Dear People of St. James’,
I want to take a moment to give you an update on our Music Minister hiring process. It is going well!
On April 12, I found out that HouFei Yang, our Music Minister for the 10:30 service, was moving to North Carolina at the end of May. We immediately put a plan in place to celebrate her years of ministry with us at the end of May and to provide an interim plan for music ministry at the 10:30 am. Sharon Coleman, Kent Burress, and John May stepped up to make that interim plan possible, and I am very grateful. In fact, I am a little bit nervous that you all have enjoyed this interim arrangement so much that it will be hard to top it in the next more lasting phase of our music ministry.
Be encouraged! We have posted the position and begun to circulate the job description, and already we have some very talented candidates, who bring amazing skills as well as a commitment to the mission of St. James’. Interviews are happening this month, and I am hoping to have an announcement sometime in September, God willing.
At this time, I hope you will be praying for those who are putting their names forward for this position that really is a significant ministry within the life of our community. Wherever you worship, music carries memory, history, and identity. It lifts the spirit of the people to God, and it draws us into a rhythm with each other. At St. James’, music forges shared memories and an inspiring vision of God’ beloved community. We hope to find someone who understands that we are a people of strong and sacred traditions that continually feed us as we learn and grow on this spiritual journey together. We are also a congregation that finds joy and inspiration in newness. As Sharon Coleman has said to me, “We have a choir and a community eager to learn, so we need someone who will teach us some new things.”
I am looking forward to some good conversations and interviews this August. At the moment, we are still receiving applications. If you know someone who would be a good fit and might be interested in applying, send them to this page or our Indeed posting.
If you would like to talk to me about your hopes related to this ministry, get in touch! John May is our Vestry contact for this process, and he will be back next Sunday.
Peace,
Rev. Eileen
