Important Announcement from the Pastor Search Committee
Treasured HCUCC Community,
As a Search Committee, we want to thank you for your trust, faith in us, and your unwavering support and countless prayers. We have felt upheld and guided every step of the way over the past 5 months.
Exactly 1 year and 5 days ago, Tamara Franks preached her last sermon for High Country UCC entitled, “Angels Among Us.” Exactly 11 months, 20 days, and 141 emails ago, a Transition Team was formed. Through a $10,000 grant from the Lily Foundation to The Center of Congregational Health, Beth Kennett led us in our first transitional team retreat on January 20, and addressed the congregation in person on January 21, the first of 5 congregational Worshipful Work sessions over the next six months.
It is with this strong foundation that the Church Council formed the Search Committee and we had our first meeting on August 7. The Search Committee officially opened requests for internal candidate submissions on September 22 after worship- only to be thrust into the middle of a disaster 5 days later.
The Search Committee has faithfully met weekly — comprising 17 meetings and 233 emails. We received one lengthy application. We applied due diligence in carefully reviewing the massive amount of data that was accumulated from the Transition Team, matching that information to the candidate, and engaging in deep conversations with both the candidate and each other. On every point, this candidate matched our congregational values and wishes.
It brings us great joy as a committee to call a congregational meeting scheduled on December 22 to vote on the Search Committee’s enthusiastic recommendation to call Sarah Parker to be our next full-time pastor.
As we move forward to the congregational meeting and beyond, we ask you, the congregation, to continue to hold the church and Sarah in your prayers, as you have the Search Committee. Our fervent hope is that the congregation will join us in unmitigated enthusiasm and joy as our church moves forward in continuing to be a strong presence for love and justice in our community.
With immense joy and hope,
The HCUCC Pastor Search Committee:
Stacy Brooks, Chair
Curly Stumb, Co-Chair
Jackie Henry, Secretary
Brittany Jackson, Applicant Liaison
Pam Hodges, Congregational Communication
About Sarah Parker
Sarah grew up in Tennessee and Kentucky, but claims Middlesboro, Kentucky, where her parents still live, as her hometown. She is proud to come from generations of Baptist ministers, including both her parents and grandparents. Her love of church ministry started early through her family and as she led youth groups in college and volunteered with various denominational projects.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Economics degree from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. After graduating from Georgetown, Sarah felt called to explore church ministry. She found a wonderful church in Morehead, Kentucky that affirmed her call to church ministry and supported her as a young minister. Her call eventually led her to Wake Forest University School of Divinity to pursue a Masters Degree in Divinity. During her time at Wake Divinity, Sarah worked alongside the Leadership Development team helping students discern their path to ministry and learn about all aspects of vocational ministry. She also served as Interim Youth Minister at First Baptist Church of Greensboro where she supported the transition of the Youth Ministry from a minister who had served there for 20 years.
After moving to Boone in 2019 to join her partner, Liam, Sarah discovered the community of High Country UCC. In April of 2019 she formally joined the staff at High Country UCC as Minister to Young Adults and began working with The Well Campus Ministry.
Sarah is passionate about deepening community and creating space where all people feel welcome, especially those who have historically been marginalized by the church. She believes that church community helps those things come to life when we live into our own authenticity and engage in hard conversations. Sarah believes that this work is already happening at High Country UCC, and she is excited to be part of it as we move into the next chapter.