Transitions
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So begins the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible. I could describe this season of our life at St. Paul’s in many ways. This month, it seems most appropriate to say we are in a season of transition.
Transition happens on many levels, all of which can feel unsettling. On a global scale, we are experiencing the ongoing transition into a still undefined post-pandemic age while also feeling the impact of a decades-long shift in religious practice in the United States.
On a very local scale, we are experiencing this transition with our church staff. As you know, we said farewell to the Rev. Barbara Kempf last month and will say good-bye to the Rev. Patrick Burke at the end of this month. As we move more deeply into August, the season of transition continues.
Below you will read about the departures and arrivals we anticipate with the church staff. While the arrival of new staff members is always a time to celebrate, this joy is tinged with grief for the loss of those who leave for new opportunities.
In particular I will note the departure of Barbara Bates who has worked as our Director of Communications for 18 years. None of us who are currently on the staff know what St. Paul’s is like without her. Barbara has adapted in ways she could not have imagined when she started in 2005. Who would have thought livestreaming worship would have been a regular thing?! We have not only benefitted from her creativity and ingenuity, but we have also been blessed by her supportive, kind and calm presence. Many parishioners, but especially those of us who work with her every day in the office, will miss her even as we celebrate her new opportunity.
As you read below about the new staff members we welcome this month, I’ll also note that there may be other new arrivals in the near future, including a priest. I’ll have more to say about these transitions during my Rector’s Forum on Sunday, September 10.