say nice things to the person that married them, comforted them, or helped bury their loved ones. I beg of you, please don’t make all that pretentious glue and glitter go unappreciated (showcased below).
