Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Book of Common Prayer, pg. 818
On this page you can find the latest about the clergy transition which began in October 2023 following the departure of The Rev. Stephanie Allen. If you have a question for the Search Committee, you can submit it through this Google Form.
Projected Timeline
Note: The dates on this timeline are only intended as a rough guideline, and are subject to change.
| ✔️ | Rector announces departure. |
| ✔️ | Vestry meets with Bishop Sam Rodman and Canon Catherine Massey to review transition process. |
| ✔️ | Vestry selects search style, with advice from Bishop Rodman. |
| ✔️ | Vestry forms Search Committee. |
| ✔️ | Search Committee meets with Canon Massey to review next steps. |
| ✔️ | Search Committee decides to gather data needed for writing and completing the Parish Portfolio (a/k/a Parish OTM Portfolio) via a congregational meeting along with an online survey for those unable to attend. |
| ✔️ | Congregational Meeting to gather data for the Parish Portfolio is held on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 10:30 am in Corlett Hall. Canon Massey facilitates. |
| ✔️ | Survey goes out to congregation immediately following February 4 Congregational Meeting. |
| ✔️ | Parish Portfolio is completed by Search Committee. (Projected Completion Date: Mid-March, 2024) |
| ✔️ | Parish Portfolio is posted on both the Diocese’s website and Nativity’s website. (Projected Completion Date: April, 2024) |
| ✔️ | Search Committee meets with Canon Massey to review next steps in search process. |
| Search Committee conducts discernment conversations with priests. (Projected Completion Date: Late Spring/Early Summer 2024) | |
| Search Committee asks Canon to conduct “pre-flight checks”. | |
| Bishop Rodman interviews final three (3) candidates. | |
| Search Committee recommends one (1) name to the Vestry. | |
| Vestry conducts a discernment conversation with that priest. | |
| Senior Warden phones Canon Massey/Bishop Rodman for verbal Permission to Call. | |
| Vestry asks Canon Massey to initiate Secure Search Faith Background Check. | |
| Vestry calls priest and negotiates Letter of Agreement with assistance of Canon Massey. | |
| Vestry writes Bishop Rodman to request written Permission to Call. | |
| New Rector, Senior Warden, Canon Massey and Bishop Rodman sign the Letter of Agreement. | |
| The New Rector of Nativity is announced! |
Search Committee
- Beth Crow, Chair
- Morghan Bosch
- Matt Dutton
- Susan Edwards
- Robert Joines
- Anne Krouse
- Allison Martin
- Sarah O’Connor
- Emily Phillips.
Latest Transition Post
- Rev. Grey Maggiano Called as Rector
by Beth Crow, Chair of the Search Committee; and George Douglas, Senior Warden
George Douglas, Senior Warden, and Beth Crow, Chair of the Search Committee, announced that the Rev. Grey Maggiano has been called as Rector of the Church of the Nativity. Grey sends his greetings to Church of the Nativity, and excited about joining us in a few weeks. In addition to this video, you can also watch a past sermon that he preached at Memorial Church, Baltimore — the church from which he is coming.
In this article:
About the Search Process
The Search Committee would like to share some of the reasoning behind their unanimous decision to recommend Grey’s name to the Vestry for approval.
Over the past several months, our congregation has prayed for guidance and wisdom in our rector search, entrusting the Search Committee to craft Nativity’s narrative through our Parish Portfolio, conduct interviews of multiple candidates, and prayerfully discern its recommendation to the Vestry. The committee’s selection was based on priorities expressed during our February Congregational Meeting, which included Worship, Children and Youth, Outreach, Social Justice (including LGBTQIA+), Pastoral Care, and Environmental Stewardship.
From the start, Grey impressed the committee with his warmth and friendliness. One member noted that Grey is “the kind of person you meet and feel that you’ve known for years, and you feel a sense of trust almost immediately.” His excellent listening skills, significant leadership experience, and thorough research of Nativity, far beyond the provided materials, were highly valued by the committee.
