Rector Search

St. Hilaryʼs, January 29, 2012

Canon Durning noted that the nature of interim ministry (ministry between the time a rector leaves a parish and the time in which a new rector is installed) has changed over the last decade. While almost all parishes used to call an interim rector, only about 1/4 do now. However, in consideration of the length of tenure and the nature of leadership of Fathers Hennagin and Browning, the Diocese recommends that St. Hilaryʼs call an interim rector as quickly as possible.

The interim rector is not appointed by the Diocese. The Diocese helps the parish vestry gather names of potential candidates and the vestry chooses and hires the interim rector.

While the timeline of the entire search process (for both the interim and permanent rectors) can last as little as three weeks or as long as three years, Canon Durning believes our search will take around nine months. During this time the vestry will develop parish leadership.

The advent of the Internet over the last fifteen years means a much larger pool of both interim rector and parish priest candidates than in the past. However, Canon Durning has limited the search for our interim to Province IV of the ECUSA, which comprises the southeastern United States. This is a way of ensuring that references can be adequately checked and networking used to obtain the best candidate.

Canon Durning has five candidates, which the vestry has begun to review. Three of them are formally trained in interim ministry.

There are two models of interim ministry. The older model is one of problem solving that brings a church to the “ground level,” but doesnʼt help it progress forward. The newer model, which is one of appreciative inquiry, looks at the mission of the church and moves it forward.

In addition, two types of interims are generally found. The first is a priest who specializes in interim ministry as a career. The second, often a retired parish priest, is one who is looking to move into a different area of ministry with a shorter time commitment. The Diocese looks at a performance graph of about a decade in length to evaluate candidates.

Canon Durning also offered information about the search process for a permanent rector, once the interim is in place. The Search Manual for our Diocese may be found online. During this process, our parish Web site will become very important, as potential candidates will look to it for information. Current examples of this can be found in our Diocese at St. Boniface, Sarasota and St. Andrew’s Boca Grande.

As part of the search process, the Diocese will perform extensive background checks, including work history, credit check, criminal background check, sex offender registry check, and driverʼs record check. The Diocese will also check references. Facebook, Google, and other online means of background check are also utilized.

The parish search committee will interview and travel to see the potential rector in their own location.

A self-study will be part of the search process and various groups within the congregation will be asked to provide feedback. The congregation will be asked to participate in the search process.

While the interim rector will take on all of the responsibilities of the regular parish priest, s/he will assess the congregationʼs readiness for change, be attuned particularly to the transition process, and will not be “wed” to the congregation in the way an installed permanent rector would be.

Canon Durning mentioned the story of Matthias in Acts 1:36 as the first Biblical model for a search committee and the one after which our search process will be modeled.The search will be a conversation between the vestry, search committee, and congregation.

Once the candidates for permanent rector are whittled down to five to six people, the church will communicate with the Diocese so that the Bishop can review and approve the candidates, as well.

A member of St. Hilaryʼs has already expressed an interest to the vestry in forming a prayer group to support the work of the vestry and the search committee and the vestry welcomes this as a vital part of the process.

“Guidelines for the Retirement or Resignation of a Rector”

Search Manual of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, Jan. 2008

1. The Rector’s priestly, pastoral and administrative duties are terminated as of the effective date of his or her retirement/resignation. This applies also to the interim period, the time before the next rector is called. The congregation needs some time and space between Rectors to discover who they are now, where they want to go in the future and with what new leadership. It is agreed that the Vestry will make the necessary arrangements to call an Interim Pastor.

2. During the interim period the former Rector is not to officiate or assist at baptisms, weddings or funerals in the congregation, but may attend as a worshipper on occasion.This will prevent divided loyalties in the congregation and pressures on either the former or future Rectors or the Interim Pastor. The former Rector may be invited to participate in the future by the new Rector.

3. The former Rector is not to be involved in the day-to-day administrative affairs of the congregation.

4. The Discretionary Fund is a fund of the congregation. It is to be transferred back to the congregation to be held for the Interim Pastor and/or new Rector.

5. All these guidelines also apply to a former Rector with the title of “Rector Emeritus.”

Statement on Ethics and the Former Rector. Source: Diocesan Council 3/18/2000

May be reproduced in any and all parish communications.

The following is adapted from a manual on transitional ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Florida/Bahamas Synod. The bulk of this paper comes from remarks made by Lutheran Bishop Rogness of the Greater Milwaukee Synod, ELCA. With permission.

This policy on the ethics of transition regards the sensitive matter that arises when clergy are requested to perform liturgical/pastoral acts by people who are their former parishioners.

For practical purposes, the term “Rector” may be applied to Vicars and Assisting Clergy, including Deacons. Similarly, the term “new Rector” applies to Interim clergy and Priests in Charge.

We start with the acknowledgement that there is no painless way out of an awkward situation. A good pastoral relationship is also a personal relationship. Therefore, it is not uncommon for people facing a wedding, funeral, baptism, etc., to desire the presence of clergy who have been important in their lives. One can expect that those times come when one would want the liturgical/pastoral presence of a former rector or assistant in the times of special occasions.

We seek a professional ethic that states:

When a rector leaves a congregation he/she is no longer in a pastoral relationship with members of that congregation. While friendships are often formed between clergy and parishioners during the clergy’s tenure, the implications are clear. It is often (though not always) appropriate to do what other friends do — attend a wedding or funeral, for instance – but the pastoral act of presiding in those moments belong to the current rector of the congregation.

At times the Interim Rector or the new Rector may call on the former Rector to participate in a liturgical/pastoral function. In all cases, the responsibility belongs to those clergy who have left to make clear that the pastoral relationship has ended.

Naturally, clergy want to do what they are trained to do, especially when people value our doing it; but as clergy who are accountable, it is of paramount importance that we do all we can to support the pastoral relationship that is in place.

Here are some helpful, specific responses that may be of assistance.

Former Rectors: Respond, for example, by saying “It’s simply not appropriate for me to do that. I’m not your rector anymore, but I’m glad you consider me a friend. I’d love to come if invited, as your other friends do.”

It is not helpful to say, “You’ll have to talk to the Interim (or new) rector about that.” This is often said, perhaps thinking that such a response respects the rector’s role. It does not. It puts the rector in the no-win situation of acceding to the parishioner’s request and relinquishing the rector’s role to you. For the rector to say “no” can result in his/her being perceived as cold, jealous, unresponsive and uncaring. Simply say that it’s not your role anymore.

Current (and Interim) Rectors: Speak as affirmatively as possible of the relationship your predecessor has had with parishioners, but don’t relinquish your pastoral role. When you feel it’s appropriate and healthy, invite the previous rector to participate in a secondary way, but the pastoral role is yours.

Parishioners: Don’t even ask. It immediately puts both the current and former rector in very awkward positions. You affirm your former rector best by inviting him/her to attend a function while showing high regard for the pastoral office he/she held by seeking out the new pastor to be your pastor. This is true even if a former rector lives down the block and the current one is someone you hardly know.

This may sound cold and legalistic, especially when one is going through a significant life event. It is not meant to be; it is meant to be pastoral in the best sense of the word. While we all encounter situations we regard as “exceptions”, there are in fact few circumstances that prove to be exceptional.

This principal should also be applied to what might be called “gray areas” — contact with the former rector over personal life struggles, complaints about parish life, etc. Clergy are well advised that our friends, our former congregations, and the Church be best served when we truly respect those pastoral boundaries by which we order our lives. Most clergy are very clear about these matters most of the time, but we are all human enough that an occasional reminder is good for all of us.