HTSB Enters into Rector Search Process
An Important Announcement from your Vestry
December 2, 2007
Dear Fellow Parishioners and Friends:
On behalf of your Vestry, it is with great pleasure that I inform you of our unanimous decision to enter into the rector search process. After much deliberation and with the great help and spiritual leadership from the Rev. Rick Byrum, we feel called into initiating the steps toward calling our Rector, which is the right and duty of every mature parish, in consultation with their Bishop.
Several weeks ago, the Vestry met with the Reverend Canon Joanna Satorious, from the diocesan Office of Clergy Formation and Development, to discuss our intent to move forward with the search process. We will continue to work with her to make sure that we are in keeping with Diocesan procedures.
As you may know, our congregation has been through many challenges these past few years and much of it has meant a time of introspection. We feel this time has been well spent in the development of lay leadership and growth. As I stated in my letter to the Diocese, we, the Congregation of Holy Trinity and St. Benedict have grown and are now ready to seek stability in our spiritual life by taking that next step in the life of every parish by choosing a priest whom God calls to be rector of this parish.
Some of you may immediately wonder, “Is Fr. Rick leaving us? Are we asking him to leave?†That is not the case. Fr. Rick is committed to our Parish and will remain the Priest-In-Charge until we call our rector. He has also expressed his deep desire to continue his pastoral role here at Holy Trinity and St. Benedict and will be a candidate for that search process. But before we call a person to serve, we must first understand who we are. We must first figure out who we are and where we want to go before anyone can listen to the call to serve as this parish’s next rector.
This search process will be a challenging journey for all of us, a journey that will take many, many months of self discovery and soul searching. The important thing to know, however, is that we will be taking this journey together as a congregation. This search process will be an open one where all of us will be involved. For the next several months, we will be working to develop a Parish Profile that will state in words who we are, what we want to do, where we want to go, what our goals are, what programs we will pursue, and so on. We will be having many town hall meetings, small group discussions, and home visits, until we have completed a Parish Profile.
As I mentioned, this is an open process and I encourage all of you to participate and voice out your opinions. I also encourage all of us to be open to all possibilities of what is right and good and not what one necessarily wants. God works in mysterious ways and God will call the one who should be here with us, as rector of this parish, and this process is meant to facilitate that.
With great joy and expectation, I remain,
Yours in Christ,
Tim Botengan
Senior Warden
The Parish of Holy Trinity and St. Benedict
Email: tbotengan@earthlink .net
Cell: (626) 482-3911
PS
On Sunday, December 2, 2007, this announcement was distributed at the 11:00 AM service. In addition, those who had questions or concerns were invited to stay immediately after the service so that they can ask the members of the Vestry. As the letter mentioned, this is an open process and the Vestry will try to keep it as transparent as allowed. We will continue to hold question and answer sessions immediately after church services whenever possible. We will also continue to inform you of any new developments as they come up. Thank you.
December 2, 2007
Dear Fellow Parishioners and Friends:
On behalf of your Vestry, it is with great pleasure that I inform you of our unanimous decision to enter into the rector search process. After much deliberation and with the great help and spiritual leadership from the Rev. Rick Byrum, we feel called into initiating the steps toward calling our Rector, which is the right and duty of every mature parish, in consultation with their Bishop.
Several weeks ago, the Vestry met with the Reverend Canon Joanna Satorious, from the diocesan Office of Clergy Formation and Development, to discuss our intent to move forward with the search process. We will continue to work with her to make sure that we are in keeping with Diocesan procedures.
As you may know, our congregation has been through many challenges these past few years and much of it has meant a time of introspection. We feel this time has been well spent in the development of lay leadership and growth. As I stated in my letter to the Diocese, we, the Congregation of Holy Trinity and St. Benedict have grown and are now ready to seek stability in our spiritual life by taking that next step in the life of every parish by choosing a priest whom God calls to be rector of this parish.
Some of you may immediately wonder, “Is Fr. Rick leaving us? Are we asking him to leave?†That is not the case. Fr. Rick is committed to our Parish and will remain the Priest-In-Charge until we call our rector. He has also expressed his deep desire to continue his pastoral role here at Holy Trinity and St. Benedict and will be a candidate for that search process. But before we call a person to serve, we must first understand who we are. We must first figure out who we are and where we want to go before anyone can listen to the call to serve as this parish’s next rector.
This search process will be a challenging journey for all of us, a journey that will take many, many months of self discovery and soul searching. The important thing to know, however, is that we will be taking this journey together as a congregation. This search process will be an open one where all of us will be involved. For the next several months, we will be working to develop a Parish Profile that will state in words who we are, what we want to do, where we want to go, what our goals are, what programs we will pursue, and so on. We will be having many town hall meetings, small group discussions, and home visits, until we have completed a Parish Profile.
As I mentioned, this is an open process and I encourage all of you to participate and voice out your opinions. I also encourage all of us to be open to all possibilities of what is right and good and not what one necessarily wants. God works in mysterious ways and God will call the one who should be here with us, as rector of this parish, and this process is meant to facilitate that.
With great joy and expectation, I remain,
Yours in Christ,
Tim Botengan
Senior Warden
The Parish of Holy Trinity and St. Benedict
Email: tbotengan@earthlink .net
Cell: (626) 482-3911
PS
On Sunday, December 2, 2007, this announcement was distributed at the 11:00 AM service. In addition, those who had questions or concerns were invited to stay immediately after the service so that they can ask the members of the Vestry. As the letter mentioned, this is an open process and the Vestry will try to keep it as transparent as allowed. We will continue to hold question and answer sessions immediately after church services whenever possible. We will also continue to inform you of any new developments as they come up. Thank you.
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