Pastoral Residency Program, Wellesley Village Church (Wellesley, MA)

Two-Year Pastoral Residency Program at the Wellesley Village Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

This position is an ordainable call in the United Church of Christ, with a full-time salary and housing allowance of $60,000 a year (or $55,000 with free parsonage housing, if available), and full benefits. 

• As full-time pastors, Residents participate in all aspects of the life of Wellesley Village Church and our partner congregation, the Congregational Church of Weston. The two settings provide experience of working with a large staff and as solo pastor.  
• Residents gain experience in core areas of pastoral leadership: Worship, Faith Formation, Pastoral Care, Transformational Leadership, Social Justice, and Professional Development. We intentionally leave space in their portfolios for Residents to respond to the Spirit’s movement.  
• The program trains two Residents at a time, and the staggered call process enables them to progress in their learning and leadership with the support of a peer. 
• Throughout their service with us, residents receive extensive support and mentoring from both the pastoral staff at Wellesley Village Church and the congregations in Wellesley and Weston.  
• We support participation in a New Clergy Group through the UCC’s Southern New England Conference. 

The History of our Pastoral Residency Program  

In 2002 we received a Lilly Grant to help us develop new clergy in the context of a vibrant congregation. That program has become an integral part of who we are and how we serve the wider church. This mission was so important to us that, when the grant expired, we raised funds to continue the program. We welcome the gifts of fresh leadership and new voices that our Residents bring, and look forward to seeing how God will shape us through their presence. We are humbly honored by the task of helping form current and future leaders for the church. Comments about the program from previous Pastoral Residents are available on our website.

The Kind of Person we are Looking For 

We are looking for candidates who have discerned a call to parish ministry, and have a passion for God’s justice, a heart for Jesus’ way of compassion, and an openness to the Holy Spirit. Excellent candidates have or will have graduated with an M.Div. within the last two years; be a Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ, be on track to be ordained within the time frame of the program; and can make a two-year commitment to it.

Applications and Further Information 

Applications are available on our website. They are due February 21, 2022. and we will begin interviewing in March for a call that will last from August 2022-June 2024. We will be having Zoom-based information sessions in January and February. You will receive a notice when they are scheduled. If you have questions in the meantime, please feel free to call or email Sharon Funk at 781.235.1988 x25, residency@wellesleyvillagechurch.org., or email the Pastoral Residency Committee contact, Susan Sullivan at susansullivan422@aol.com.

2022 Pastoral Residency Application 1/4/2022