The Transition Update
The transition period nears its end.
The search for a new Rector is in its final stages.
Four final candidates have emerged from this process. Extensive telephone interviews were conducted, reference checks have been completed, and visits to the candidate’s parishes are being conducted during the second half of June. It is expected that a final list of three candidates will be decided by the Discernment Committee on July 2 and submitted to the Vestry by July 7th. The Vestry will then invite those candidates to Portland for an informal meeting - with the Vestry only - and will issue a call the latter part of July.
This process has been long, but extremely rewarding. The Discernment Committee has appreciated the thoughts, prayers, and general support of the parish family through the duration.
Profile Completed - Search Begins
The search has begun for a new Rector of our parish community. The Discernment Committee of 14 members is receiving names of persons who may be interested in being considered for the position. Please click here to view the online-only version of the document. Because of the layout and size of this document this color online version is not printable. For a printable black and white document, click here. Preprinted versions are available by contacting the Discernment Committee at this email link or the Diocese of Oregon to have one mailed.
We are seeking a great preacher, an innovative liturgical and worship leader, a provider of pastoral care and spiritual growth opportunities for our community, a strong administrator and organization developer, and a person with passion for social justice. Interested persons may contact any member of the Discernment Committee, or the co-chairs, Ann Hargraves or Peter Schmidt.
To email us, click here. We are looking forward to hearing from you. We have produced a guide for the application process that will assist you in preparing the necessary components. Again, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Discernment Committee.
Other documents that might be of interest in this process are listed on this page under Information You Can Use.
Self-Study Ends
Our period of outreach and self-study ended November 16. We have sought your input through Forum, small group gatherings, the “four questions,” individual interviews, and the parish-profile survey mailed out last month. Most respondents seemed to enjoy the opportunity to express themselves despite some impatience with the process. Your responses have been thoughtful and forward-reaching. We’d like to thank each of you for taking the time to consider the questions and respond to our varied requests.
Following are some highlights of our self-study.
- Clearly we are a people of community. Both the vocal majority of us who have been consistently and individually welcomed, and the more reticent minority who haven’t yet felt that warmth, speak of the desire for increasing opportunities for closer community within St. Michael’s: more small group interactions, more opportunities to get to know each other, more blending of the different service congregations, perhaps regularly scheduled parish retreats. We seek to embody community more fully – each of us, individually, as a part of the Body of Christ – feeling familiar and comfortable with those around us as a part of us, the Body of Christ in this place.
- Part of what keeps many of us here at St. Michael’s is the commitment we see to outreach and social-justice ministries in Portland and the larger world. Many of our responses call for an increased commitment and a more varied outreach, and a hope to see this as a larger part of our mission.
- Many of us have spoken of the beauty and joy of our Sunday services (whichever style we have chosen to attend), with their carefully thought out music, liturgy and varied opportunities for lay participation. As well, we have expressed a hunger for challenging preaching to help us live out our faith daily in the outer world. What might this look like? How can we best begin? How do we get back on the wagon? How can we maintain the joy?
- Over and over again, we have spoken of the desire for more diversity in our parish. It seems to be important to us that we not just welcome diversity, but that we seek it. As diversity we mention age, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic position. We appear to seek the possible discomfort of learning to embrace those who may not look “like us.”
- We seem mostly to be quite happy and comfortable with our experience of church at St Michael’s, and yet we are unwilling to fall into complacency. We have great hopes for ourselves as growing Christians finding more and better ways of living out our faith with each other, and supporting each other in our efforts in the greater world. We seek the challenges to come.
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Profile Committee
Kathy Bang, Chairperson; Anne North, Letty Phillips, Jim Robbins, George Ivan Smith, Kevin Warren
Kathy Buhl, Chaplain; Josh English, Vestry Liaison; Jack Hilyard, Diocesan Consultant