Frequently Asked Questions

1. When will St. Paul’s have a new Rector?
We don’t know for certain, but in most parishes the process takes about 21 to 24 months from the time a Rector departs until a new Rector is called.

2. Why did our previous Rector leave St. Paul’s?
In December 2006, Rev. Joel Ives accepted the call to serve the Church of Our Saviour in Brookline Ma. Father Joel had been our Rector, spiritual leader, and friend for seven years. With an expanded family of three young children born on Nantucket (one with special challenges) Joel and Florrie grew to understand that they needed to be more accessible to family and special facilities. We send Joel, Florrie and their children our prayers and good wishes.

3. Who will be leading St. Paul’s now?
As is normal during an interim period in the Episcopal Church, the "temporal" matters of the church are being managed by the Senior Warden (Sam Daume), Junior Warden (Betsy Brown) and the Vestry. Most of the programs and initiatives that have flourished here will continue and new opportunities are being explored. The spiritual life of the parish will be led by an Interim Priest, who was appointed by the Bishop, after consultation with the Vestry and Staff. The spiritual life of the parish will be ably led by an Interim Priest, who has recently been appointed by the Bishop, after consultation with the Vestry and Staff. Rev. William (Bill) Eddy has been called to this position, and arrived March 18th.

4. What is an Interim Priest?
The Interim Priest practices a specialized form of ministry focusing on leading a parish through the unique experience of being “in between” permanent Rectors. The Interim has many of the same responsibilities as a permanent Rector concerning spiritual and liturgical matters of the church, while bringing his or her own special experience to the parish during this time. Many Interims, including our called interim, Rev. Bill Eddy, view this as their primary calling and spend all, or a portion, of their careers serving the Church in this way.

5. Can the Interim Priest be a candidate for the permanent Rector position?
No. He will be available, however, as a resource and advisor to those involved in the search process.

6. What are the steps involved in finding a new Rector?
It varies somewhat from church to church. The Diocese makes guidelines available to help put a basic framework around the process. Every search is different, though, and each parish must approach the task at least in some ways on its’ own. The process at St. Paul’s will focus on one committee, the Search Committee, selected by the Vestry, and comprised of parishioners. The Search Committee will reflect the different age groups, interests and perspectives at our church. The Wardens serve on the Search Committee ex officio.

The Vestry has been working to compile a detailed Parish Profile, based on surveys and listening sessions to be carried out by the Profile Committee. The Parish Profile serves as something of a “briefing book” for candidates, summarizing what St. Paul’s is today, and the paths along which our parish community feels called to direct it. It will also identify the preferred qualities we seek as we search for our next Rector, again, based on surveys and listening session data.

7. What is a Parish Profile?
It is an instrument that provides important information concerning a parish, including information about the parish's services and programs, budget, parish life and goals, and previous clergy. In addition to demographic information, the Parish Profile contains the results of parish meetings, group discussions (listening sessions), and questionnaires that have been answered by parishioners as part of our discernment process. The completed Parish Profile is made available to any clergy who may be interested in a call to a position in the parish. The parish profile may also be matched with personal profiles of available clergy to identify potential candidates for the vacant position.

9. What is the Search Committee?
The Search Committee is responsible for conducting and publicizing the search, identifying and interviewing candidates, and recommending a finalist to the Vestry. Members are charged by the Vestry to identify the best candidate for the job of St. Paul’s spiritual leadership. Members of the Committee will meet regularly to review resumes and conduct interviews as they work toward selecting a candidate to recommend to the Vestry.

10. Who will be on the Search Committee?
The Vestry will make the selection of the Search Committee, and its chair, its primary focus. The Vestry is determined to build a committee that reflects the different age groups, interests and perspectives at St. Paul’s. The committee will be assisted by the Diocesan Deployment Officer, Rev. Cynthia Hubbard, and supported by our interim priest, who has a great deal of experience in this role.

11. What are the attributes of the search committee?
In choosing a search committee, the Vestry seeks an able group of representative individuals who can work together cohesively as a team to accomplish a well-defined task.

The Vestry will choose committee members of personal integrity and independence of view, people devoted to St. Paul’s even if they sometimes seek new ways to improve it. Also, those selected should be knowledgeable about the present and future direction of the St. Paul’s, and have demonstrated a real commitment to the church through active participation.

The best search committee members will be savvy about people; they are discerners of talent who know how to recognize high quality work.  Second, we need to make sure that the people being considered for the search committee are thoughtful, open hearted, open minded, and listen well. Third, the Vestry will ensure that St. Paul’s parishioners who are selected to serve on the search committee are not stretched too thinly and will have sufficient time to dedicate to the process. Finally, and most important, we need to make sure that the search committee is representative of the breadth and depth of the St. Paul’s worshipping community.

12. How many members does the Search Committee usually include?
There are usually 7-12 members of the Search Committee, including the chair. The Senior Warden will serve ex officio (allowed to participate, assist in the drafting of a reports, but not allowed to vote or be counted in the quorum).

13. Does the Diocese have a role in recommending or selecting our next Rector?
We have resources available from the Diocese to help us as needed, and the selection process involves screening of finalists by the Bishop, but the selection process is essentially our own.

14. May I recommend someone to be considered for the position?
Yes…Absolutely! You may recommend a candidate to any member of the Search Committee or encourage a candidate to apply on his or her own. Potential candidates could be ordained clergy in the Episcopal Church anywhere in the United States.  Again, all such recommendations should be made in strict confidence to protect the privacy of candidates.

15. Will there be a budget for the search?
The Vestry will authorize a budget, yet to be determined, for the Search Committee’s use. Expenses associated with conducting the search will be drawn from this budget, which may include advertising, travel to the parishes of finalists, administrative costs, and other expenses.

16. Why are the Search Committee’s proceedings confidential?
It is vitally important that members of the Search Committee do not discuss details of the search process, or share the names of candidates with anyone outside the committee -- including spouses and partners. This is out of respect for the privacy of candidates who apply, are nominated, or otherwise considered for the Rector position. It’s likely that many candidates will be working in other parishes and will not want their candidacy known publicly unless and until a final selection is made. Parishioners can expect frequent updates about the committee’s general progress in Newsletter, in the announcements during Sunday Services,  and on the page dedicated to the Rector Search on the church Website.