June 4, 2012

Dear St. John’s fellow parishioners:

I know that many of you have waited eagerly for news regarding the search for a new rector for St. John’s, and I know that there is disappointment that we have not yet identified someone. I want to take this opportunity to bring you up to speed on what has been happening and what will be done in the coming weeks as we continue this most important process.

The Transition Committee presented the Vestry with five candidates for consideration, each possessing the basic gifts and skills we felt were requisite for the rector’s position. (This included a husband and wife team!) We were individually, and collectively, humbled by what we found. The Vestry then focused on identifying a candidate whose personality and working style would be a good match for us.

Candidates were asked to lead the Vestry through a gifts discernment exercise. This was followed by a lengthy direct interviewing process. We were all reminded at this point that this was a mutual discernment process. Candidates were challenged to question us and to determine if we represented the kind of opportunity that enticed and excited them.

The vestry gathered on May 13th to discuss the candidates who were still in contention. (One candidate had withdrawn for reasons not related to the search.) By consensus, we identified a candidate we wished to Call. Unfortunately, this candidate accepted a Call from another parish. No other candidate from this group is being considered.

Where are we now? We have re-opened the search and will engage each new candidate in an individual discernment process. This means that we will not wait to collect a number of names before we begin the exercise of determining if a candidate will be a good match for us. The search will remain open until a rector is Called. The great work already done to distill a profile of St. Johns from the “Gather Together – Grow Together” exercise and the Crabtree survey will serve us as we go forward, and was time well spent.

We, St. John’s Episcopal Church, remain a vibrant and involved community. A quick look at the June calendar and the other articles in this issue of the Eagle reveal the truth of this assertion. We have arranged for visiting priests through the summer months and will welcome Bishop Adams June 24th. I am proud of the work that continues to be done at St. Johns and am confident that we will be able to offer our new rector a group of believers already engaged in the work of the Church, not content with waiting to be led.

We will continue to work hard and to listen for the voice of the Spirit as we work. In closing I will leave you with a quote from an EFM lesson on discerning a call, provided by Jim Johnson.

Discernment is a process in which we can make room for the Spirit’s urging, but we cannot control when and how we hear the still small voice. As painful as it is, sometimes our waiting is the only faithful thing remaining for us to do. At this point, waiting with openness can be more important than anything else we can do.

Lloyd
Sr. Warden