Rector Search

NOTE: Grace St. Paul's is no longer accepting applications for the position of permanent Rector.

Members of the Search Committee are in the process of interviewing qualified applicants. Please pray for the work of our dedicated Search Committee!

• Download Parish Profile

Below is a report of the Search Committee's progress. This material is updated regularly to reflect new events as they occur.

Timeline for Search Process in 2009-2010

• July 2009: Vestry called the Rev. Deborah Heathcock to serve as Interim Rector.
• August 2009: Rev. Deborah Heathcock began serving as Interim Rector.
• Fall 2009: Search Committee crafted the Parish Profile.
• December 2009: Parish Profile sent to Bishop Kirk Smith for approval.
• January 2010: Profile published on the GSP website and the position listed with the Church Deployment Office; Diocesan office screened initial applicants for suitability.
• March-May 2010: Search Committee will receive final applications; send out follow-up questionnaires; conduct interviews; narrow to three candidates; send three names to Vestry.
• May-June 2010: Three candidates visit Tucson for interviews with the Vestry; Vestry makes selection. Name sent to Bishop for final approval.
• June 2010: Vestry issues call to chosen candidate.

Our Transition Period in More Detail

Summer 2008

The search process began in June after the retirement of our Rector, the Rev. Canon Gordon McBride.

In June, the Vestry called the Rev. Harold O. Clinehens, Jr. to serve as Interim Rector.

The Vestry selected the Search Committee in June and announced the members: Lynne Albright and Ernie Galaz, Co-Chairs; Chris Eastoe, Linda Hutson, Beth Lee, Dick Miya, Catherine Penn, Tom Pitello, Terry Shreve, Roger Swett and Virginia Zuelow.

In August, the Rev. Canon Frank Clark was assigned to Grace St. Paul's to assist us in the search process.

Fall 2008

The committee held its first organizational meeting Sept. 7. Ernie Galaz led the group in an exercise about decision-making styles designed to help the committee communicate with each other more effectively.

Canon Clark met with the committee on Sept. 14. He went over the entire search process, from coping with feelings of loss and grief, to describing the tasks of gathering information and developing a Parish Profile. Canon Clark also introduced the committee to Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and suggested that we consider using AI in our parish visioning process.

The Search Committee was officially commissioned at the 8 and 10 o'clock services on Sept. 21.

Throughout the fall, the committee discussed the issues of transition, studied written material on AI, and outlined the information that will be needed for the Parish Profile. Committee members were assigned to gather data on the following areas: GSP and Tucson Demographics, GSP Ministries, Parish History and a description of our Financial Status. We agreed our Vision for the Future would be developed using AI at a Parish Summit to be held sometime in the spring of 2009.

Winter 2009

At a retreat on Jan. 2-3, Canon Clark facilitated an Appreciative Inquiry process using focused questions about our experiences, values, and hopes for Grace St Paul's. We dialogued in pairs and then larger groups, discovering commonalities in our responses and crafting a statement that fully enveloped our common values and dreams for our parish. Going through this inspiring experience energized and bonded the group.

At the end of the retreat, the committee agreed that utilizing AI in the search process would allow members of the parish to share and listen to one another's stories of their best experiences at Grace St Paul's, along with their hopes and aspirations for the future of our congregation. We see this process as a very positive way of articulating a shared vision of the future for our next Rector, and for building new bonds of affection and fellowship within the parish.

The committee also developed a timeline for the remainder of the search.

Spring 2009

On March 21, the Parish Summit was attended by nearly 100 people who shared their stories, hopes and dreams for the future of our parish. Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive as attendees made new connections and experienced a shared vision. Following the Summit, search committee members began facilitating makeup interviews for those who were not able to attend.

On Sunday, March 29, Fr. Harold Clinehens announced that he would be leaving GSP to accept a call to serve as Rector at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Lodi, Calif. Fr. Harold expressed his deep desire to be of service in the rebuilding process now going on in the Diocese of San Joaquin. His last Sunday with us was May 17 and the parish held a celebration of the Clinehens' ministry at GSP.

Bishop Kirk Smith met with the Vestry on May 7 to discuss options for a new interim rector. During the month of June, several candidates were vetted and in early July, the Vestry interviewed and called the Rev. Deborah Heathcock to serve as interim rector, beginning August 16.

Summer 2009

The Search Committee met throughout the summer to sift through results of the Parish Summit and to create a narrative of those results for our Parish Profile. Various profile templates were studied and a "visual look" was identified. Members of the Committee took on the task of writing the various sections of the profile (i.e. "Worship," "Stewardship," "Spiritual Formation") and then worked together to create a coherent document.

GSP welcomed the Reverend Deborah Heathcock as our interim rector on August 16, 2009.

Fall 2009

The Search Committee finished the task of gathering all the data to complete the job of writing the narrative portion of the Parish Profile. The Profile was edited, artwork and photos selected, and a design for the graphic layout was chosen. The completed Parish Profile was sent to Bishop Kirk Smith for review and approval in December 2009.