News
Promising and Compelling Candidates
The Rector Search Committee’s task is becoming more difficult, because there are quite a number of promising, even compelling, candidates. Of course they have different skills and experiences, which makes them hard to compare. So we make sure to compare them not so much to each other as to the rector qualities the parish said it wanted, in the survey and Parish Profile. Once we’ve done several, the second interviews will help a lot. Of course, we learn a lot about the candidates from the questions they ask us; one candidate asked each of us to say a quality we’re looking for in a rector, in one word; that was not easy. Some are reluctant to give us opinions – like on the three-services question – without knowing more and talking to lots more parishioners, and of course that answer tells us something good about them: they are listeners and don’t make quick judgments.
And we learn that the Episcopal church has different customs in different parts of the country. For instance, have you ever heard of a “snap bean” church? It’s a church that’s only open in summer, and closes once the snap beans have been harvested.
Finally, since all the good candidates keep up with our online services, there have been several compliments on our music, our “broad” liturgy, and the special Blessed Absalom Jones service.
Blessings to all.
Louise Thompson
Chair of the Search Committee
