By Michael Walker
In the near future, the Manakin vestry will ask for nominations for the committee that will be tasked with the search for a new rector. There already has been a lot of buzz about the process and who might be part of the committee. Have you given it some thought? Do you want to nominate yourself or another member of the congregation?
The search committee should be representative of our congregation. For example, it should include parishioners of various ages; long-time and new members; and those raised in the Episcopal faith, as well as those who came to the Episcopal Church from other religious backgrounds. When the time comes, parishioners will be encouraged to nominate themselves or others for the committee. Then, the vestry, along with a consultant provided by the Diocese, will evaluate the nominations and select the committee members. The size of the committee will be determined with the help of the consultant, and it is likely that not everyone nominated will be selected.
Once formed, the committee will be tasked with putting together the church profile that is used in the search, and committee members will be responsible for evaluating candidates, using various methods. There will be meetings, discussions and more meetings as the process unfolds. There will most likely be in-person visits to see the candidates at their current churches, and that could mean some travel, depending on how wide an area our search covers. Searches can be confined to Virginia or to a particular geographic region. They may also expand nationwide.
As you pray about this and gauge your interest in nominating yourself for the search committee, I ask you to consider the skills you might bring to the committee. I also ask that you consider the time commitment. Searches generally go on for periods longer than one year. During that time, the committee must meet regularly and often frequently. Additional discussions outside regularly scheduled meetings may also need to occur. In previous searches, members of the committee also served as liaisons to perspective candidates. Think about how this might fit in with what you already have going on daily in your life.
I am not trying to talk anyone out of participating in this very important part of our lives. In fact, it is just the opposite. I want as many people as possible interested in volunteering, so we can have the best pool of potential committee members, and therefore, a wonderful representation of our Household on the search committee.
If you have any questions about the process or the committee’s responsibilities, let one of the wardens know, or talk with your vestry person. We are blessed in so many ways, and one of the blessings is that we have people with experience available to talk with you too. So, think about whether this is a way you want to support your church. Information on how to self-nominate will be coming soon.