August 19, 2026
Dear UUMC family,
With gratitude and heartfelt emotion, I have let the UUMC Leadership Board know that I intend to retire from active ministry July 1, 2027. This decision comes after much prayer, reflection, discernment, and gratitude for 36 years of ministry. I am especially grateful for the past five years of serving as your lead pastor here at UUMC. Serving in ministry with you at UUMC has been a true blessing, and I have enjoyed getting to know you and being in ministry with the congregation and our community. We have done good work together, and I trust that God will be guiding us both into our futures.
Jon and I are looking forward to this next chapter in our lives. In retirement, we will be living in Dexter, Michigan, where we have a historic home that we have owned for several decades. And we are looking forward to visits from and trips to see our children and grandchildren, who live all across the country.
In the months ahead, the Leadership Board will be working with our new District Superintendent to identify the next lead pastor for UUMC, and along with them, I will be working to ensure a smooth and successful transition process. In the meantime, I ask that you pray for me and Jon, for our church leadership, and for those discerning what comes next as we seek God’s guidance for the future.
With humility and gratitude,
Rev. Melanie Carey