St. Bartholomew’s Church Rector Call Committee Announcement
December 22, 2021 
 
The Vestry of St. Bartholomew’s Church, in Poway, California, is forming a Call Committee to search for a new permanent rector.
 
Committee Structure

The committee will consist of eleven members who are in good standing with the church. Three of the members will be selected from vestry members. The committee will be chosen from a list of parishioners who volunteer for the committee. The committee members will be selected by the vestry to represent a broad diversity of the parish membership. 

The committee will select two members to serve as co-chairs. The vestry will approve an operating budget for the committee.

Committee Duties and Responsibilities

The Call Committee will meet as needed to carry out the work of identifying candidates for rector. It is expected that this will be bi-weekly for the first few months. It is anticipated that the work of the committee with continue through most of 2022. Guidance for this process will be from the Canon to the Ordinary, the wardens, the Canons of the Episcopal Church and the San Diego Diocese, and practices described in the book Rector Transitions by Van Sheets

  • The entire search process is under the guidance of the Diocese and specifically the Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.

  • The vestry will create a Profile Committee comprised of members from the Call Committee and other parishioners who will write the Office for Transition Ministry (OTM) Ministry Profile, utilizing their knowledge of St. Bart’s and congregational responses gathered in the initial transition.
    
  • The Profile Committee will meet with the Canon to the Ordinary to finalize and post the OTM Ministry Profile. The Diocese will consult with the vestry to clarify the terms of the call (compensation package). 

  • The call will be posted for a nationwide search. After posting, St. Bartholomew’s will be in the receiving names phase, and the Call Committee will take responsibility for the calling process, consulting and updating the wardens regularly. The Interim Rector may offer general guidance to the Call Committee but is not involved in the details of the calling process.

  • The Call Committee handles communication with the parish, offering weekly or agreed-upon updates. The updates are general, not using names of candidates or any information about them, but rather “we are now receiving names.” Or we are now phoning references of our candidates.  

  • All applications come first to the Canon to the Ordinary, who performs initial background checks before forwarding names to the Call Committee.

  • The Call Committee Chair receives names and distributes information to Call Committee members. All decide on who to proceed with and how best to receive information from candidates.  

  • Based on answers to written questions, the Call Committee decides who to interview. 

  • Arrangements are made for the candidates to visit the church. When candidates visit they also must meet the Bishop. 

  • The Call Committee may also decide to visit candidates in their ministry contexts.  If so, visits happen ideally in pairs or threes.  Not all of our Call Committees make these visits.  Visits must be approved in advance by the vestry and the Canon to the Ordinary.

  • A list of three finalists will be presented to the Senior Warden and vestry along with all of the information that the Call Committee can pass on (resumes, profiles, answers to written questions, and summary information from interviews).  After the finalists are presented to the vestry, authority for the process is handed over to the vestry and the work of the Call Committee is complete. 

Call Committee Applicant Criteria

  • Call Committee members cannot be clergy, staff members, or related to clergy or staff.

  • Membership balance concerning key factors such as age, race, activities, and organizations in the church, length of time active, etc.

  • No two members from the same household or immediate family.

  • Three members will be current members of the vestry.

  • All members will be regular worshipers and supporters of the ongoing life of the congregation.

  • Each member must be able to work with the group, keep confidences and get work done on time.

  • Members must be able to commit to the full time and responsibilities of the committee.

  • Wardens are not eligible to be on the committee.
 
Call Committee Application Procedure

  • Interested persons should complete the attached application form.


  • Applications are due by January 25, 2022. The committee will be selected by the vestry in early February 2022.

  • Questions about the committee or the application process can be sent to Costa Dillon via email or call 978-992-1161.
St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church | Website