Greetings everyone! Welcome to the updated website of St. Hilda’s; and to this blogsite. From time time, I will post my musings, articles, and sermons here – and I will invite the deacons of St. Hilda’s – Bruce Morris and Linda Varin – to do the same, as their time allows.

I am the interim priest in charge of this wonderful parish – and what a welcoming and inclusive community I have found it to be! I came to St. Hilda’s in the middle of October, 2007; and my appointment will last until sometime in 2009, at which time the parish will call a permanent priest in charge (or, as we call them in the Anglican Church, rector).

I thought I would take a few moments to discuss who I am and what the heck it is that I do!

What is an interim priest-in-charge?

An interim priest-in-charge is called to provide pastoral leadership for a congregation during a vacancy. The interim period is generally planned and intentional, lasting between one and two years. During this time, the parish takes time to re-examine its identity, and map out a vision and the goals to achieve it. The purpose is threefold:

  1. To assess the “ministry fitness” of the congregation, in the context of establishing an autonomous identity, differentiated from the vision of the previous pastoral leader.
  2. To determine the core values of the parish, and given those values, to determine a road-map for fulfilling a vision of its purpose and identity.
  3. To take the information gathered in this process, and turn it over to a “canonical committee,” who will develop a parish profile outlining St. Hilda’s identity, goals, vision, and concerns. This will assist in identifying potential applicants for the position of rector; as well as helping potential applicants know what this particular church is all about.

What happens during the interim process?

The interim period is an exciting one! It is not a time for disorientation, nor is it a fallow time of inaction, waiting for “what next.” On the contrary, it is a time for exploration and experimentation; for education and discussion; for dreaming dreams and creating bold new visions for the future.

At St. Hilda’s, we began the interim period in early November with the “St. Hilda’s Summit”- a day of mutual exploration using the appreciative inquiry model developed by The Rev’d Rob Voyle. Over the next several months, that process will continue as we collect parish data, undertake other events, and examine the needs of our neighbourhood and community. At the same time, we will be developing programs of education and spiritual formation designed to help equip the people of St. Hilda’s to undertake the visioning project. We will try new things and rediscover old things in an effort to answer the question, “Who are we, and who do we want to become?”

What is the role of the interim priest-in-charge?

I am not at St. Hilda’s to implement a vision, or even to encourage one vision or another. I am here to help enable the people of St. Hilda’s to develop their own vision as a community of faith. They are the ones who will be calling a rector; and they are the ones who will fulfill what they have imagined for themselves.

I have undergone certification in interim ministry from the Interim Ministry Network, the institution used by our diocese to train clergy in the skills necessary to provide interim leadership. My job is to assess the situation in the parish, and to work with the visioning steering committee in co-ordinating programs and activities specific to a parish in transition.

At the same time, I have a responsibility as the pastoral leader of the parish to undertake the tasks necessary to uphold and uplift the people of God: teaching, preaching, offering the sacraments, visiting those in need, helping to administer the everyday affairs of the parish. None of these needs stop simply because a parish is in transition.

What next?

The vision steering committee is really just beginning its work. As it unfolds, we will post updates on this website, in the Sunday bulletin, as well as on a special bulletin board placed in the narthex of the church. If you have any questions about the interim process, or my role in it, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line at rector@sthilda.ca.