As the congregation engages in the ministerial search process, people already have ideas about what their next minister will be like. Yet not all ministers look and act alike. What biases might we hold about who the next minister is? Do issues of oppression cause congregations to exclude looking at potential ministers? Even in Unitarian Universalism, our biases can get in the way. We’ll look at how bias affects our choices and contemplate how we can best live our UU principle of justice, equity, and compassion.

Rev. Keith Kron is the Director of the Transitions Office for the UUA, helping congregations and ministers as they navigate the ministerial search process. He is the former Director of the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns for the Unitarian Universalist Association. He held that position for over 14 years from 1996-2010. He has visited over 450 UU congregations across the continent, helping them in Welcoming Congregation work, Beyond Categorical Thinking workshops, and public witness. A former elementary school teacher, Keith also has taught an online class for Starr King School for the Ministry, our UU seminary in Berkeley, on children’s literature. He also leads workshops on the enneagram, plays and teaches tennis, and collects children’s books in his spare time (He has over 8,500 of them.) He is 57 and currently lives in Providence, RI.