Posted: Nov 12, 2019

Discernment for a New Rector: What to Expect

Planning and Self Study

First is the Planning and Self-Study phase which often lasts eight or more weeks. This is a time of listening to discern who we are as a congregation and who God is calling us to be. In this stage, it is important to hear from everyone about our needs, our wants and who we are called to be. Your input from the Interim Events with Bill Queen, along with a soon-to-be distributed parishioner survey, will guide our insights to define what is right for our church.

Toward the end of the first phase, the Discernment Committee will use your feedback to develop a portfolio or “snapshot” which describes us as a church. It speaks to who we are as a worshipping and ministering congregation, what directions are most important for our church, and what traits will help our next rector to guide us.

Searching

The second phase is Searching. The church information is publicized to the nationwide priest community for eight weeks, during which time we can expect to begin receiving inquiries and holding conversations with interested priests. During this phase, it is fine to encourage priests you think would be suitable to look at our profile. The Search phase will take time, as we meet, hear sermons from candidates, and reflect carefully on their fit for our calling.

Choosing

The last phase is Choosing. Once the committee has selected a priest, the candidate will be presented to the Vestry, who then will vote.

Although we cannot predict the precise length of our process, we can assume the timeline will not be shorter than 12-16 months. The Discernment Committee will keep you informed about the progress as events dictate, although the specifics (candidate names and parishes, for example) must remain strictly confidential.