Thank you for your continuing patience as our search for a new rector continues. We remain on the timeline we set for the calling of our next rector and are hopeful he or she will be with us by the fall. Since our last update was two months ago, I wanted to provide a report on the progress of the search to date.
As you will recall, last year, the Vestry appointed a Profile Committee to prepare our parish profile document. That document, which detailed our history, ministries, and vision for our future as a parish, was made available last summer to priests considering whether they were called to be the next Rector of St. David’s. I’d like to again thank the members of the Profile Committee, and in particular its chair, Beth Beckett, and parish Director of Communications, Natalee Hill, for their long hours of thoughtful work in putting together such a beautiful and professional document that reflects the energy our parishioners have devoted and the commitment they have made to the many ministries of our church.
At the close of the submission period, we were blessed with numerous applications from priests from all parts of the country interested in discerning whether they were called to serve at St. David’s. After reviewing these voluminous materials, the Discernment Committee, prayerfully selected by the Vestry and led by Susan Scauzzo, interviewed each of the applicants. After each round of interviews, the list of candidates was winnowed, and further interviews conducted. In the last month or so, members of the committee have traveled to the home parishes of a small number of remaining applicants to attend a service at their home parishes, to hear them preach, to meet with their staffs and representatives of their vestries, and to spend time with them and their families in order to discern whether the committee felt the candidates were called to serve at St. David’s. This process of discernment has been highly effective and has led the committee to meet outstanding candidates.
In the coming weeks we will embark on the next stage of the process – visits by the finalists to St. David’s campus. During those visits, the finalists and their spouses will meet with members of the staff, tour our campus, and share a meal with members of the Discernment Committee so that both we and they may better discern whether they are called to be our next rector.
After the visits, the Discernment Committee will recommend to the Vestry the candidate they believe is called to be the next Rector of St. David’s. Thereafter, the Vestry will meet with the candidate and prayerfully consider whether they believe he or she is called to serve our parish, and, if so, extend an offer to the candidate. We are optimistic that we will be in a position to extend an offer to the chosen candidate in the coming weeks.
Please continue to keep the Discernment Committee, the Vestry, and the prospective rector candidates in your prayers as we move through this process.
We remain your faithful servants,
The Wardens of St. David’s
James B. Dolan, Jr., Rector’s Warden
Alison Hastings, Junior Warden
Jay Baldwin, Accounting Warden
Jeff Rohrbeck, Secretary
Published: March 11, 2024