Category: From the Vestry

Our message this week comes from our Co-Interim Rectors, The Rev. Stephanie Yancy and Dr. Rev. Cathy Deats. The Vestry would like to wish each and everyone of you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

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Dear Friends at Nativity,

I am so pleased that your vestry has called The Rev. Dr. Cathy Deats and me to be your co-interim rectors! I loved my time with you a year ago when Stephanie Allen was on sabbatical. I am looking forward to being with you again. As I told the vestry, as an interim rector my responsibilities will be somewhat expanded from my responsibilities as your supply priest. In addition to leading you spiritually and providing pastoral care, as interim rectors it will be Cathy’s responsibility and mine to work alongside you as together we prepare the way for your next rector to be successful. (Shades of John the Baptist!) I don’t know exactly what preparing the way will look like for you. I do know that it will start with a lot of just listening to each other. Cathy and I will be listening for your hopes, your dreams, your fears, and anything else you want to share. I trust the Holy Spirit to be with us in those conversations, and to lead us in the right way.

Cathy will say more about some specific tasks of interim rectors. The last thing that I want to say is that we will not be a part of the search committee or involved in any way in the search for your next rector. The vestry and the search committee will be the ones to keep you updated on the search as we go forward. Our official start date is January 1, however before she left Stephanie Allen had asked me to be your supply priest for the morning of Advent 4, this coming Sunday. So I’ll see you then!

Blessings always,
Stephanie

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Dear saints of Nativity,

I am very excited to be joining you on your next journey, called “interim” to remind us that we are in an in-between time. As The Rev. Stephanie Yancy pointed out, the main goal of the interim period is to prepare you for your future and enable you to discern the best match for you and your future Rector.

The Alban Institute identified five “developmental tasks” that can enable a parish to be ready to accept a new rector and move forward constructively. These are: 1. Coming to terms with [the parish’s] history. 2. Discovering a new identity. 3. Shifts of power [in parish leadership]. 4. Re-thinking denominational linkage. 5. Commitments to new leadership and a new future. As with any model of process, these steps are not linear and often overlap or recycle. The bottom line is that we are entering a time of remembering, visioning, exploring, and re-thinking ministry for the body of Christ in Raleigh known as Church of the Nativity.

Stephanie and I are here to support you, to comfort you, and to challenge you. We are prepared to lead, and you will find us to be both gentle and direct leaders. You can count on our honesty, our skill, and most of all, our care.

O Spirit of G-d, be present in our journeys.
Be present in our days to come.
Be present in our works and in our words and in our hearts.
Be present in the bonds of our community, Lord Christ.
Be ever at work among us and through us.
Amen.

Peace,
Cathy

It is with great joy that we, the Vestry of Church of the Nativity, announce that we have called our Interim Priests. Yes, you read that correctly: priests. 

The Rev. Stephanie Yancy and The Rev. Dr. Cathy Deats will share the Interim position, with Stephanie serving ¾ time and Cathy ¼ time. They will begin the first of the new year. More details about their shared position will come next week.

In addition to this great news, the Vestry has selected the members for our Search Committee. We had a large number of very qualified individuals put their names forward for this role, and we are deeply thankful for each and every one of them for their service to Nativity. The Search Committee members are: 

• Morghan Bosch
• Beth Crow (Chairperson)
• Matt Dutton
• Susan Edwards
• Robert Joines
• Anne Krouse
• Allison Martin
• Sarah O’Connor
• Emily Phillips. 

This group will be meeting with Catherine Massey, Canon to the Bishop, in the first part of January to begin their work. All information about this transitional period will continue to come from the Vestry.

The Vestry is in the final stage of selecting our Interim Rector and will make an announcement as soon as all legal procedures are completed. As stated last week, the Vestry will meet on December 12 to approve the selection of Search Committee members; that list will be shared once all parties have accepted their nominations.

The Vestry met Tuesday evening, November 28, to begin interviewing candidates for the Interim Rector position. The Search Committee Chair, Beth Crow, and the Junior Warden, Bill Sena, are reviewing Vestry members’ input on possible members for the Search Committee. The Vestry will vote on the final list at their next Vestry meeting on December 12.

The Vestry voted through email this past week and elected Beth Crow to serve as Chair of the Search Committee. Since Beth is currently serving as Senior Warden, the Diocese recommends that the Junior Warden, Bill Sena, work with the newly elected Chair to select the remaining members of the Search Committee. The Vestry will then vote on the proposed committee members at their December 12 meeting. We have also begun to schedule interviews for an Interim Rector. We will keep you updated as we learn more. In the meantime, the Vestry wishes you a happy Thanksgiving week!

During our November 14 Vestry meeting, the Vestry reviewed the list of Search Committee candidates with the intention of selecting a Chair. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, a quorum was not present, so the vote had to be delayed. The Vestry will vote by email over the next week and the name of the Chair will be announced once that process is complete. After the Chair is selected, s/he will meet with the Senior Warden to discern the names of those to serve on the Search Committee. A proposed Search Committee will then be formed and presented to the Vestry for final approval. The hope is to have the Search Committee established by mid-December. It is not too late to be considered as a candidate for the Search Committee. If interested, please contact Beth Crow no later than November 21. Email Beth Crow

The Vestry is also working to schedule interviews in the first week of December for the Interim Rector position. We will have more information to share after our December 12 Vestry Meeting.