The Vestry of Good Samaritan Church is thrilled to announce that our new Interim Rector will be Mthr. Charissa!

As background, we thought you’d appreciate an overview of the selection process and what has gone on ‘behind the scenes’ to arrive at this decision. In partnership with the Diocese, we undertook an in-depth process to clearly identify our needs in an Interim Rector.
• We started by defining what criteria we are looking for.
• That work resulted in identifying seven specific criteria with emphasis on Spiritual and Pastoral care, Liturgical Leadership and a Cultural Fit with Good Samaritan.
• We then interviewed 3 candidates provided by the Diocese. The interview process helped us further refine our perspective.
• The candidates interviewed were all very qualified to serve as Interim, each with their own unique strengths. In one case, a candidate withdrew their application after meeting many of us because they wanted to be considered for Permanent Rector when the Call begins.

And then something wonderful happened. A new idea formed…

As we discerned on the candidates and Good Samaritan’s needs, we decided to reach out to Rev Arienne, Canon to the Ordinary, to inquire about the possibility of having Mthr. Charissa transition to our Interim Rector. While a Curate moving into an Interim position is rare, she was supportive of the idea. Her counsel was to establish and clearly define how Mthr. Charissa’s role would change as she transitions from Curate to Interim Rector, and to hold an interview process as we did with the other candidates. Once we completed this work, the Vestry was very sure that we had found our new Interim Rector.

We are very confident Mthr. Charissa will do a fantastic job as Interim Rector, just as she has done as our Curate. We’re also pleased she was open to pausing her own Call process, which is ultimately intended to get her closer to family. And we know she will bring so many positive things to the Interim Rector role, such as her generous, empathetic heart, willingness to listen and learn, deep knowledge of scripture, positive demeanor, inclusive nature, and thoughtfulness. The list truly goes on and on.

So, on behalf of the Vestry, and with the full support of Bishop Greg and Rev Arienne, we are honored to welcome Mthr. Charissa to the Interim Rector role!
Thank you, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, Mthr. Charissa, or anyone on Vestry with comments or questions.
Tom Ehlers – Sr. Warden, and Megan Anderson – Jr. Warden