Good Shepherd Episcopal Church

At the Annual Meeting we announced that the Vestry has begun the process for discerning a new halftime Rector for Good Shepherd. We are working closely with Canon Anna Olson (our previous Interim Rector) who is now in charge of this process in the Diocese. The Vestry had reached out to Canon Anna in December of last year (she had just been installed as Canon of Faith, Leadership and Collaboration) and we are at a point now that we feel confident we are ready to move forward. It is important to remember that we suspended our rector search in March of 2024 after a financial retreat with the vestry and Canon Andrew Walter of the Diocese (at the time) who did a thorough analysis of our finances. It was determined at that point that we were not in good financial shape to be able to hire and sustain even a halftime rector. With the opening of the Evergreen Montessori School this coming September, an increase in revenue from our newest tenant congregation (Iglesia de Dios Casa De Dios), increased attention to reducing our operating costs and most of all the sustained support from our faithful congregation, our finances are in much better shape as explained at the Annual Meeting (see the Annual Report here). As a result the Finance Committee and the Vestry budgeted for a halftime rector beginning in September and the budget was approved by the vestry at the vestry meeting prior to the Annual Meeting February 18. The budget was presented during the Annual Meeting (see link above). We will meet on Friday March 6 with the Rev Thom Sinclair (our prior seminarian!) who is now the Chief Operating Officer in the Diocese and who has analyzed our finances to assure that in fact we are ready financially. 

In short the process is the same as it was when we were first conducting a search two years ago. However, we are not starting from scratch! The Office of Transition Ministry (OTM) profile that the vestry (back then) wrote is still applicable according to Canon Anna. Canon Anna (who of course is working closely with Bishop Mariann) knows the clergy who are seeking positions in our Diocese and is our source for candidates. At this point and for obvious reasons the process is confidential (who the candidates are) which has always been the case. Also the vestry has supplanted a 'search committee' as explained 4 years ago so the vestry is responsible for both the search and the selection (subject to approval by the Bishop) of the rector. 

The Wardens and the Vestry will keep you posted as the discernment continues and let us know if you have any questions. Also please keep us and our congregation in your prayers as we move forward!!