As we continue our journey to call a new rector, I want to share with you the heart of what we’ve learned about ourselves as a parish and what qualities we hope to find in our next spiritual leader. On March 16, we held a parish-wide meeting with the Rev. Marion Sprott from the Diocese Transition Office. Our search committee compiled that results of that facilitated discussion and created a parish profile and rector profile.
Here’s a summary of the information we gathered about our parish.
A Parish of Resilience and Compassion
St. John’s is a vibrant, welcoming church grounded in deep tradition while boldly stepping into new expressions of faith. From livestreaming services during the pandemic to founding the Wake Forest Community Table, our church family has shown time and again that we are adaptable, compassionate, and committed to serving one another and our wider community.
We currently offer three Sunday services that reflect our values: a meditative, spoken Eucharist at 7:45 a.m., a 9:30 a.m. traditional service including music, and our 11:15 a.m. Tapestry, an interactive, intergenerational service designed with younger families in mind. This liturgical diversity is one of our strengths—and a sign of our openness to new ways of experiencing God.
What We Value
Thanks to your voices in the parish-wide survey, we heard some powerful common themes:
- A strong sense of community and care
- A love of music and meaningful worship
- A deep commitment to inclusivity
- A passion for outreach and justice
- A growing desire to invest in children and youth
These values are shaping both our present ministries and our dreams for the future.
Looking Ahead with Hope
We envision a church three years from now that is bursting with children’s laughter, alive with new families, and growing through expanded ministries. As we move into an updated
3-year strategic plan with a new rector, we will include these goals, and your continued feedback and participation will be vital.
The Leader We Seek
Our next rector will be someone who:
- Leads with spiritual depth and pastoral care
- Supports our ministries with collaboration and clarity
- Brings creativity and openness to worship
- Is passionate about youth and family engagement
- Delivers sermons that are relatable, inspiring, and rooted in the Gospel
We seek a rector who will walk beside us in faith, help us grow in love, and guide us in becoming the church God is calling us to be.
The search committee has received resumes, cover letters, and personal stories of priests who are interested in serving our parish. They are beginning the labor of reviewing the materials, watching sermons, and determining candidates to bring to St. John’s for confidential meetings with the search committee. The search committee will suggest a final candidate to the vestry, the vestry will make their decision and communicate with the Bishop requesting approval to bring the chosen person as our new rector.
It is important to remember that bringing a new rector is a call and discernment process. The work doesn’t happen in the number of resumes we collect, but in the work we do as a congregation to pray over the process. I hope each of you are keeping the St. John’s transition prayer as part of your daily communion with God.
Thank You
Thank you for being an integral part of this process. Your stories, your hopes, and your commitment to our shared life together are shaping the path forward. Please continue to hold our Rector Search Committee in prayer as we seek the leader who will walk this next chapter with us.
Blessings, Camille Stell Senior Warden
Transition Prayer for St. John’s
Ever-present and Holy God, as you continue to invite new people into St. John’s, we ask your ongoing guidance and blessing upon us, that we may always become more fully the people and congregation you would have us to be. Keep our hearts deeply grounded in your divine love, that we may grow in steadfast love and gentleness for one another. Inspire our leadership with wisdom and creativity to navigate the ongoing changes that lay before us. In this season of transition, we particularly pray for Sr. Warden Camille Stell, Father Mawethu, vestry, staff, search committee, our Interim Rector, Rev. Patricia Grace, and our eventual new rector. Fill all of us with courage, kindness, and patience as we walk the Way of Love with one another and with the broader diverse community around us. All this we ask in the name of your son Jesus, who lives and reigns in each of us every day. Amen.
