Rector Search

Absolutely! We are planning a celebration Sunday July 23, 2023, after the Feast of St. Anna’s evening Mass. More details will be announced as we get closer.

There are specific steps and guidelines established by the Episcopal Church to follow in the search process for a new rector. Bishop Shannon Duckworth and The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana provide St. Anna’s with guidance and assistance through The Rev. Morgan MacIntire, Canon to the Ordinary. Members of the Vestry and Search Committee have already met with both the Bishop and Canon and will continue to meet with the Canon as we proceed.

The process started with the selection of a Search Committee, charged by the Vestry to find and recommend a final candidate(s) to the Vestry. There are 4 basic phases of the search process that the Search Committee is responsible for:

Phase 1 – Conduct a self-study of the congregation to gather the opinions, thoughts and hopes of members of St. Anna’s regarding our church and what we want in a new rector. We have decided to do this self-study utilizing an online survey (which will also be available in paper form for those who prefer it) and focus groups of parishioners and other stakeholders (community partners, mission participants, etc.). This is planned to start on Easter Sunday and conclude three weeks later, on Sunday April 30.

Phase 2 – Develop a Parish Profile, a document that tells the story of our church, its demographics, needs, community involvement and environment, history, vision, dreams, and mission. This, along with other documents, will be completed and posted online to be used in support of our search for a new rector.

Phase 3 – Review resumes and interview clergy candidates interested in the Rector position at St. Anna’s (after an initial screening by the Diocese). This phase of the search process is confidential, to protect priests who are applying.

Phase 4 – Nominate one (no more than 2) candidates for proposed election by the Vestry, subject to consent of the Bishop. This phase of the search process also is confidential.

St. Anna’s received gracious approval from our Bishop to conduct Phases 1 and 2 of the search process – the self-study (survey and focus groups) and development of the Parish profile – before Fr. Terry’s retirement date. More typically, the search process does not begin until the rector has resigned, which is when we’ll conduct Phases 3 and 4. By allowing us to get a big head start, we hope to shorten the interim period (before a new rector is called) to 6-9 months after Fr. Terry’s retirement instead of 12-18 months.

Bill Glew is the chair of the Search Committee and Karen Judge (Sr. Warden) is co-chair. Members include Lauren Anderson, Cavin Davis, Nicole Gottschalk, Jim McMillan, Diana Meyers, Randy Ott, and Tim van Alstyne.

The Rector position will be posted on a website accessible to Episcopal priests throughout the United States.

Your thoughts and opinions are important for the Search Committee to know what type of person to choose for our next rector, as well as to the goals and needs of St. Anna’s. The most important thing you can do is to complete the survey that will be available Easter Sunday through Sunday April 30, and also to attend a focus group to discuss these topics. We also need your prayers to open our minds to receive information, adequately share it with others, and carefully and make wise decisions informed by the Holy Spirit. Please feel free to ask the committee any questions or voice any concerns you may have.

Signup sheets are available in the Parish Hall for focus groups – Please sign up or email us at Transition@stannanola.org:

Our Parish Profile will describe who we are, how we believe we should evolve as a faith community, and what we seek in a new rector. It will provide basic data, including parish membership and finances, as well as information on worship services, mission programs, parish life and goals, history, and previous clergy. The Search Committee is targeting completion of the parish profile by the end of June to allow time for Vestry and Diocesan sign-off during July. The final profile will be available online through our website and in print at the church following Father Terry’s retirement July 23.

Following consultation with the Bishop, and possibly at her recommendation, the Vestry will choose an Interim Rector to lead our parish until a new rector arrives. The Interim Rector will maintain our regular schedule of worship services, education, pastoral care, and pastoral offices (weddings, funerals, baptisms); supervise staff; assist us to sustain the direction and ministry of our church as defined by our vestry; and prepare us for the next phase of our life together. The Interim Rector does not have a role in the search process.

While there is no definitive time frame for finding a new rector, experience suggests that it will take 6 to 9 months, perhaps longer, after online posting of the Parish Profile and solicitation of applications to “call” (hire) a new rector. Stated differently, the interim period will start in late July and likely continue to February at the earliest; it could run to May or even later.

The Vestry has the final authority to accept or reject the recommendation of the Search Committee in choosing our next rector.

The names of candidates are strictly confidential to protect them in their current positions, and members of St. Anna’s will be made aware only of the name of the new Rector once the Vestry has issued the call to the candidate and the call is accepted by the candidate. The Search Committee will strive to keep members updated on other aspects of the search process through this website, Sunday bulletins, emails, and announcements.

While Fr. Bill has been instrumental in the development of many programs at St. Anna’s, it is YOU, the members of St. Anna’s that embrace them and guide their future. We have strong leadership in all programs and a dedicated and engaged Vestry to support the mission work and programs that St. Anna’s members want to see continue through this transition.

Please email Transition@stannanola.org or call 504-475-8018 to reach out to a member of the Search Committee.