Cowtan hired as interim minister

A Brief Introduction: UUFA's Interim Minister, Rev. Charlotte Cowtan

Charlotte comes to us from her most recent interim position, Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church, in Washington. She was first ordained at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint, Michigan, May 28, 1983. The following are her responses from her initial application to the UUA Transitions Office.

Why are you seeking a ministry now?

I left a twelve-year ministry with the UU Church of Flint in 1994 with the intention of becoming an accredited interim minister. My professional training, skills and passion pulled me toward the special challenges and opportunities offered by transitional times. My planned career path was sidetracked when I agreed to serve as District Executive for Michigan and Ohio Valley Districts (merged to form Heartland District of the UUA in 2000).

I left District Executive work in August 2001. For the next three years I worked from home as a consultant serving non-profits including United Way, Interlochen School for the Arts, the UU Women's Federation, UU Districts, and the UUA.

Farm life has its charms, but the persistent voice reminding me that I am called to the Unitarian Universalist ministry would not be silenced. In 2004, I accepted a one-year interim ministry position with the Unitarian Congregation of Don Heights in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I became a WAIMIT (Want to be an Accredited Interim Minister) in 2004 and an AIMIT (Accredited Interim Minister in Training) in 2005.

My second and third interim ministries (First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn, NY. and First Universalist Church of Minneapolis, MN) affirmed my call to interim work.

What is your personal and family situation?

My children are now adults: Keith, a teacher, lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with his wife, Carole and my grandson, Aidan. Lara, a nurse, lives with her husband Michael near Basil, Switzerland. My home base is a 30-acre farm just south of Traverse City, Michigan.

What are your hopes for your new ministry?

I hope to serve a congregation that sees itself as a community of faith; that understands the power and promise of a faith-filled life.

I hope to serve a congregation that is ready and willing to engage in the discipline of self-examination; a congregation that is willing to accept and claim its strengths and to be intentional about addressing its weaknesses.

I hope to serve a congregation that will work for honesty and clarity about the ministries they provide and the people they serve.

I hope to serve a congregation that treats each other with respect and cares enough to hold one another accountable for their behavior.

I hope to serve a congregation that is able to laugh (even at itself sometimes), and when times are tense, to ask the question: “What’s really the most important thing?”

Charlotte will begin her work with us in mid-August. Details about opportunities to welcome her to the UUFA will be posted in the August newsletter.