I grew up listening to a 45-rpm recording of Doris Day sing Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). The lyrics balance the uncertainty of the future with a hopeful tone:
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Que sera, sera.
When we consider the future of St John’s, our approach should not be Que Sera Sera. Instead, we need to deliberately prepare for the future. Over the coming weeks, we will begin to see activities designed to enable our Vicar search. First, we will form a Profile Committee that will analyze our parish to identify our trajectory and what we need in a Vicar. All of you will have opportunity to contribute to the parish profile.
Once the profile is established, we will actively begin a search for a Vicar. We will receive a list of possible candidates from the diocese. A Search Committee established by the Bishop’s Committee will interview everyone on the list and make recommendations to our church leadership. Based on those interviews, two or three candidates will be invited to visit St. John’s for a visit and an interview with the Bishop’s Committee. Remember, since St. John’s is a mission, Bishop Taylor could simply appoint a Vicar, but he wants the congregation to go through this process to find the right person to lead St. John’s into the future.
This will take several months, so please be patient. We will keep you fully informed of all actions and make the process fully transparent. Moreover, have faith that God is the midst of all our efforts. The future may not be ours to see, but God has searched us and knows us (Ps 139:1), and we will see the great things God has planned for our church.
Grace and Peace,
Jerry+