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	Abraham Lincoln UU Congregation Springfield, IL
Address	745 Woodside Rd Springfield, IL 62711-7346
Phone	(217) 585-9550
Fax
Website	http://www.aluuc.org
Site E-mail Address	uurevmartin@gmail.com
Size of Congregation	250
Supervisor Name	Martin E. Woulfe
Supervisor Phone	(217) 801-2698
Supervisor E-mail	uurevmartin@gmail.com
Informational Contact Name	Rev. Martin E. Woulfe
Informational Contact Phone	(217) 801-2698
Informational Contact E-mail	uurevmartin@gmail.com
Focus	Congregational Ministry
Fulltime/Parttime	Full Time
Compensation	$2,000 / month
Other Benefits	$500 for professional expenses FICA (7.65%)
Number of Months	10
Start Date/End Date	08/15/2022	06/15/2023
Site Description	The Abraham Lincoln UU Congregation was founded in 1953; two of the original founders were African American women who were also active with the NAACP. ALUUC was served by various part-time student ministers from Meadville/Lombard TS and part-time UU clergy until 2001. Notable among these was the Rev. Mary Moore who served as the 1/2 time minister during 1985-2001 (she concurrently served the UU Fellowship in Decatur). Rev. Alex Holt was called to serve as a FT interim minister and he was followed by Rev. Martin Woulfe as a FT settled minister in 2003. The congregation has a lengthy history of social justice activities since the 1950's and this has been an area of emphasis during the tenure of Rev. Woulfe. ALUUC has been a teaching congregation for intern ministers who went on to successful careers, e.g., the Rev. Lynnda White and the Rev. Paul Oakley. ALUUC has served as a site for contextual education for multiple students enrolled at Eden Theological School. Prior to the pandemic, the membership had increased to 288 adults but that number has been reduced to approximately 250 persons. The members of the current congregation represent a diverse theological and socio-economic spectrum but the racial composition is predominantly white. The congregation is served by several part-time staff, including one person who will soon be a credentialed Director of Religious Education. The current building is situated on 5 acres of former farmland and has a prairie garden. We are conducting many aspects of ministry including pastoral care via phone and zoom at present.
Job Description	The intern minister will have opportunities to gain experience & competency in many facets of congregational life, including worship, preaching, rites of passage, getting engaged with social justice groups & activities, pastoral care, fellowship events, fund-raising activities, and adult education. The applicant must have completed C.P.E. prior to the start of this internship. The intern minister will have their own Internship Committee and will meet regularly with the settled minister to discuss theological reflections and their pathway towards ministry. They will attend Board of Director meetings, a Board retreat, regular regional UUMA gatherings, a UUMA retreat, and the Prairie Group, which is an annual study group for UU ministers, originally founded by rev. James Luther Adams. There will also be opportunities to engage with UUANI, the local PFLAG chapter, the local Interfaith Association, and the Faith Coalition for the Common Good (a Gamaliel partner). Once the individual and the congregation are in agreement, a Learning & Service agreement will be negotiated between the parties.
Site Accessibility	The site is fully accessible.
Application Procedure	The successful candidate will indicate their interest on this website, and follow up with a cover letter plus resume, and several letters of recommendation, that will be emailed to the attention of Rev. Martin Woulfe (uurevmartin@gmail.com). Any interested person may call Rev. Woulfe to discuss this opportunity further. A small committee that will include Rev. Woulfe will evaluate the applications which are received.
Additional Notes	By stating in mid-August and continuing until mid-June, the intern minister will experience the entirety of one liturgical year. The congregation initiated a goal to build a new sanctuary but that has been postponed due to the pandemic. The congregation resumed in-person worship services on August 2021 and has been adhering to guidelines to protect the health of all attendees & participants. Currently, due to the pandemic, masking is required when attending an event, including worship, indoors. The congregation has begun to host many events via zoom and has added live-streaming of our Sunday services. In-person services are recorded and uploaded to the ALUUC Youtube page, which is linked to our website. One of the benefits of this site is that we are located in the state capitol of Illinois - as a result there have been opportunities to learn about building coalitions to lobby on various issues. One of our recurring events is an indoor labyrinth walk: this is open to the wider community. The settled minister has served ALUUC since 2003 and has served the UUMA as a Good Officer. He has a significant network of colleagues and allies in diverse areas within the Springfield community.
Application Deadline	February 28, 2022
Selection Date	March 15, 2022

Ministerial Internships Main Page