Teaching Congregations Fiscal Year 2025 | UUA Internship Clearinghouse

Application Portal

Ministerial Credentialing Office

Click here to go back to the internship list.

Name of Site	First Universalist Church of Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
Address	First Universalist Church 3400 Dupont Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone	(612) 405-5599
Fax
Website	http://www.firstuniversalistchurch.org
Site E-mail Address	jen@firstuniv.org
Size of Congregation	1100
Supervisor Name	Rev. Jen Crow
Supervisor Phone	(612) 405-5599
Supervisor E-mail	jen@firstuniv.org
Informational Contact Name	Rev. Arif Mamdani
Informational Contact Phone	(612) 825-1710
Informational Contact E-mail	arif@firstuniv.org
Focus	Parish Ministry
Fulltime/Parttime	Full Time
Compensation	$2,600 / month
Other Benefits	Professional expenses: $2500 Health insurance: 100% coverage of premium payment for Intern Moving Expenses: $3000 Taxes: The Church will cover 7.65% of FICA.
Number of Months	11
Start Date/End Date	August 1, 2022	June 30, 2023
Site Description	First Universalist Church of Minneapolis is a 1000+ member church with a 150+ year history of being a strong and powerful voice for liberal religion and social justice in Minneapolis and beyond. We sway to the Universalist side of Unitarian Universalism, which means that we’re rooted in an ethic of love with a wide embrace. On any given Sunday, you’ll find us preaching about racial justice in the sanctuary and creating radically inclusive community in our religious education classes that welcome more than 500 children and youth. There’s a lot going on here, and we’re looking for someone committed to the transformation of Unitarian Universalism to join our team. Toni Cade Bambara said that the job of a cultural worker is to make revolution irresistible. This sentiment is at the heart of our aspiration for our church - that it makes irresistible the transformation needed to make real the Beloved Community which is to say the state of being where justice, equity, compassion and love prevail and guide our actions in ourselves, with each other in community, and in the wider world. We believe that joy is essential, and we are unapologetically Universalist. As a staff team, we’re a multicultural group of professional staff and ministers who collectively represent the breadth and scope of our religious tradition, from devout theism to atheist doubt and everything in between. We work hard, we have fun, and we do our best to honor our past while innovating toward the future. We believe in our work and how we approach it, but we’re not afraid to ask critical questions, explore our assumptions, and change plans if there’s a better way - we’re committed to outcome, not ego, and at the end of the day, want to do what’s best for the church and our service to the wider world. Since 2013, we have actively been engaged in working to identify and dismantle the habits and culture of white supremacy in every area of our ministry (Religious Education, Worship, Social Justice, Adult Programming, church policies, Board Governance, etc.). The entire leadership of the church (staff and lay leaders) is committed to the spiritual imperative of racial justice ministry, and we have invested significant time and money in furthering this commitment. It has become core to our identity and it lives at the heart of our ministry. With input from People of Color and Indigenous People, we are offering POCI specific programming for our youth and adults, including a POCI only Circle (Small Group), and Our Whole Lives Curriculum written with a racial justice lens. That being said, we are keenly aware that although we are not on square one when it comes to race, racism, and whiteness, we still have a very long way to go in our dismantling of white supremacy culture. Our congregation is historically and predominantly white and socioeconomically privileged and we are intentionally aiming to move closer to our vision of becoming a multiracial, multicultural congregation.
Job Description	Our multi-racial, multicultural Leadership Team (Rev. Jen Crow, Rev. Arif Mamdani, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Lauren Wyeth, Rev. Karen Hutt, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Jenn Stromberg) and our congregation are uniquely poised to teach and support ministerial candidates of color, and this internship is designed specifically for candidates for the Unitarian Universalist ministry who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or as people of color. All candidates must demonstrate the following core competencies: Trust and Integrity, Team Player, Managing Conflict, Communication, Interpersonal Relations, and a demonstrated Racial Justice Commitment. The internship will be tailored to the learning needs of the Intern. As a large congregation, the Intern would have the opportunity to preach, teach, provide pastoral care, and attend Worship Team meetings, Leadership Team Meetings, Staff Meetings, Program Team meetings, Annual Giving Team meetings, Board meetings, etc. The successful candidate will be aligned with the mission and vision of First Universalist Church, self-motivated, and ready to engage the energy of serving a large congregation. As a large church, we have frequent memorials and weddings, and the Intern would have the opportunity to perform weddings, memorials, and participate in child dedications. The Intern is expected to engage in weekly theological and ministerial reflection with their supervisor and other members of the Leadership Team, as well as meet regularly with the Internship Committee.
Site Accessibility	Fully accessible for mobility and hearing needs.
Application Procedure	Please email the following to Rev. Jen Crow by 12/31/2021: 1) a letter of interest or short video explaining why you chose to apply to First Universalist; 2) a short essay or video describing who you are, 3 key theological influences (this could include experiences, poets, musicians, artists, authors, ancestors, etc.) and your call to ministry; 3) a link to a video or podcast of a sermon; 4) two letters of recommendation; 5) three references, including 1 UU Minister; 1 seminary professor, advisor, or faculty member; and 1 person of your choosing, who has known you for at least three years; 6) resume or CV.
Additional Notes	First Universalist Church will consider the worked or lived experience, formal and informal training, volunteer work and other such background experiences in making its employment decisions. All qualifications may be met as a result of lived experience, volunteer work, professional experience, and/or formal and informal training. Desire to work in an organization in which the dismantling of white supremacy is a high priority. Work or lived experience with communities of color or indigenous peoples is of particular value.
Application Deadline	12/31/2021
Selection Date	1/31/2022

Ministerial Internships Main Page