Chronological Meeting Summaries
Rector Search Committee Meetings
This page will briefly and promptly summarize meetings and progress of the Rector Search Committee beginning with the most recent.
July
The Search Committee is in the intensive stage of the search process, making team calls to Rector Candidates. We are reading, listening, and watching sermons supplied via e-mail, tape, and DVD from candidates. In addition, we are doing background/research work via the Internet.
24. Sunday, May 6
The co-chairs of the rector search committee hosted an informal session for interested parishioners in the church library. About 30 parishioners attended the meeting that took place between the 8am and 10am services. The co-chairs updated the assembled on the general course of the search and answered questions.
23. Thursday, May 3.
The committee met to assemble a final template of questions to be posed consistently to each of the approximately 40 rector prospects. The questions
will be used in telephone interviews during late May and early June.
22. Thursday, April 27
Members of the Campus Development/Property Committee, the senior and junior wardens, and parish treasurer met with the committee for an update on campus development, related long-range parish finances, provisions for rector housing, and insight into the skill-set needed by the new rector. The committee also discussed recently announced staff changes and their impact on the rector search, and agreed to update the parish profile as needed. Work began on compiling a common template of questions for use on telephone interviews. The committee now expects to have resumes of rector prospects on May 17 and to complete the first round of telephone interviews by the end of May. The committee confirmed the deadline for parishioner suggestions for the new rector remains May 14.
21. Thursday, April 12.
The committee met with consultant Gail Lebert to review the ministries skills and experiences priorities compiled in prior meetings; to review the list of potential candidates provided by St. Mark's parishioners; and to begin planning for the initial round of telephone interviews. The search committee formed four teams to conduct the forty or so telephone interviews that will take place in late May and began planning for a uniform set of questions to be asked of each candidate. The committee will remind parishioners that the deadline to receive suggestions for rector candidates is May 14.
20. Monday, April 2.
The committee met with The Rev. Canon Erik W. Larsen (Canon for Transition Ministry) and consultant Gail Lebert, both of the Diocese of Connecticut. The process and calendar for gathering, reviewing, evaluating, and responding to resumes of prosepective rectors was discussed in detail. The Search Committee expects to have about 40 resumes by mid-May. The committee also discussed feedback received from parishioners on the Parish Profile, and how comments would be factored into the document. The amended document will appear on the website immediately after Easter, and available to all. The committee also acknowledged with appreciation the generous anonymous gift to underwrite printing of the Parish Profile.
19.Thursday, March 22
The committee discussed further input on the Parish Profile from the Senior and Junior Wardens and the Diocesan Deployment Officer. Draft copy was readied for presentation to the congregation on Sunday, March 25. The committee also planned the format for the March 25 meeting. Parishioners will be invited to review the Parish Profile and submit comments of substance over the next week. Work on the Position Profile continued with each member of the committee asked to choose six specific skills and skill details for the four ministry skill priorities selected at the previous meeting. The results are being tabulated for finalization.
18. Wednesday, March 7
The committee discussed the presentation of the draft Parish Profile to the congregation at a forum scheduled for Sunday, March 25, after the
17. Thursday, March 1
The committee discussed the Vestry input on the Parish Profile and the timetable for completing this document. Several members participated in a conference call with The Rev. Roland Jones, former rector of St. Mark's Church and now retired. He discussed aspects of conducting a thorough rector search and ways of evaluating the effectiveness of parish priests.
16. Tuesday, February 27
The Search Committee met with the Vestry at the Vestry's regular monthly meeting to review the Parish Profile. The Vestry proposed numerous constructive suggestions. These edits will be incorporated in the draft Profile and the resulting document shared with parishioners.
15. Thursday, February 22
The committee continued working on the Position Profile, drawing from the Ministry Skill/Experience Manual. Several members participated in a conference call with The Rev. Maryetta Anschutz, who served as part of the interim clergy at St. Mark's. Maryetta shared her perspective on how to conduct effective interviews with rector prospects.
14. Tuesday, February 6
The committee met with Diocesan consultant, Gail Lebert, to further understand the process of discernment in finding St. Mark's next rector. It discussed at some length the difference between "hiring" and "discerning" the right candidate. The committee then began prioritizing an extensive list of ministry specialties from the Ministry Skill/Experience Manual. This list, which outlines strengths to be sought in potential candidates, will help form the Position Profile.
