On September 11, 2016, St. Luke's Rector Search Committee offered a forum. The pdf of the presentation can be downloaded and viewed here.
Who chose the Search Committee?
In selecting members of the Rector Search Committee, the Vestry wanted to be mindful of representing the full spectrum of membership at St. Luke's, including long time parishioners that had been involved in prior searches, newer members, and the wide variety of perspectives found in our congregation. The Rector Search Committee will be decommissioned on Sunday, July 16 at the bilingual Eucharist.
How long will the search process take?
The Rector Search Committee wants to assure you, that although we have a timeline in place for reading candidate applications, conducting Skype interviews, and making site visits, we fully recognize that this is a guide and not an imperative deadline. We will be prudent and take the needed time to fully review applications, interview, and discern who will be put forward to the Vestry for final selection. Calling a rector is very different from secular hiring processes, so we are going to both be diligent and persistent in our work while allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. For more on this topic, please go to this page. On Sunday, June 25, the Rector Search Committee handed the Vestry the final selection of candidates. The Rector Search Committee is confident that the Vestry cannot make a wrong selection with any of the final candidates.
What is the role of the Vestry?
After the Vestry notifies the Bishop and Office of Transitional Ministry (OTM) of the rector vacancy, the Interim Rector is arranged. The Vestry selects the Parish Profile Committee and oversees and approves the profile. The Vestry submits the profile to the OTM so it can be shared with interested candidates.
The Vestry also selects the Rector Search Committee, which regularly briefs the Vestry of the progress in the search process. The Vestry has charged the Rector Search Committee to recommend the names of the three final candidates. The three finalists will be invited to visit St. Luke's.
The Vestry conducts formal interviews during the candidates’ visit and discusses the compensation and benefits with finalists. The candidates will have been provided copies of the most recent Diocesan Clergy Compensation Schedule, the Diocesan Personnel Policies and Procedures, including information about Diocesan benefits and a sample Letter of Agreement by the Vestry prior to these final interviews. The Vestry also invites the Bishop to the final election meeting and receives approval to negotiate with the final candidate.
What is the role of the Parish?
The Parish is central to the development of the Profile, the document that tells who we are at St. Luke's. The next important role for the Parish is to hold an attitude of prayerful patience as the work goes forward to discover God's will for us. Your Search Committee is depending on your prayers. Finally, it is the joyous duty of the Parish to welcome our new Rector!
What is the role of the Interim Rector?
In accordance with the search process outlined by The Episcopal Church, the Wardens of the church appointed the Rev. Ricardo Avila as the Interim Rector of St. Luke's church, with the approval of the Bishop and the Vestry. During this transition period, Ricardo has assumed the typical Rector responsibilities, supported by the Vestry, other clergy, and administrative staff. The Interim Rector convened the first meeting of the Search Committee.
What is the role of the Diocese?
The Office of Transitional Ministry (OTM) at the Los Angeles Diocese is assisting and collaborating with the Vestry, the Profile Committee, the Search Committee, and the Bishop. The OTM publishes the open position, compiles a list of interested priests, and ensures that all interested candidates are in good standing with their current parishes and have no reported offenses. The OTM requests the Ministry Portfolios of the candidates and provides the candidates with St. Luke’s profile. The OTM shares the list of candidates who have applied for the position with the Bishop for approval. The OTM then meets with the Search Committee to share the finalized list. The OTM is continuously updated on the progress of St. Luke’s discernment process.
What is the role of the Bishop?
Parish leadership made initial contact with the Bishop and the Office of Transitional Ministry (OTM) to notify of the open rector position. The current and incumbent senior wardens advised the Bishop and OTM that St. Luke’s would be engaging in the rector search process. After the OTM creates the list of potential candidates for St. Luke’s, but before St. Luke’s Rector Search Committee receives the list, the Bishop will review the list of candidates.
The Bishop may also meet with the final three candidates during their visit to the parish when interviewing with the vestry. But only the vestry itself, with the approval of the Bishop, may actually “call” one of candidate finalists to become the new rector.
How will I find out about the new Rector?
The Wardens and Vestry will issue the unanimous call to the final candidate and once the new priest accepts that call, all avenues of parish communication will be used to advise the parish of the calling of the rector.
How can I recommend a candidate for the Rector position?
The Rector Search Committee is no longer accepting applications from candidates to the Rector position.
How can I help?
The best way you can help the Rector Search Committee is by praying.
Pray for:
The priests in charge of our Parish
The staff of the Parish
The people in the Parish
The members of the Vestry
God’s guidance, wisdom, strength, and love as we continue in this exciting journey toward the future of St. Luke’s.
Here are some prayers that might prove helpful when words do not come easily:
God, we pray that You would grant us the Spirit of wisdom and discernment so that we may know You better and love You more. Give us an understanding heart so that we may be open to hear Your voice and hear You say, this is the path, walk in it. Use us to be Your hands and feet – Your voice and heart that we may be a channel through which You pour out Your grace to help others – may we decrease to nothing so that only Christ is seen in our lives – we ask this in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Assist us, Lord, in living hopefully into the future. In the face of change, help us to set unnecessary fears aside and to recognize our potential for creative response. Help us to develop a reasonable optimism when confronted by “the new” and to guard against our own defensiveness. Be with us as we remember and celebrate former times, and keep us from unreasonable yearning for them, which takes us from the work you have set before us in our time. All this we ask in the name of your Child, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Gentle...yet powerful. Lowly...yet almighty. Shepherd...yet King. In your gentleness, guide us. In your power, strengthen us. In your lowliness, strip from us our selfish pride which only destroys us. In your greatness, lift us up that we might aspire to greater things. As a shepherd, call us to be your servants. As a King, call us to be your royal priesthood. O God, who is our shepherd and our King; O Christ, who was crucified and is now risen from the dead; O Spirit, who comforts and empowers; O great One in Three, Holy Trinity, this hour, set us free to feel your presence among and with us. Amen.
A Prayer for Transition Ever-present God, You call us on a journey to a place we do not know. We are not where we started. We have not reached our destination. We are not sure where we are or who we are. This is not a comfortable place. Be among us, we pray. Calm our fears, save us from discouragement, And help us to stay on course. Open our hearts to your guidance so that our journey to this Unknown place continues as a journey of trust. Amen. —The Rev. Canon Kristi Philip
To you, Almighty and gracious God, we give all honor and glory. We approach you with confidence in your goodness and mercy, and we ask that the Holy Spirit will be with us as we continue with the work you have called us to do. We have many tasks before us, and we have some anxiety and uncertainty. But in you we trust, to you we hand over our burdens, to you we commend our lives and gifts. Use us as you see fit. May this work be pleasing before you, may our efforts and dedication honor you. We pray for each of us here, for our families, for our work, for our ministries, for our needs. And we pray for St. Luke’s. We pray for Ricardo, Dean, and Beryl, for strength, wisdom, guidance, and light. We pray for the many ministries within St. Luke’s. We pray for every person who comes to this Parish. We pray for our need of a new Associate Rector and a new Rector. In the meantime, guard us, lead us, sustain us, and strengthen us. Amen.
O Lord, You are the light that guides our feet. You are the map that gives us direction. Your are the peace that makes us strong. You are the leader whom we faithfully follow.
May your light illuminate our lives. And your guidance bring direction to our work. May we find inspiration in your Word, And peace in our hearts as we follow you. Amen.
“Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.” (BCP, p. 255)
“Almighty God, you sent your son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself. We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are your for ever. Amen.” (BCP, p. 838)
