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seeking God’s will for your parish in the next chapter of its story, and discerning what spiritual leader will help you write that chapter.

      That might seem a bit intimidating—how do we hear God’s voice?—but this book will help you get there. Through process, prayer, wisdom from those who have done this before, you will find the priest you need, and you might find that as the process evolves, this experience will be spiritually transformative.

      The title?

      The metaphor of journey is often used to describe the call of a new ordained leader, and sometimes jokingly people say that they felt like the Israelites in the wilderness, searching for the Promised Land over a forty-year span. That’s a dark image, and a frightening one.

      So perhaps another journey metaphor is more helpful, and more apt. Consider the two disciples walking to Emmaus after the resurrection (Luke 24:13–35). Cleopas and a companion are walking home. Jesus has risen from the dead, but they don’t understand that yet. They’re talking about everything that had happened, perhaps feeling a little traumatized by it all. They encounter a stranger. They share this weird story, and how disappointed they were that things didn’t turn out the way they’d hoped. The stranger instructs them to think about it differently. They still are distracted and can’t wrap their minds around it. It is only later that evening, when they eat dinner together, when the stranger breaks the bread and blesses it and shares it with them, that they realize what is happening, WHO is happening . . . and then he’s gone. They reflect on it: “Were not our hearts burning within us” when he was with us? They go back to Jerusalem to the other disciples and proclaim what they’ve experienced, as they hear of Peter’s encounter with the risen Lord.

      When a parish is in transition, it does feel like a journey. There’s grief at the departure of the prior priest if it has been a good tenure and grief at dreams unfulfilled if it has not. There’s concern about what the future might hold. There’s worry about how one does this work of managing the parish and how one secures another priest.

      But there will be moments of hearts strangely warmed, if the level of anxiety about this transition can be addressed honestly, appropriately, and prayerfully. God’s will—not individual preference—will be the thing you seek. God is always doing a new thing (Isa. 43:19) and now God is doing a new thing with and for you and God’s providence is sure. The wisdom of the great cloud of witnesses who have navigated this journey can inform you. May the best practices and tools contained in this book be a road map and a comfort as you journey.

      Blessings,

      The Rev. Dr. Mary Brennan Thorpe

      Canon to the Ordinary

      The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

I

       INTRODUCTION

The Structure of This Book

       From Constancy and Peace . . .

      It is a fact of life that those who live as part of a faith community see it as a constant in their lives. They know where it is, when it meets, what will happen there, and how the rhythm of the liturgy, the calendar, and the usual practices of the community shape the common life of the parish. It is, to many, a place of comfort and stability.

So what happens when the community is thrust out of that stability into a state of transition? What happens when the priest¹ departs?

       . . . To Transition and Change

      This book will walk you through the process of that time of transition step-by-step, with attention to the various roles of those who will be helping the parish find new leadership. It also recognizes that each parish is unique, and that one process doesn’t fit all. Our intent is to help parishes seek God’s will as they begin the next chapter of their story.

      This work should be done efficiently, but not at the expense of time to hear the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It is work that should be done in a way that recognizes that every voice in the parish matters and should be heard, but not every need can be met. It is work that names that parishes need clergy with different gifts at different times in their existence, and sometimes it is work that names uncomfortable truths with no easy answer.

      Transition is holy work. It is our prayer that this process will be spiritually transformative, not only for those who do the identified tasks of transition, but for the entire parish, as they are reminded of God’s providence and God’s habit of surprising us.

       How to Read This Book

      You will see sections addressed “For the Vestry,” “For the Discernment Committee,” and “For the Departing Priest.” You are welcome to read any or all of it—vestry members are not forbidden from reading discernment committee chapters and vice versa!—but please understand that certain tasks are assigned to particular groups for a good reason.

There are variations in practices in each and every diocese in the Episcopal Church, because contexts differ and context matters. Your bishop, your canon to the ordinary, your transition ministry officer² are your best guides as to what are the practices and limitations and freedoms that are operative in your diocese. Trust them, follow their guidelines, and ask questions! This process, based on several years of doctoral research and several years of lived experience, has been a flexible and effective approach. Use it in partnership with your diocesan team and may it bring you the same excellent results we have experienced.

1. The clergy leader may be titled rector, vicar, priest-in-charge, or some other title as designated by the bishop.

2. Note that with the exception of the bishop, titles for those who will assist you in your transition process vary based upon size of diocesan staff and specificity of roles. In some dioceses, there is a transition ministry officer with a title that mirrors that specific role. In other dioceses, the canon to the ordinary is your contact for all matters relating to transition processes. In a few dioceses, the bishop diocesan is also the transition officer. Check with your bishop’s office to identify the key persons who will be assisting you.

II

       A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE TRANSITION PROCESS

      In general, the normative process for transition is . . .

      1. For the transition ministry office to have a conversation with the vestry, as soon as the priest’s retirement/departure is announced, to discuss the road ahead, especially the vestry’s role in the process and choices to be made.

      2. For the church and priest to have a “good goodbye.”

      3. For the vestry to determine which model of transition process they will use, with the recommendation of the bishop and the diocesan staff who support transitions.

      4. For the appropriate committee to be formed to carry out the next steps of transition.

      5.

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