Ohio-Meadville District

The Guest in Your Pulpit Program is a listing of available ministers, seminarians, ministerial candidates and lay pulpit guests for congregations in the Ohio-Meadville District. This program was created to assist OMD churches to find people who are willing to provide services.

Ministerial guests have experience in the congregations they have served. Seminary students and candidates have provided the district with at least two references. Ministerial guests, seminarians and ministerial candidates should be paid according to the UUMA guidelines. These guidelines are:

• For Sermons, Sunday Morning Servce: $250 (one service), $350 (two services) - plus current IRS rates mileage rates ($0.555)
• Weddings: $400, with rehearsal $450; alternatively 10% of the total wedding budget - plus current IRS rates mileage rates ($0.555)
• Funerals, Memorial Services or other Rites of Passage: $250, with committal or eulogy $300 - plus current IRS rates mileage rates ($0.555)
• Other Program Services, such as workshop or theme talk: $250 for half day or $400 full day - plus current IRS rates mileage rates ($0.555)

Commissioned Lay Leaders (CLLs) use the following scale of fees when providing services outside of the congregational contract (for details on payment requirements for activities in the CLL's home congregation see the CLL page):

• Sermons, Worship Services for congregations other than the CLL's come congregation $175 (one service), $225 (two services) plus current IRS mileage allowance. In the case of pulpit exchanges, the CLL’s home congregation is responsible to make sure that any compensation (including mileage) is clearly negotiated ahead of time.
• Weddings:(in alignment with UUMA guideline): $400; with rehearsal $450; alternatively, 10% of total wedding budget plus current IRS mileage allowance.
• Funerals, Memorial Services or other Rites of Passage: $250; with committal or eulogy $300 plus current IRS mileage allowance.

Lay participants voluntarily put their name on the list and congregations can request that they come to present a service at their church. Currently there is no application process or review of the presenters, although we do ask for references. Lay presenters have set their own fees that range from an exchange service, or expenses, to a flat fee.

If you are interested in speakers on Social Justice Issues also check out the UUJO Speaker List which can be found on their website.

Please contact the OMD Office for more information about the guests listed below.

To join the Guest In Your Pulpit program, please download this form (word ~ pdf) fill it in and send it to the OMD Office.