12/15/22: Rector Search Update
Always first, we thank you for your dedicated prayers and ask for your continued devotion in lifting up our committee during the discernment process to present the Vestry with finalists for calling our next Rector.
Second, the response for interested clergy to be our next Rector has been remarkable in both quality and quantity of applicants. We appreciated the care and great attention given by each applicant in their materials reflecting their faith and passion for ministry.
We received 35 applications consisting of thoughtful, get-to-know-you cover letters, responses to specific St. James’ questions, a formal CV and a detailed Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) which is a multi-page document that requests references, links to sermons, and questions about the applicant’s ministry and spiritual practices. Our request for applications came to a close Thanksgiving weekend.
Since then, the RSC has carefully studied each applicant’s submissions, listened to a variety of their online services, and dug deep into the applicants’ online presence.
After thorough and independent research by each RSC member, we came together to discuss our discoveries, findings, and to share what we each learned. It was three long evenings but joyful as we first prayed for each applicant by name and talked through each packet and then discussed which applicants would best serve St. James’ to become candidates as part of the next step.
We have consensus on the candidates, and there are 11 who we believe we should meet for a first virtual face to face.
The RSC has contacted all applicants this week with notice of their status, that is, moving forward in the interview process or not.
After we complete the process described above, there are two more important phases for the RSC.
- Determine the semi-finalist list and conduct in person interviews with those candidates here in NYC, and after
- Select finalists for recommendation to the Vestry
The final phase will be completed by our Vestry who will conduct separate in-person interviews with the finalists and meet their families and will hopefully make the final decision on our next Rector in the Spring of 2023.
