We have taken the job of searching for a new Rector and divided it into two committees. The first committee is known as the Profile Committee. This group of parishioners is responsible for collecting feedback from the congregation using listening sessions and conducting a congregational survey. The second committee is known as the Discernment Committee. This group of parishioners is responsible for posting the job, interviewing candidates and recommending the ‘one’ to call as our new Rector.

In order to find a Rector that will thrive at St. Michael’s, we first need to assess who we are and what we see for our future. Using results from the listening sessions and survey, the Profile Committee will create a Parish Profile, which is approved by the Vestry. The Parish Profile describes our parish and our community and details the qualities we believe our next rector should have to be successful in his or her new role. It will be available on the St. Michaels website and printed as a booklet. The Discernment Committee will utilize this document for seeking our new Rector.

The Discernment Committee for St. Michael’s consists of eleven lay parishioners, representing the full spectrum of members. Working with the diocesan Office of Transition Ministry (which reports to the Bishop), our job is to manage on behalf of the parish the process that will recommend to the Wardens and Vestry our next Rector. We work with the Profile Committee to capture the qualities, strengths and leadership style the parish desires in its new Rector. We prepare documents, including a Community Profile and job posting for our website, social media, job boards and news services seen by ordained Episcopal priests. We review and respond to applications for the job; conduct Zoom and in person interviews of candidates; submit finalists’ names to the Bishop’s office for background checks; discern “the one”, and present him or her to the Vestry with our recommendation. The Vestry will call the finalist to be our next Rector and negotiate the letter of agreement.

The Discernment Committee first met Labor Day weekend and subsequently, with the Profile Committee to review the information gathered from the Listening Sessions and Parish Survey. The Profile Committee assembles this information into what is known as the Parish Profile document. The Parish Profile and the Community Ministry Profile go “hand-in-hand” to describe our needs and the style of spiritual leader we are seeking for St. Michael’s.

Once the new Rector position is posted on the Episcopal Church’s website, we will advertise it on various news services and job boards where clergy across the country can find us. The typical application period is 6-8 weeks.

After that we begin the process of reviewing and ranking applicants promptly and; shortly thereafter conducting interviews, to include visits to candidates’ home parishes, with the goal, God willing, of presenting our recommended candidate to the Vestry by late spring.

At least monthly on the St. Michaels Website and in the Trumpet.

You can pray for our success in fielding the strongest possible slate of candidates and our wisdom in discerning “the one” for recommendation to the Wardens and Vestry. You can also use your own contacts and relationships beyond the parish and the diocese to help the committee in its search and deliberations.