Over the summer and during the month of September, the Search Committee developed the Parish Survey which was completed by approximately 400 parishioners in October. We are now tabulating the information and compiling the many thoughtful answers which we received to the questions. When this work is completed, the Search Committee is planning to have a few Listening Groups where we will meet with groups of parishioners in an attempt to gather information in addition to that which we have already received on the surveys, as well as from the Lenten meetings held earlier this year.

Our next step will be to write a profile of Bruton Parish Church based on the information we have gathered and submitted for Vestry review and approval. This Profile, which will be available on the church website, will be an important document for prospective candidates to learn more about our parish and to inform the parish about itself.

After the completion of the Parish Profile, we will begin to accept names of potential candidates who match our profile. The candidates’ names will be submitted by interested clergy and/or their bishops, deployment officers of dioceses, a national computer search, as well as from members of this congregation. We expect that there will be many names given to the Search Committee.

After we have received names, the committee will begin to look for the candidates whom we feel are best suited to be our rector. Interviews and reference checks will take place and then the committee will narrow the list to a group which will be visited by teams of Search Committee members. From these visits, the Search Committee will choose approximately three to six candidates who will be brought here for a visit to Bruton Parish.

Finally, the Search Committee will submit to the Vestry the name of the candidate whom we agree is best qualified for the position of Rector of Bruton Parish Church and our reasons for nominating him or her. The Vestry will then decide if they want to issue a call to that person. After the call is made and all negotiations are completed, the Vestry will announce the name of our new rector and the expected arrival date.

It is difficult at this point to give an exact time line for when the process will be completed and a new rector installed at Bruton. The Search Committee meets every Monday evening – and sometimes even more frequently – and we are hard at work. We understand the importance of our work for the Vestry and the parish, and we ask for your prayers as we move forward in this search process.

Isabel Burch