September 23, 2021
Dear Parish,
I am excited to introduce our Discernment Committee who will help prepare us for calling a new rector to our church. They are: Anne Blackwell, Jim Hunter, Dan Kniffen, Russ Ryan, Kelly Vidunas, Mary Katherine Washo, and Bruce Wright.
As Penny explained to the committee:
Their work will be comprehensive - leading the parish self-study process which will be directed by Sarah Brockenbrough, at the Diocese. Their work will include engaging with the Holy Cow Consulting Group to do a targeted survey using the Congregational Assessment Tool (this includes you – the parish) which will then bring to light the topics with which to engage focus groups (again, you – the parish), all of which will then form the parish profile that they will create, with the Diocese, and then the process of looking at candidates for the next rector of All Saints. This process may take a year, or more, or less. Because this is such an important task, in and of itself, the process should and will take the time that it takes.
As your Senior Warden, I ask that as we proceed, you include these people in your prayers, and ask God to guide them in their discernment and work that they will be doing on behalf of everyone at All Saints and the church itself.
This will be an exciting time for the parish, although it won’t be without some grief, anxiety, and sadness as folks look into the past through some of the work that will need to be done. It is truly important that we know who we are as a parish and a church, and to be able to say who we are as a community, and to clearly communicate that so we are able to find a person who will be a good match for this parish.
To use our Stewardship slogan from last year, we are going into this process with God at the helm, the Discernment Committee as the crew, and “taking a leap of faith” into the future of All Saints Church. Thank you for getting onboard!
God’s blessings amongst us all,
Bari K. Pitts
Senior Warden
