New Year and New Opportunities in Beloved Community

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” — From Matthew 3:13-17

What a beautiful and meaningful Advent and Christmas season we had at St. Mark’s. As always, I am grateful for the many people who make our services and gathering times possible. As we enter the new year, we are in a good position to imagine what staffing will allow us to continue the good work of last year.

Many of you have asked if we will hire another assisting priest in the new year. We will! As in the past, transitions allow us to rethink distributions of work portfolios before hiring someone. I’m delighted that the Rev. Ann Fraser will be our associate for liturgy, family ministry and parish life going forward. This means we will hire a priest whose focus will be primarily adult formation, pastoral care and outreach. I look forward to posting that job description within the diocese and nationally in the coming weeks.

Until we hire someone, Ann and I will share those duties. It is important that we take the time to hire the right person to fit our community, so we will not rush. As the rector, I have the responsibility of interviewing and hiring staff. Once we narrow down the candidates, I will include input from lay leaders. I am confident we will find someone who is a good fit for our staff, brings important gifts to the team and will enhance our ministry here in the parish. Our parish is a wonderful place to serve, and we have been blessed with talented people who work here. I look forward to welcoming someone to this amazing team!

Another staffing change in the new year is that Laura Sellitto Wickham, who was serving in a part-time role as our program and administrative support, is moving to a full-time program role as member engagement coordinator. Her energy and skills will be well used to connect new and existing members as they serve and participate in our community life. As a full-time employee, she will work on Sundays and will continue her office presence Monday through Thursday. As her role shifts away from primarily administrative work, we look forward to hiring a part-time person in the coming months who will fill the administrative gap. That job description is forthcoming, and we know the parish community will help us identify people who can bring the necessary gifts to the staff.

When I arrived as your rector more than eleven years ago, a wise mentor reminded me that one of the main jobs of a large parish rector is to manage change. While it is always sad to see people we love depart, the reality is that new people bring fresh energy and ideas to our community. I’m excited about the coming year and appreciate your patience as we take the time to find the right people to enhance our ministry and fellowship here. Happy New Year!

Peace, Beth +