Ministers

Not book related, I know, but being new to UUism, I'm curious. I know that unlike protestant Christianity, where ministers are usually called, UU ministers are elected. Protestant ministers to my knowledge, are also not paid. Are UU ministers paid by the congregations they serve?

Ours is.

Previously having been Protestant our minister always had a salary and a housing allowance. My UU minister leads two congregations and they both share in paying his salary.

We are a fellowship, here in Arlington, Texas (http://arlington-tx-uu.org/), although it is called a UU Church. Thus, we rely on members of the congregation to occasionally conduct the Sunday morning services. We do have two "lapsed" Baptist ministers in the congregation, who are regularly called upon to preside. When they conduct the service, they are paid an horarium (usually $150 per event).

This is our sixth UU congregation. Our first (1967) was a "church", Eugene, Oregon (Carl Nelson, Minister); #2 El Paso, Tx., Fellowship; #3 Alexandria, Va., Church (Dave Bumbaugh, Minister); #4 Corpus Christi, Tx., Church (Jim Dace, Minister); #5 Galveston, Tx., Fellowship; #6 here in Arlington, Tx., Fellowship. I personally prefer a church with a minister. Fellowships develop too many personality conflcts.

I'm with Naren559 on this one. I prefer congregations with paid, professionally trained leadership. I've been a member of four previous congregations, and each had paid ministry. My current congregation, which I helped co-found nearly seven years ago, has been without permanent paid leadership thus far, but it is an ambition I hold dearly.

To my knowledge, Protestant ministers are indeed paid.