13. Tuesday, January 23
The Senior Warden received the Parish Profile on January 20 and will review it with the vestry after the election of new members at the Annual Meeting now scheduled for February 11.
The search committee has begun reviewing the Ministry Skill/Experience Manual from the Episcopal Church Deployment Office. This is the next step in creating a Position Profile, a national church standardized document based on the Parish Profile.
The committee, together with consultant Gail Lebert, discussed the most recent draft of the parish profile, bringing it nearly to completion right on schedule. The plan is to provide the senior warden with the final draft shortly, which she will share with the vestry elected at the annual meeting. The vestry will have an opportunity to review and comment, after which it will be shared with all parishioners for their comments.
11. Wednesday, January 11
The committee focused entirely on refinements to the parish profile, with the intent of providing a draft to the Vestry for its use in anticipation of the Annual Parish Meeting, no later than January 20.
10. Wednesday, January 3
The Rector Search Committee continued discussing input from parishioners and vestry members on the rector search process. (Members were surprised to learn that some parishioners believed that the Committee's work had been put "on hold" when steady progress had been made throughout December.) The committee reviewed and discussed the draft parish profile in detail, including the impact of the stewardship campaign on it. The committee intends to complete a final first draft by end of January, at which time parishioners will be invited to review and comment on it.
9. Thursday, December 14
The Committee met in the outreach room. The potential impact of stewardship results on the rector search was very briefly discussed. The committee then spent most of the session working on the parish profile draft.
8. Sunday, December 10
The Rector Search Committee met with interested parishioners on Sunday, December 10 for an open and informal update on the search process. Co-chairs, Cynnie Thunem and Brandon Sweitzer chaired the meetings; our consultant Gail Lebert also attended. Over fifty parishioners attended these meetings; click to see the information handout presented by the committee. The questions and responses posed more or less in the order in which they were asked, are provided by clicking here.
The search committee met in the Outreach Room; our consultant Gail Leibert attended. The committee completed plans for the December 10 parish meeting. Elements of the parish profile were distributed and discussed, and it was agreed to proceed rapidly to complete a first draft; committee members will receive research and writing assignments so that a completed first draft can be ready before Christmas. The value of a "parish survey" was discussed, and the committee concluded that 1) the roadmap sessions were vastly more valuable and insightful than a typical kind of parish survey, and 2) that a parish survey would likely show only a generic desire for "excellence" in all features of parish life. Therefore the committee agreed to seek continually information from parishioners, but that the search for information would not include a typical kind of quantitative survey. A number of additional miscellaneous matters were briefly discussed. Everyone agreed to spread the word that the committee may be contacted by email at RectorSearch@stmarksnewcanaan.org
6. Thursday, November 16
The search committee met in the outreach room. The participants discussed the plan for the December 10 parish meeting; heard a progress report on the drafting of the parish profile; discussed lessons learned about decision making and communication with the parish during the last rector search; and discussed the role that current issues in the Episcopal Church might play in the evaluation of candidates.
5. Tuesday, November 7
The committee met in the Outreach Room and discussed the agendas and schedules for meetings with parishioners about the rector search. The committee agreed to hold the first meeting on December 10 in the Education Center and that it wold be informal and informational, focusing on the rector search procedure as outlined by the committee's consultant. Dates for followup meetings were also discussed. Content for a new webpage giving contact information, including an email address, for the search committee was approved. A plan for informational interviews with parishioners who have rector search experience was discussed.
4. Thursday, November 2.
The Search Committee met with our consultant, Gail Lebert, to discuss aspects of leadership and leadership style. She reviewed in some detail the standard process for rector search, a process detailed on the Diocese of Connecticut website. (See http://www.ctdiocese.org/bishops/deployment/ROAD%20MAP.pdf ) The Search Committee discussed the ways in which it would communicate progress and solicit parish input: the website, short updates in church services, and parish meetings to be scheduled in December and January. Jill Sautkulis and
3. Sunday, October 22
The Search Committee and the Vestry met in a joint session in the
2. Wednesday, October 18
The Search Committee held its second meeting in the Outreach Room. The committee members expressed their greatest hopes and greatest fears for St. Mark's Church, for the purpose of getting to know each other better, and to prepare for the meeting with the bishop on Sunday, Oct. 22. Some additional administrative responsibilities were assigned.
1. Tuesday, October 3
The Search Committee had its first meeting in the church library. A number of housekeeping details were covered, and some administrative responsibilities were assigned.
