Save the date for September 29th, 2024, when WellSprings will hold a milestone event in the life of our congregation: our first-ever ministerial Installation!
Earlier this year, our congregation held a vote to officially “call” and affirm the Rev. Lee Paczulla as our settled minister – the first time we’ve gathered in this way to choose our own minister, in the 17-year history of our community.
WellSprings has been host to three ministerial Ordination ceremonies, all for previous Interns within our congregation: Rev. Greg Pelley, Rev. Lee Paczulla, and Rev. Beth Monhollen. An Installation ceremony is similar to an Ordination in some ways: local clergy are invited, special rituals are held as part of the service, and greetings are shared from regional bodies within our denomination. However, an Ordination is mostly about the minister. An Installation is about our entire congregation. It’s a chance to celebrate our role within the local community, and to set a tone for the years of shared ministry, ahead.
We will Install Rev. Lee on Sunday, September 29th at 2pm in the afternoon. A few guests are already confirmed:
- Rev. Cheryl M. Walker (co-chair of the UUA’s Article II Commission) has accepted our invitation to preach.
- Jen Hayman (president of the Association for UU Music Ministries) will be joining us for the weekend of the Installation to assemble and rehearse a special “pick-up choir” for WellSpringers and wider community members, which will perform along with our Band, during the Ceremony.
- …and the Rev. Beth Monhollen (our Intern from 2021-2023) will be flying in from Illinois to join us in-person, for the service!
There is still plenty more to plan, and we are free to make this day special in any and all of the ways that our community hopes for. If you’d like to be part of the Installation Planning Team, please let Rev. Lee know (lee@wellspringsuu.org). We are also gratefully accepting donations to help cover costs associated with the Ceremony. To make a gift, click here.
However you make space to be part of this day, we are so glad to have this opportunity to celebrate, together! We hope to see you on September 29th.