One of the more significant actions that a congregation undertakes in its life of faith is the discernment and call of a rector. At St. John’s the rector is the person called to uphold and sustain the mission of this body of Christ. As the primary spiritual leader of St. John’s the rector, along with the vestry is the person who invites, and guides, all by the power of the Holy Spirit to walk the way of love in Christ.

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A discernment process is not a job search. It is a prayerful process by which the discernment committee, a committee of the vestry, engages the community in clarifying its mission in Christ, and then ensures that this mission is widely known so that clergy may discern whether they are called to enter a conversation with the discernment committee about their vocation to lead this congregation in fulfilling its mission.

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What follows is the information about this process at St. John’s beginning with the first step of gathering nominations of those who may be called to serve as members of the discernment committee. The characteristics of a discernment committee and the charge to the discernment committee are below. As this process continues you are invited to pray this prayer:

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Almighty God, bless us with a spirit of faith, courage, understanding, ​wisdom, and discernment.
May our hearts and minds be open to new opportunities and ideas as we follow where You lead us. 
Grant us steadfastness and patience in the midst of the challenges and obstacles that will arise during this period of transition. Guided by the Holy Spirit, may the people of St. John’s be united in love –
with warm hearts, enlightened minds, and open arms.
All this we pray, empowered by the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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• A Letter from the Senior Warden

• Characteristics of Discernment Committee Members & the Charge to the Discernment Committee

• Discernment Committee Members Elected​

  • At the September 2024 Vestry meeting, the Discernment Committee for the search for St. John's new Rector was elected. The committee members are Katie Baughman, Joe Chen (co-chair), John Helder, Nancy McAllister, Angela Purnell, Ann Rasenberger, Anne Reilly (co-chair), and Stuart Work (ex-officio).​

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• Discernment Presentation Q&A by The Rev. Kristin Krantz, Canon for Transition for the Diocese of Maryland

• Congregational Conversations: Dates & Times