I've been hanging my biretta in the same place for nearly 30 months now. St. James the Apostle is a small but lively parish which has come to embrace a new sense of mission as the last Anglican parish in north Regina. It has been and continues to be a joy to work and worship with them.
It is the nature of interim ministry that it is interregnal. I am not here nor was I called to be here as anything more than the Interim Priest. (So much nicer than the now thankfully discarded phrase "Priest in Charge.") My appointment was originally scheduled to be a matter of months and has been extended several times - and most recently extended without a specific end date, but rather until the appointment of a permanent incumbent is effected.
Now, I knew all that. Even so, I've mixed feelings since the official call went out for candidates who would consider becoming the next incumbent of St. James the Apostle, Regina.
I would encourage any of my ordained readers, wherever they may be, to check out the posting here. I'll even allow as the ad gives an honest reflection of what the parish is really like - at least as I have experienced it. And I'll admit to a mischievous sense of satisfaction that an unreconstructed lefty like me actually proposed the adjective "entrepreneurial" to describe the desired next incumbent.
We learned on the Meili campaign how effective social networks can be in spreading a message wider. So I'd ask any of you who know a priest who is entrepreneurial, innovative, a team player and a skilled communicator to pass it on.
God has plenty of work to do in north Regina.
(For the record, I don't actually have a biretta.)
7 comments:
I thought of you when I saw the posting on the ACC website.
Love and Prayers (and meant literally, not just as a closing sign off).
Ann Marie +
So how long, and then what?
Closing date is end August. By the time they are done shortlisting, interviews and selection, then notice and a move. I'm working on the assumption I'm probably around until Christmas.
Then? I don't know. The other Regina and Regina area parishes without priests are all in process towards an appointment, so I don't see another interim in the offing. Most likely back to being an ornery assistant. Which is perfectly fine with me.
I'm sure God and the Bishop will let me know. ;-)
I served for a time as an associate in a very large congregation. In some ways the best of all possible church jobs. I got to fill the role of pastor for a great congregation without the administrative headaches that the rector had.
Looks like a great job post, Malcolm.
What happened to the other Anglican churches in Regina?
There was a story on the US news that there will be only one Canadian Anglican by the year 2062 if current membership trends continue. Is that the case?
One could do a neat study of what the four parish decline represented. Each case was different, but I think the common denominator was that the final stage in the decline of each parish was a focus on maintaining the institution, not on telling the good news.
Longitudinal studies with a 50+ year scope are mostly useless. The same study conducted 20 years earlier would show exactly the opposite trends.
What I do know is that St. James is growing, not declining.
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