An Update from Our Senior Warden
Great things are happening at St. Bart’s! I wanted to bring everyone up-to-date on some activities in case you missed them in the weekly news.
New Clergy
As our interim rector, the Rev. Bill Doggett, announced, we have two new part-time clergy: the Rev. Nancy Burnett, assistant rector, and the Rev. Brian Petersen, curate. Some people have asked how we can afford two new clergy. I am happy to explain.
The vestry approved a budget that includes these positions. The Rev. Nancy Burnett replaces the Rev. Canon Allisyn Thomas, and the funds allocated for the latter will be used to pay for the former. We have been fortunate to have the part-time help of the Rev. Cathey Dowdle for many months. Most of the costs of a curate are paid by our diocese. The remaining costs are the funds previously used for the Rev. Cathey. She will return to volunteer status as a retired priest who is a member of our parish.
St. Bart’s, being one of the larger parishes in the diocese, is an appropriate place for a curate. A curate is a newly ordained priest who serves a year or so in a parish under the mentorship of a more experienced priest. The Rev. Chris Harris and the Rev. Mary-Lynn Colson were previous curates who served here, and moved on to permanent positions in other parishes when their curacy ended. Both Rev. Petersen and Rev. Burnett are transitional deacons who will be ordained priests on Saturday, June 18 at 11AM at St. Andrew's, 890 Balour Drive, Encinitas. You're invited! Though they have different employment statuses, (Rev. Burnett is employed by St. Bart’s and her term is open-ended, whereas Rev. Petersen is employed by our diocese and will be here for a time certain), the Rev. Doggett will serve as a mentor for them both.
There is a lot going on at St. Bart’s and a lot to come. With the two new part-time clergy, we will have the equivalent of two permanent clergy. There will be plenty of work for them and we look forward to their presence in our community.
Gala a Success
More than 165 people attended the St. Bart’s Gala on April 23 and helped make this event a resounding success in raising funds for our outreach programs. A total of $53,315 was raised through donations and the auction. Thirty-three individuals and businesses donated items to the silent and live auctions and the wine raffle. Major donors to the gala included Larry Burgess and Madeline Del Rosario, ESP Accounting, Greater Giving, and anonymous donors. Thanks for all the hard work and excellent results go to Development Director Demetreus Gregg, and the Planning Committee:
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop of San Diego (Honorary Chair)
- Anne Hand (Chair)
- Nina Zettinger
- Kathleen Sheehan Burgess
- Nancy Walters
- Demetreus Gregg
Search for a New Rector
The call committee is hard at work. As they have announced, it’s vital that everyone complete the CAT survey. The results of this survey inform the committee and potential applicants as to what St. Bart’s is looking for in a new rector. Everyone is also encouraged to participate in the committee’s listening sessions. Please see the emails from the call committee for details.
A reminder of the process of finding a new rector:
- The call committee will meet as needed to carry out the work of identifying candidates for rector. Guidance for this process comes from the wardens, the canon to the ordinary (bishop's right-hand person), the canons (laws) of the Episcopal Church and our diocese.
- The vestry will create a profile committee composed of members from the call committee and other parishioners who will write the Office for Transition Ministry (OTM) ministry portfolio and the parish profile, using their knowledge of St. Bart’s and congregational responses gathered in the initial transition.
- The profile committee will meet with the vestry and the canon to the ordinary to finalize and post the OTM ministry portfolio and the parish profile. The diocese will consult with the vestry to clarify the terms of the call.
- The call will be posted for a nationwide search. After posting, St. Bartholomew’s will receive names and the committee will take responsibility for the calling process, consulting and updating the wardens regularly. The interim rector may offer general guidance to the call committee but is not involved in the details of the calling process.
- The call committee will handle communication with the parish, offering periodic updates. The updates are general, not using the names of candidates or any information about them.
- All applications will come first to the canon to the ordinary, who performs initial background checks before forwarding names to the call committee.
