I am pleased to share with you some good news about our staff at Transfiguration.
To begin, I am delighted to share that I’ve named Mtr. Rebecca Tankersley as Senior Associate Rector, and this summer she will shift her responsibilities to oversee the pastoral and outreach ministries of Transfiguration. She will also supervise our connections ministries, including our new Minister for Congregational Life (more about that below). In four years of service among us, Mtr. Rebecca has demonstrated enormous priestly gifts as a pastor, teacher, preacher, and leader. She is deserving of the title of Senior Associate, and I am excited to see her deploy all her skills in support of outreach, pastoral care, and connections.
Second, in connection with Mtr. Rebecca’s changing role, Fr. Ted Clarkson will shift his responsibilities to lead formation, and also oversee liturgical ministries. He will coordinate adult formation, including leading The Way, and he will supervise the wider formation team of Allison Blalock (children’s ministries) and Delynda Moravec (beginning in August). He will also work with me to coordinate our many worship ministries and help us offer our very best to the glory of God in prayer and praise. His title will remain Curate for another year, as in spite of appearances and the quality of his work, he is still in the first two years of his priesthood!
Third, our current Director of Youth Ministries, Michael Sturdy, will head to seminary at the start of August, and his final Sunday will be July 31. We are planning a special Crossover “Farewell to the Sturdys” event with the youth for July 27, so stay tuned for more information. If you would like to make a contribution toward a scholarship we will present to Michael then, you can do so here. Our new Youth Minister, Delynda Moravec, starts on July 1, to allow her to overlap with Michael and smooth the transition.
Fourth, we have hired Al Blackwell as Digital Communications Specialist. Al has been a member since 2015, so he brings important knowledge of our church to the role. He also has a wealth of experience in communications that he will deploy in overseeing our Sunday livestream, weekly emailed newsletter, website updates, and virtual formation. This position is half-time, and Al can be reached at ablackwell@transfiguration.net.
Fifth, I am delighted to announce that we’ve hired Gabby Guion as our new Minister for Congregational Life. Gabby will lead our welcoming ministries, and also strengthen many of our other ministry areas with her creativity and servant leadership. Gabby brings creativity, joy, and unparalleled dedication to the staff, as she’s among our most important and impactful volunteers. She is currently in her first year on Vestry, so by policy, she will step down and the Vestry will appoint someone to take over the rest of her term. This position is half-time, and Gabby can be reached at gguion@transfiguration.net.
Sixth, we’ve hired Fred Ellis as Interim Parish Administrator. Fred has been serving as our Receptionist for the past year, and when Sophie announced her resignation, Fred offered to help us “bridge the gap” until a new permanent person is hired. Fred is an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, where he has served as Senior Warden and Treasurer, and he is also quite involved in diocesan and wider Episcopal Church leadership. This position is full-time, and Fred can be reached at fellis@transfiguration.net.
Related, the search for our new Parish Administrator and Bookkeeper is going well, and we have several quality candidates for both positions. A selection committee consisting of the Sr. and Jr. Wardens, Treasurer, and Budget, Finance, and Administration Committee Chair is partnering with me in this process, and we hope to welcome these new staff by August.
Lastly, thanks to the strength of our Vestry and Staff, in spite of all this transition I still intend to begin my sabbatical on August 17. I mark my eighth anniversary as rector this fall, and I am grateful to be provided with a lengthy time for refreshment and renewal. In coming weeks I will offer more details about my plans for those 14 weeks, but for now it is important to celebrate the strength of our leadership team here at Transfiguration.
Grace and peace,
The Rev. Casey Shobe