A Time of Transition -
​Finding Our New Rector

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St. Augustine's has had five excellent rectors since 1954, and has grown and flourished under their godly leadership. We are now prayerfully working to find our sixth rector.

Using information gathered from our small group discussions and survey responses, and under the guidance of the Canon to the Ordinary and our vestry, the search committee has created the 2021 St. Augustine's Parish Profile to aid us in finding the right rector for our church.

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​If you'd like to learn more about us, we recommend checking out outreach, fellowship, ministries, and Christian formation at St. Augustine's.

Latest Updates

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The rector search committee reports that we are moving forward with the candidate interview process. The committee will begin setting up initial interviews over the next few weeks. And, note as well that we will continue to accept any additional applications during this time.

As enthusiastic as everyone is about these developments, please recall that there is an extensive confidential phase during the search. The purpose of that is to allow discernment to take place without the weight of external forces that might be brought to bear otherwise. This has been the usual practice, but imagine for a moment--now that we are in this age of social media--all the pressures that priests, congregations, and search committees alike would face whenever contemplating a move. So, the committee asks for your continued prayers and patient understanding that at this point, the committee will engage the candidates in discussions and interviews with these priests without divulging their identities. Please do not forget, however, that this phase of confidentiality does not last forever, and that the search committee does not have the final word. Instead, after the diocese goes through its screening process, the search committee submits a recommendation to the vestry, for the vestry's consideration. 

If that sounds like a lot of steps, it is! This is intended to be deliberate, rather than a rushed process. As St. Paul urged, the faithful should "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Heb. 6:12

The Process

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What's happened so far?

February 2021: We welcomed our interim rector, Fr. Brad St. Romain, on February 7, 2021, and began work on forming a search committee. 

March 2021: The Rector Search Committee was called, consisting of the following members: Raul Esquivel (Chair), Susan Hackett Walpole (Vice Chair), Stephen Braud, Patrick Goodman, Tony Gregorio, Myra Noustens, Donovan Ohrt-Champage, and Kate Smith. The committee met with the Canon to the Ordinary for initial training, information, and planning.

April 2021: The Search Committee, with help from the Diocese, published an anonymous survey to gather data from the parish, and began working on small group discussions. The responses were analyzed by both the committee and the diocese to help us better understand the wants and needs of our congregation and assist in building an accurate parish profile. 

May 2021: The Search Committee hosted small group discussions to talk to as many of our members as possible about our strengths and weaknesses as a church, and what they believe we need in a new rector. The committee met with the Canon to the Ordinary to discuss preliminary findings, and the Canon addressed the parish on May 16.

June 2021: The committee completed the public parish profile and a profile for the Office for Transition Ministry. Both were approved by the bishop's office and St. Augustine's vestry. These profiles were posted online, and the committee began gathering names and resumes for potential rectors.

​July & August 2021: The Search Committee accepted nominations, reviewed applicants received, and created a set of interview questions tailored to life and work at St. Augustine's.

​September 2021: The committee is regrouping after Hurricane Ida. They are moving forward with the candidate interview process while continuing to accept nominations.

​October 2021: Interviews and discernment conversations are taking place as the committee moves toward making their final recommendation.