Grey’s sermons, delivered extemporaneously, are both scholarly and contemporary, challenging listeners to address injustice through scripture and the teachings of Jesus. A reference described him as a visionary who will infuse our parish with new energy. The committee was impressed by his passion for revitalizing existing ministries and initiating new ones within our congregation, with one member particularly appreciating his vision to unite his church family with surrounding communities.
Reflecting Nativity’s mission of being a diverse and welcoming church, Grey’s compassion and thoughtfulness stand out. He has shown a strong commitment to inclusivity and social justice, including through his work with the LGBTQ+ community.
Grey is passionate about youth ministry, an area he has focused on throughout his career. He views youth as a vital part of the church community and is approachable. At his current parish, youth are comfortable coming to him with issues they face and, according to a reference, his ability to speak Spanish and connect with Hispanic youth has significantly enhanced his ministry.
In conversations with Grey, he clearly expressed his wish to walk alongside us on our spiritual journey and seek truth and love in scripture. Capturing the sentiment of the entire committee, a member shared that “there is an exuberance to Grey’s message that will echo in the halls of our church for many years to come.”
Please join us in welcoming the Rev. Grey Maggiano on his first day at Nativity, Sunday, September 8.
We appreciate your prayers and support throughout this process and ask for your continued support as we embark on Nativity’s exciting new chapter.
About Grey
Grey and his family will be moving to Raleigh from Baltimore, Maryland where he served for eight years (2016 to present) as Rector of Memorial Episcopal Church, an historic Civil War era church founded in 1860. Highlights of his time at Memorial Church included improving church attendance, community engagement and stewardship year over year; launching the Guy Hollyday Justice and Reparations Initiative and leading an evacuation and resettlement effort of more than 160 Afghan refugees.
Prior to that his first assignment as an Episcopal priest was to serve as Associate Rector of Trinity Cathedral in Miami, Florida from 2013 to 2016. Highlights of his achievements there included growing the Spanish language congregation from 8 to 65 people and leading social justice work on the environment and LGBTQ+ rights.
Grey was ordained in 2013 after earning his Master of Divinity Degree at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. He is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute.
Before he was called to be an Episcopal priest, Grey began his first career after earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish Literature from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts in 2003. As he was fluent in Spanish, he joined AmeriCorps and spent two years assigned to El Pueblo, Inc. here in Raleigh. This is an advocacy group dedicated to helping NC Latinos achieve positive local change.
In 2006, Grey earned his Master of Public Policy degree at Georgetown Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. and then joined the U.S. State Department as a foreign affairs officer. From 2006 to 2012 he spent most of his time in Afghanistan where he managed an overseas staff of 60 and led an effort to develop Anti-Corruption and National Security Courts in that country.
Grey and his wife Monica are excited about moving to Raleigh as both have relatives and friends in the area. Their children Isabella (age 12) and Nicholas (age 8) expect to attend Wake County schools this fall.
All Transition Posts
- Rev. Grey Maggiano Called as Rector
- June 20 Transition Update
- May 30 Transition Update
- May 2 Transition Update
- April 25 Transition Update
- April 18 Transition Update
- April 11 Transition Update
- April 4 Transition Update
- March 28 Transition Update
- March 21 Transition Update
- March 14 Transition Update
- March 8 Transition Update
- March 1 Transition Update
- February 23 Transition Update
- February 16 Transition Update
- February 9 Transition Update
- January 26 Transition Update
- December 29 Transition Update
- December 22 Transition Update
- December 15 Transition Update
- December 8 Transition Update
- December 1 Transition Update
- November 24 Transition Update
- November 17 Transition Update
- November 10 Transition Update
- November 3 Transition Update
- October 27 Transition Update
- October 20 Transition Update
- October 13 Transition Update
- A Message From Your Wardens
Stephanie Allen’s Farewell
You can read about Stephanie Allen’s farewell in this blog post.