Geneva church elects new minister via Zoom
After a yearlong search process, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva welcomed the Rev. Scot Hull of Frederick, Maryland, to serve as its settled minister. The previous settled minister, the Rev. Lindsay Bates, spent 40 years with the society from 1978 to 2018 before retiring, making Hull the first new settled minister in 42 years.
Excited to join the community, Hull said, "For me, it was love at first sight."
A lifetime Unitarian Universalist, Hull described himself as a bit of a nerd with a love for comparative religious studies and science fiction. He attended Meadville-Lombard Theological School in Chicago, served as an intern minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston, Virginia, and was ordained in February. His wife, Julia Jones, is a certified life coach, professional singer, and is also a seminarian at Meadville-Lombard Theological School. Their twins, Naomi and Zachary, are in middle school.
Honoring social-distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines, the society used a virtual platform, Zoom, to meet Hull through a two-week period and called a vote for his service May 3. Hiring processes for a settled minister have never taken place online in Unitarian Universalist history, adding to the novelty of Hull's call. Despite uncertainty of how the online process would pan out, the congregation was relieved to have found stability and hope during a time of Zoom meetings and worldwide turmoil. The vote for Hull's call was unanimous.
Hull's former 22-year career in information technology was a welcome surprise for congregants. The society have been using Zoom and various other technology tools for Sunday worship and all other gatherings since spring. When Hull interviewed via Zoom, he wowed congregants with his library of Zoom backgrounds including a library, a cafe, Star Wars animated backgrounds, and, most importantly, a photo of the inside of UUSG - a place long-missed by congregants due to services going purely virtual.
Eleven days after Hull's election, the Unitarian Universalist Association (the governing body of all Unitarian Universalist societies) sent out a letter from its president recommending that societies plan to use virtual means for worship and gatherings until May 2021. The society's choice of Rev. Hull for minister proved even more fruitful.
Hull said he is up to the task of leadership during this trying time: "I want our community to grow, not just in number, but more in terms of 'becoming.' We have so much potential - for kindness, for love, for connection, for meaningfulness - and yet we live in a world where such things are not regularly encouraged, much less celebrated."
He continued, "Realizing a healthy, vibrant, supportive community can be absolutely transformative to how we live, work, and play; to our vision for ourselves, and to our aspirations for our world. We are better together, and together we can be more than we ever could be apart. To me, that's what 'church' is - a vehicle for growth, for transformation, for wonder and possibility."
Hull had this message to send to anyone considering joining UUSG: "The folks that make up a UU congregation come from all walks of life and come from many different faith traditions. We are a people that come together searching for meaning, for connection, for hope, and even a sense of mystery, wonder, and awe. I've heard it said that we don't come to Unitarian Universalism to answer our questions so much as to question our answers. At root, we are seekers. We tend to not be of one mind about the ultimate truths - and that's OK! I like the saying that goes, 'we don't have to think alike to love alike.'"
Kevin O'Neill of Aurora chaired the search team's effort in finding Hull. Along with six other team members, O'Neill kept UUSG's unique covenant in mind while working to finalize a settled minister candidate. "One of the most attractive features of UUSG is its covenant, written in 1842, and how it lays out the goal of 'promoting practical goodness in the world,' through inclusion and celebration of members with different faith traditions, beliefs, identities, and statuses," he said. "We not only wanted a minister that could help us best serve the needs of UUSG and Geneva, but also the needs of the broader Fox River Valley region." Community members said the search team's efforts were successful.
"I am just so pleased. Rev. Hull is going to be such a breath of fresh air," said Geneva resident Page Poris, an 18-year member. "Rev. Hull and UUSG are bright lights in my life right now."
On Aug. 1, Hull will officially begin his duties as settled minister. All are welcomed to join Virtual Sunday Service from 10 to 11 a.m. For details on how to join worship or how to visit an educational, children's, community, or small group program, visit www.uusg.org.