Rector Search
Parish Profile 2025
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Status: Position posted.
Next Milestone: Confidential phase.
Seeking God’s Guidance in Choosing our next Rector
In the Episcopal Church, the process of calling a new rector is not simply a hiring decision—it is a sacred journey of discernment. Our committee has been prayerfully formed to listen, reflect, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we hope to understand and reveal who God is calling to lead our parish into its next chapter.
What We Do
The Discernment Committee serves as a bridge between the congregation, the diocese, and potential candidates. Our responsibilities include:
- Listening to the Parish: We gather input from parishioners through surveys, listening sessions, and conversations to understand the hopes, needs, and values of our church community.
- Crafting the Parish Profile: We create a detailed document that tells the story of our parish—our mission, ministries, and vision for the future—to help candidates discern if they are called to serve here.
- Reviewing and Interviewing Candidates: With prayerful attention, we read applications, conduct interviews, and evaluate how each candidate’s gifts align with our parish’s needs.
Our Guiding Principles
We are committed to:
- Prayerful Listening
- Transparency and Integrity
- Respect for All Voices
- Faithful Stewardship of the Process
This journey is not just about finding a leader—it’s about deepening our own faith, strengthening our community, and opening ourselves to God’s unfolding plan.
The discernment process typically spans about eighteen months. Our goal is to welcome a new rector in summer 2026.
Discernment Journey: Stages and Progress
This table outlines each phase of the discernment process and our current status, where 
reflects completion.
Shaded columns reflect confidential phases. For these, updates and completion status will not be publicly reflected.
| Phase 1: Getting Started | Phase 2: Self-Study | Phase 3: Preparation & Posting |
| Select Discernment Committee | Members complete survey | Develop Parish Profile |
| Meet with Canon to the Ordinary for Transitions and Clergy & Congregational Care for process orientation | Members participate in focus groups | Develop OTM Community Ministry Portfolio |
| Decide on methods of self-study | Discernment Committee completes other self-study activities | Send materials to Vestry and Bishop’s Office for approval |
| Distribute parish survey | Compile and analyze survey results and other self-study data | Post our open Rector position |
| Schedule focus group discussions |
| Phase 4: Mutual Discernment | Phase 5: Call |
| Receive applications | Recommend final candidate to the Vestry |
| Evaluate application materials and identify candidates | Vestry meets with final candidate |
| Interview candidates. (Multiple rounds of interviews possible.) | Senior Warden extends the call |
| Identify final candidate | Vestry negotiates Letter of Agreement |
| Vestry announces Christ Church’s next Rector! |