[Magdalen] Once again we begin again......

[Lynn Ronkainen]

One of the hardest is second guessing...  really get to know some of the little stuff that really isn't little-
Are they collegial regarding other clergy they may hire or do they need to micromanage... how soon would they plan to implement changes? ( a wise clergy friend who often helped form newly minted priests for 2years before their first rector placement or hire once said - "stand behind the pulpit in the empty church and ask yourself if you can live with the space as it is for at least a year without changing anything." If you can it's probably a good match for you (this was not the only criteria but an important one!)
Are they high church or Low? Also a possible crucial need to ask.  
Blessings on all who search and those who want to be found. 
Lynn 


On Aug 18, 2019, at 8:01 PM, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com> wrote:

With the typical search process, the search committee can do only so much.
Ideally, if they could spend time interviewing the priest's current
parishioners and especially vestry members, much insight could be gleaned.
But the need for confidentiality with the priest's current parish (which is
common out in the secular job market as well -- you usually don't want your
current employer to know you're applying for jobs in other places) normally
precludes that.

I know many committees travel to the finalists' current parishes to see
them in action there. If that can be done anonymously, great. But so much
can blow the cover: the wrong sort of questions, or seeming nosey-ness in
general, a fixation on finding out about the priest and not seeming to be
interested in joining or visiting again...

On Sun, Aug 18, 2019 at 4:27 PM M J _Mike_ Logsdon <mjl at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

>>>> I've come to the conclusion that the search process in TEC is deeply
> flawed
> because I've seen it really seriously screw up<<<
> 
> I was on only one complete pastor search committee, and it ended up a
> total failure.  And, it was mentally and emotionally debilitating.
> 
> Here's to the Roman system.  (Sort of.)
> 
> M J (Mike) Logsdon.
> 
> "Aaugh[.]" -- Charles Brown.
> "Avoid dull needles and use a soft cloth." -- E Kovacs.
> "Because that's the kind of guy, I'm." -- C Reiner, "Your Show of Shows",
> skit: "From Here to Obscurity".
> 


-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA