Rev. Sarah Schurr is the 1/4-time minister of the UU Fellowship of Fairbanks. She first joined us for 2010-11 and we are very happy to have her back again – and more often – this year. She also serves UUs in Juneau as a part-time minister and is the UU consulting minister for Alaska. Rev. Schurr commutes to Alaska from her home in Portland, Oregon. When not in Fairbanks, Rev. Schurr is available by phone and email to help members of the fellowship with personal issues or crises and to help the UUFF board and committees with management and leadership issues.
Having a 1/4-time minister is a significant change for a fellowship which has been lay-led for nearly all of its 50+ years. After meeting her during a 2-1/2 week visit in late September and early October 2010, the fellowship voted overwhelmingly to hire Rev. Schurr for the remainder of the 2010-11 year. Rev. Schurr explains her role as a 1/4-time minister who does some of her work from a distance like this:
When I am in Fairbanks I will be preaching, visiting with members and friends of the Fellowship, reaching out to the greater community, and strengthening UUFF by working with the board and other congregational leaders. I will continue to work with UUFF remotely, from my home in Portland Oregon, between visits. Whether in Alaska or in Oregon you can always call on me if you have a pastoral emergency. I am your minister.
Having your own minister is different from having a visiting preacher or a consultant who comes for a single visit. You and I will be in an ongoing relationship as we work together to support this wonderful Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fairbanks and to do the work of our liberal faith in Fairbanks and in the world. I will be a minister, trained in our UU faith, who enables our collective hopes and dreams. Through it all, we will be a team and I promise to give you the best I have to give. It is an honor to serve you in this truly sacred way.
You can call me at 503-936-0479 or e-mail me at sschur (at) uuma.org. If I am not available to answer the phone when you call, leave a message on my confidential voice mail and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I am happy and proud to do ministry with you.