- Based on answers to written questions, the call committee will decide who to interview.
- Candidates may or may not visit the church. If candidates visit they also must meet the bishop.
- The call committee may also decide to visit candidates in their ministry contexts. If so, visits happen ideally in pairs or threes. Not all call committees make these visits. Visits must be approved in advance by the vestry and the canon to the ordinary.
- A list of three finalists will be presented to the senior warden and vestry along with all of the information that the call committee can pass on (resumes, profiles, answers to written questions, and summary information from interviews). After the finalists are presented to the vestry, authority for the process is handed over to the vestry and the work of the call committee is complete.
- Our best estimate is that we may be able to identify and call a new rector before the end of this year and have the new rector here in early 2023.
Ministries Revitalization
As we continue to resume practices that were disturbed by the pandemic, revitalizing ministries is a paramount goal. To that end, the vestry has designated members as liaisons to various ministries.
Role of Vestry Ministries Liaisons
- Help reactivate the ministries
- Establish and maintain open communications between vestry and ministries
- Keep the vestry informed of ministries’ activities, accomplishments, and needs
- Provide a standing conduit between ministries and church leadership
What the Liaison Is and Is Not
- Liaisons are not assigned as the leader of the ministry
- Liaisons are not to make decisions related to the roles, members, or activities of the ministry
- Liaisons may be a member of their assigned ministry or any other ministry they wish
- Vestry liaisons have a pastoral role with the ministries they support, in conjunction with the rector, other clergy, and the vestry
Ministries Vestry Member Liaison
Call Committee- Brooke Grandinetti, Dan Crane, Shinobu Horne
Children- Brooke Grandinetti
Columbarium- Bill Angus
Community Health/Food Programs- Margie Polishuk
CREW/Youth- Brooke Grandinetti
Elders- Margie Polishuk
Finance Junior Warden- Susan McCormick
HFBF Construction- Bill Angus
Hospitality- Cheryl Roop
Invite Welcome Connect- Susan McCormick
LGTBQ- Susan McCormick
Outreach- Donna Watson
Peace & Justice- Parth Domke
Personnel Committee Senior Warden- Costa Dillon
Preschool- Dan Crane
Property- Will Smith
Ushers/Greeters/Bartmobile- Mike Fuqua
This is not a complete list of all the ministries of the church – there are many more opportunities for everyone to find their place serving St. Bart’s and our community. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of any ministry, please let the clergy or liaison vestry members know.
Pandemic Recovery and Practices
We all know that the pandemic severely curtailed and altered church activities. Conditions are much improved from a year ago. The most recent county data show a daily case rate for those over 12 years old of 12.59 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated and 40.70 per 100,000 for not fully vaccinated. Hospitalization rates are even lower at 0.26 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated and 0.47 per 100,000 for not fully vaccinated. Learn more.
We continue to follow the recommendations and conditions set by Bishop Susan Brown Snook for safe activities. For the time being, we will continue to use the individual wine cups for the Eucharist. In-person meetings indoors and outdoors are allowed without masks for those who are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people must still wear masks for indoor worship and meetings. Of course, each person is free to make their own decision as to whether or not to wear a mask at church events and each person should take whatever precautions with which they are most comfortable.
The online broadcast of services will continue. Not only for those who do not yet feel comfortable returning to in-person worship, but also for those who cannot attend church in person due to such factors as mobility, illness, transportation, etc. We have found that over the past two years new people have found St. Bart’s through our Zoom and YouTube broadcasts and we consider these people equally valuable members of our community with those who are physically on campus.
Feedback
I want to remind everyone that I am always happy to talk with anyone about any issue regarding the church as is Rev. Doggett, the other clergy, Junior Warden Susan McCormick, and all the vestry members. You can identify vestry members at church by their orange nametags. We want to hear from you your ideas, suggestions, concerns, and hopes for St. Bart’s.