Congregation Update
Please see this 1:39 minute update from Ian Durham, Senior Warden, St. Philip’s Vestry:
WATCH VIDEO >>

Summary of Key Points:

• After many interview hours and very careful consideration the Vestry was not led to hire any of the four original candidates brought forward by our consultants.
• We are extending and continuing the search–Our consultant agreement is still in place and Vanderbloemen will provide new candidates based on an updated candidate profile provided by Vestry.
• Eric Taylor will continue to lead St. Philips, through this next hiring period.
  Please continue to pray that God’s hand will be in the selection of our new senior rector.

Dear St. Philip’s Family,

We hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and excited during this season of promise and anticipation. As we begin this new year, we reflect on the accomplishments, challenges, and growth that St. Philip’s experienced in the last twelve months. We have so much for which to be grateful. Through the incredible leadership, dedication, and flexibility displayed by our staff and members, we moved the needle for the Kingdom and are poised to strengthen our momentum in the new year. We greatly look forward to what God has in store for our church in 2025.

We know that with this positive thought of “great things are in store for us”, there also comes feelings of uncertainty and anxiety as StP transitions into a new chapter of its history with Eric Taylor approaching retirement and new leadership on the horizon. The vestry wanted to take this opportunity to communicate where we are in the process, what we still have left to do, how you can find answers to your questions, and what you can expect for the remainder of the year.

Congregational Survey

Results After deciding to hire Vanderbloemen, a professional consultant, to help us find our next Sr. Pastor, the vestry started down a path of discovery and preparation. Many hours were spent in prayer and focused collaboration to complete the detailed tasks necessary to begin our nationwide search. By far, the most important aspect of that preparation was absorbing the open and honest feedback you provided in the congregational survey. We wanted to thank you for the time and effort you put into your candid and thoughtful responses. Many of you referenced 1&2 Timothy and Titus wherein Paul expresses God-breathed words of wisdom for church leadership and warnings against unsound teaching. Please know we are using those words and prayer as a guide during this process. The results of the survey clearly showed you are looking for a Sr. Pastor with strong leadership and preaching/teaching skills who is well-educated and firmly rooted in biblical truth rather than worldly influences. This person should be able to deliver a compelling message that is relatable to real life, mesh well with StP’s established culture while fostering momentum, empower staff and church members to grow ministries, and maintain constant focus on being true to the Word. Using that information, we finalized a job description, created a church profile, and updated our website complete with landing page all while maintaining a mindset focused on advancing the Kingdom, honoring the work of Eric and our long-time members, and preserving the future of our church.

Search Progress and Timeline

The search has been live for a little over a month now. Through direct applications received via their website and scouring their large networking pool, Vanderbloemen identified over 300 potential candidates. Using the key characteristics and qualifications we provided, they have currently narrowed that to approximately 19 high-potential individuals. In the coming few weeks, the top 5-7 candidates will be selected and presented to the vestry by the end of February. We will then begin a series of detailed interviews with the intention of identifying one clear front-runner by the end of March. We would anticipate having several in-depth interactions with that person with the hopes of making a formal offer for the position in early spring. Should that offer be accepted, we would ideally like to have our new Sr. Pastor begin by late spring or early summer. This is, of course, subject to change. You know what they say – make your plan and hear God laugh. However, it is a realistic timeline we are hoping to see come to fruition.

Transition Period

Ideally, the summer months would be used as a time of knowledge transfer and mentorship between Eric and our new Sr. Pastor. We want to ensure the most important experiences, lessons learned, and words of wisdom gathered over a 30+ year career are shared with the next leader of our church. After this time of transition, Eric has expressed his intention to move to a background support role to “allow the new leader to lead.” He has been walking alongside us on this journey since the beginning offering advice and insight as we navigate this critical hiring process. We want to do everything we can to not only honor Eric’s legacy of service, but to support and empower him during this time of transition in his life. Eric will remain on staff through at least the end of 2025. We will continue to have regular conversations with him about how we can support him through the remainder of this year and beyond.

Communication

In the spirit of open communication and transparency, the vestry will be uploading important updates on StP’s website at www.stphilipsonline.org as they become available. We will also continue delivering updates during service announcements which will occur on the final Sunday of each month. Most importantly, all vestry members are available to field your questions or concerns. It is our duty as members of the vestry to not only be good stewards of God’s resources, but to support and empower the congregation. We serve you so you can better serve the Kingdom. Please let us know how we can best do that for you.

Annual Meeting Invitation

We would like to personally invite you to the 2025 Annual Meeting that will be held after the 11:00am service on Sunday, March 2nd. This meeting is a great opportunity for members of the congregation to gain an understanding of the state of StP’s ministry efforts, financial standing, and intentions for the coming year. Whether you’ve been a member for two decades or two months, your thoughts and opinions are valued. The Annual Meeting is a great place to ask questions and have open dialogue with the staff and leadership of the church. We hope to see you there!

As a final thought, we ask for your patience and prayers during this time. Pray for peace and clarity for Eric. Pray for focus and perseverance for our staff. Pray for discernment and direction for our vestry. Pray for the strength and community of St. Philip’s Church to continue to grow and make an impact on the Kingdom. Together, with God’s help, there isn’t anything we can’t do. Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

In service and gratitude,

The vestry of St. Philip’s Church – Molly Flick, Sara Foley, Deb Veness, Jered Pander, Ted Frick, Dick Bell, Charley Kennedy, Anthony Mott, Ian Durham

We’re non-denominational, which means we don’t have a denomination (like If you call St. Philip’s home, we would love to have your input as we search for our next leader. Our pastoral search firm, Vanderbloemen, has developed a survey tailored specifically to St. Philip’s! Your valuable input will be anonymous & we are requesting the completed surveys no later than November 10, 2024.

The survey will take 20 minutes and we are counting on your response!

Take the survey here >>

The St. Philip’s Vestry hired a consultant from Vanderbloemen. Our consultant’s name is Tim Gocha.
Why a consultant?
The changing dynamics of “doing church” in the 21st century and the complexities of securing qualified and capable pastoral leadership prompted the vestry to seek outside counsel. The benefits of having an “expert” of whom to ask questions and from whom to receive direction are invaluable.

Excerpt from Eric’s congregational letter (as sent in September 2024):

…And yes, the Vestry is looking for your next Rector for a number of reasons. First of all, this place and what she does needs a fresh set of eyes. And with a fresh set of eyes comes new vision. Second, while I like what I do, I’ve done this for 30.5 years and my sense, for a number of reasons, is that God has been saying: It’s time. Hey, I’m not retiring, there is no retirement in the Kingdom of God. But I do look forward to less responsibility. I’ve enclosed a copy of the letter I had read to the congregation several weeks ago (see reverse side).

I was emotional and couldn’t read this letter myself, but not because of the decision to step aside. No, it was the incredibly humbling realization and thought of all of those who have trusted me and stayed loyal to myself and STP through all the fat and lean years. We’ve done battle together, and we’ve won more than we’ve lost. Thank you. Wow, I realized…that is a gift. Your trust, over the long haul, has been an incredible blessing to me.

There will be more emotional moments, I’m sure. But that’s OK. I want us to laugh, tell the old stories and enjoy what we’ve built together as we move forward over the next year or so. I’ve figured out a fun way to do that…but, you’ll have to show up on Sundays if you want to enjoy what I have planned. And I hope you will.

Pray for me, pray for your Vestry, and pray that St. Philip’s Church gets handed off to capable hands.

Read Eric Taylor’s full letter referred to above >>