Church affirms 'settled' minister
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The Rev. Erica Baron stands in front of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Rutland on Tuesday. Cassandra Hotaling / Rutland Herald |
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By STEPHANIE M. PETERS STAFF WRITER - Published: March 26, 2009
When the Reverand Erica Baron came to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rutland in September as a contract minister, she found herself working with a congregation she describes as thoughtful and engaged.
As an Essex native educated and until then working in Massachusetts, landing in Rutland was also a way for the 27-year-old to "come home," she said.
On Feb. 22, the church's congregation expressed its approval of her, too.
It voted to keep her on permanently, or "call her to the settled position," as the hiring process is described in the Unitarian Universalist church.
"We were searching for a minister who would be able to stay at the church for a number of years," said Cathy Thomas, the church president. "We felt that even though she's beginning her ministry … she had a lot of depth of experience and knowledge about Unitarian Universalism."
The church, whose membership numbers about 80 congregants, is also looking to grow its presence in the community and saw Baron as someone who could lead that effort, Thomas said.
Already, Baron has helped the church kick off a free, once-a-month meal open to all members of the community, Thomas said. She also lives in Rutland, which marks the first time in more than 30 years the church has had a minister who is based in the community. Its prior minister lived in Boston and served on a "very part-time basis," splitting his time between Rutland and two other churches.
"It's very exciting," Thomas said. "It's going to be very helpful to our church in terms of having that leadership who really understands what's happening in our community."
While Baron will be based in Rutland, she too will be part time and affiliated with another congregation, speaking twice a month in Rutland and once a month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington.
She said she's pleased with that arrangement and to be affiliated with a Rutland congregation that is engaged both civically – she points to its memorial to soldiers and civilians who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan – and spiritually.
"It is an incredibly welcoming, inclusive, warm group of people," Baron said. "We have discussion time after the sermon every Sunday and I've really been impressed by the depth of discussion. They're a very thoughtful group of people and I appreciate that about them."
Prior to arriving in Rutland, Baron served as a ministerial intern at First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist in Northborough, Mass., from 2006 until last summer. She was ordained by that congregation in 2008. Baron earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Massachusetts and a master of divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Mass.
The granddaughter of a minister, Baron said she knew by the time she began college that she would enter the seminary afterward.
"Everything I wanted is all in this job," she said. "I'm a little bit of a public speaker, counselor, teacher, administrator … there's something different every day."
stephanie.peters@rutlandherald.com
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