The Discernment Committee is on schedule as we go through the process of searching for and calling a new rector to lead us after Father Smith retires in the summer of 2012. We had a productive year in 2011, and we are excited about the months ahead.

 

In the spring, the Vestry appointed eight parishioners to the Discernment Committee. Our members are Martha Añez, Barbara Berkowitz, Andy Davenport, Gina Pappas, Chair, Timothy Shepherd, Larry Swesey, Donna Thain, and Roland Woehr. The Rev. Robert Tate is our consultant. Throughout the summer, we gathered data about the parish and began writing a description of Good Shepherd for the Parish Profile.  The profile will be available to potential candidates for rector and will be our main vehicle for describing ourselves and the qualities we are searching for in a new rector. In October, Bob Tate led us in an all-parish discernment event where we worked to discern “God’s honest truth” about our strengths as a parish and the challenges facing us. Drawing on that exercise and the work we had done over the summer, the committee worked throughout the fall to put together, edit and finalize the profile.  We shared a draft with the Vestry in December, and this past week, we forwarded a copy to Bishop Bennison for his review. Once the bishop approves the document, we will post it on the church’s web site and will file forms with the national church that officially indicate that Good Shepherd is ready to receive names of candidates. We anticipate that this will all be done by the end of January.

 

What comes next? We will be receiving applications until about the end of March. Most of our applicants will find us either through our registration with the national church or by contacting Jill Mathis, who is responsible for transition ministries at the Diocese of Pennsylvania. We also welcome suggestions from parishioners or anyone else who knows Good Shepherd. Once we receive names, we will screen the candidates, conduct phone interviews and do reference checks. We anticipate sending a few committee members to visit the parishes of 3-5 of the candidates to meet the candidates in person and hear them preach. We will then invite up to three finalists to Good Shepherd to meet with the full committee, who will do a final interview and make a recommendation to the Vestry. The Vestry would then issue the call. If all goes as planned, the new rector would probably arrive by September 2012.