Our statement to the congregation

Dear Members and Friends of Westminster Unitarian Church,

For the past two years we have been listening to what you asked us to find in a minister, reviewing packets, talking on the phone and in person with candidates, participating in worship services led by the candidates and talking to each other – a lot.

The Ministerial Search Committee proudly and joyfully presents to you our candidate for Settled Minister of Westminster Unitarian Church. Our unanimous choice is Rev. Barbara G. Fast.

Barbara was the Associate Minister at the Unitarian Church in Westport, CT from 2000 to 2005. She resigned last year to begin the next step in her career – a search for her own ministry and congregation. After a career in law she was called to the ministry and graduated from Yale Divinity School. While there she worked at Westport as Congregational Coordinator and Director of Religious Education. Her ministerial internships were as Minister of Religious Education in Westport and Ministerial Intern on Martha’s Vineyard. In 2000, she was called, ordained and installed as Associate Minister in Westport.

As Associate Minister Barbara’s ministry included preaching and worship, including ‘Soulful Sundown’ informal intergenerational evenings, support of and partnership with the RE staff, Social Action, Membership, Pastoral Care and Lifespan Religious Education leadership and programs. She facilitated the creation and mission of the Small Group Ministry program (10 monthly ministry clusters), supported their facilitators and shared the ministry of that program with them from 2002 – 2005.


Here is why we chose Barbara as your candidate: (sentiment of the congregation in italics)

Our minister will need to create meaningful services with breadth and depth of intellectual and spiritual content. We see the worship service as vital to building and celebrating community and supporting the relationships we care about so much. Barbara’s passion is preaching. She says, “Language is insufficient to describe our lives. I use the language of metaphor. I paint pictures with my words. I love poetry and story telling. I love to illustrate ideas, with a good story, parable, poem or joke. I love the religious imagination expressed in art, music, drama and song.”

We need to train our leaders and share more widely the leadership experience. We are looking for strong professional leadership to help us move forward. Barbara’s great strength is empowering other people. From Barbara, “One of my great joys is to facilitate new leadership. To be in community in ways that encourage people to recognize and claim their own strengths, loves, and gifts. I believe in the three A’s: Attention, Affection and Appreciation. What we do in congregational life is grow into our gifts, and share them for the greater good. We are blessed and can bless. It is a mutual blessing.”

We also need a minister who can help us celebrate our heart: caring for one another, building community, outreach to each and all of us, helping us approach each other with openness and warmth, and building a safe and spiritual place where we can each be our best selves. “I confess that I am called to love this world with you. I am called to invite you into an increasing experience of happiness and holiness through work, worship and celebration. It is my ministry’s theme. I am known for my enthusiasm, intelligence, intensity, compassion and humor.”

Our survey reflected a desire to have a minister who cares deeply about religious education for children and adults, and who can work closely with our DRE. “I love RE work. I know firsthand how important and often unseen the work is, and I love to support, encourage and minister in the large sense to RE staff so that they know they are valued and they enjoy and sustain their ministry within the congregation. Life in a congregation is itself religious education. It is the ‘work’ of the congregation whether in worship, through song or sermon, over coffee, in the foyer, in the boardroom or the classroom, in the hallway or kitchen. It takes place whether we are intentional or unintentional about it. It is in what we do and don’t do, how we decide what we do. It is in what we talk about, how we talk about it and what we don’t talk about. It is how we treat each other, at every age. It is in how we celebrate, how we grieve, how we share, how we care for each other and how well we forgive, ourselves and each other. Talk to me about beliefs and I want to talk about behaviors. Let’s talk about values and how we do and do not live them out. For me everything that happens in church is religious education. Our people will not remember the sermons or lessons for the most part; they will remember how they felt here. (An excerpt from Barbara’s packet.)

Our survey reflected congregants valuing empathy and caring as personality traits in our new minister. Other valued traits were being articulate, socially skilled, spiritual, self-motivated, intellectually curious, flexible and having a sense of humor. “I hope to pastor: to be present with you in a way that invites you to come in and talk about your life, your struggles, and your hopes. I want to pastor a congregation doing all the things a good pastor does: lead worship, preach and teach, listen and counsel, dedicate children, celebrate rites of passage, nurture people at every age and stage of life so that they find the strength and faith to say “yes” to life. I love to laugh. It is as good a benediction as I know. I hope to love a faith community into fuller faith, life and service. I hope to minister with a community of individuals who seek to minister to each other and the world. If that ministry finds me, as I have faith it will, then the day will surely come when we will celebrate the life we have shared together.”

Barbara has been married for 23 years to Jonathan Fast, an Associate Professor of Social Work at Yeshiva University’s Wertzweiler School of Social Work in New York City. Her step daughter, Molly is a published writer/mom, whose husband teaches Shakespeare at CUNY. Their elder son Ben will graduate from Princeton in June; younger son Daniel will graduate from high school in June and begin college in September at Williams College. Barbara’s mother is 92 years old and lives in Finland, as does her brother.

Now it is your turn!

Barbara will be with us from Saturday, April 22 to Sunday April 30. Candidating Week is the time for the members and friends of Westminster to meet and get to know Barbara. On April 30 you will be asked to vote at the congregational meeting following the service to confirm our calling her to be our minister.

Candidating Week is a two-way street – the minister gets to meet the congregation, and we get to meet the minister. In order to provide as many opportunities as possible for this to occur, we will be planning a variety of activities during the week. This will also give Barbara a chance to explore the area, to rest and relax, and to prepare for her two Sunday services.

Prior to Candidating Week, we invite you to learn more about Barbara by reading her packet which will soon be on the table in the round room. We will be sending out more information, as well as posting items on our website. Please contact any member of the Search Committee if you have questions or comments.

Her joyful and enthusiastic spirit captivated the Search Committee. We have come to love her and hope you will too. From a relationship that was birthed in the Blizzard of 2006, we bring you a warm and loving minister, Barbara Fast!


Meet Rev. Barbara Fast

Barbara’s greeting to the Congregation
Why we chose Barbara

Getting to Know Barbara Fast

Q & A about the search process

What is a Call?

A Brief Resume


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