Overview of the Rector Search Process
The Search Committee is charged by the Vestry to find and recommend one final candidate to the Vestry for the position of Rector of the Parish. The Vestry has the final decision to elect and call the new Rector. The search process is confidential, and the Parish will be made aware 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 entire search process is conducted by the Search Committee in consultation with representatives of the Diocese of Southern Ohio through its Office of Transition Ministry, and must comply with all Diocesan and National Church requirements.
Phase One
The first phase of the search process requires the Search Committee to do a self-study of the congregation. The Search Committee has elected to do the self-study through a Parish-wide survey developed and analyzed by an outside consultant, followed by focus groups made up of parish members and conducted by members of the Search Committee. Based on that self-study, the Search Committee will create a document called the ‘Parish Profile’. This document is designed to be a narrative, which tells the story of the Parish, its demographics, needs, community environment, history, vision, dreams, and mission. The Search Committee has also completed additional forms and provided information as required by the Diocese. Once the Parish Profile and all supplemental documents are completed, they will be brought first to the Vestry for approval, and then sent to the Diocese for final approval. The Search Committee is then permitted to publish the Parish Profile and related documents (in print and posted on the Saint Mark’s website as well as other Saint Mark’s social media sites), however, no changes to these documents are permitted subsequent to Diocesan approval.
Phase Two
The second phase of the search process requires the Search Committee to review resumes and other information provided by clergy candidates who are interested in the Rector position at Saint Mark’s. Information about the Rector position at Saint Mark’s will be available in National Church and Diocesan databases accessible to clergy in transition who are searching for new positions, as well as through a notice paid for by Saint Mark’s in Episcopal News Service and the information posted on the Saint Mark’s website and social media sites. All potential candidates must apply through the designated representative at the Diocese of Southern Ohio in its Office of Transition Ministry. Likewise, any referral of names of potential candidates must be made to the designated representative of the Diocese. The Diocese will perform an initial screening process, and will provide names of qualified candidates to the Search Committee. The Search Committee must develop and implement a process for reviewing candidates through reference checks, telephone interviews, visits, and interviews with final candidates. The Search Committee will also develop a uniform system of rating and ranking candidates. Once a final candidate has been selected by the Search Committee and approved by the Office of Transition Ministry at the Diocese of Southern Ohio, the name of that candidate will be recommended by the Search Committee to the Vestry and the Vestry will make the final decision to accept the recommendation and issue the call to the new Rector.