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About the Parish Profile

What is the Parish Profile and why is it important?
St. Paul’s is undertaking work to call our next Rector. Only rarely do we come together as a community to reflect on the church and our leaders in such a fundamental way. The main tool we will use to describe St. Paul’s and our aspirations is the Parish Profile – a document prepared by us, and shared throughout the Episcopal Church, to be read by any and all priests who are ready to accept a new calling. The work of preparing our parish profile involves parish meetings, small group discussions, questionnaires answered by parishioners, the leadership of the vestry and wardens, and the support of a consultant who guides the congregation through the process. The completed parish profile will be made available to clergy who may be interested in a call to a position here at St. Paul’s. An accompanying document, the Ministry Portfolio, will also be developed and posted on the database of the Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) for national clergy exposure.
Where are we in the process?
While we might say we are in a quiet phase of the process, a small group led by John Rollins has been hard at work in developing a parish-wide survey. The survey is now in test mode with a goal of parish-wide distribution by the end of January. Once named, the focus of the Profile Committee is twofold:
  • Synthesize survey results and facilitate group discussions based on those results
  • Develop and write the Parish Profile/Ministry Portfolio itself
What can I expect between now and the Spring?
The full Parish Profile committee will be named and commissioned within the next 2 weeks. You will be invited to complete a parish-wide survey. You will be invited to participate in formal or informal conversations at the church or in your community to further explore our future. The final documents will be sent to the Canon for Transition for review, then shared with the entire parish.
What happens then?
  • The Parish Profile is posted so it can be viewed by clergy who are in discernment about where God is calling them to be.
  • A Search (Discernment) Committee is formed.
  • Clergy submit applications with ministry portfolios for consideration by the Search Committee
To whom may I direct my questions about this process?
Please feel free to reach out to any member of the vestry with questions or suggestions.
Please keep an eye out for upcoming information about the survey. Be sure to complete it so your voice is heard!