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September 7, 2014

Wonderful news: God has called to All Saints an extraordinary new Rector, the Rev. Aimee Eyer-Delevett. Rev. Aimee has joyfully served as the Rector of the Church of the Holy Nativity in Clarendon Hills, a Chicago suburb, for the past eight years, where she and her parishioners revitalized ministry, doubled average Sunday attendance, and quadrupled the number of children and youths served by its Christian Formation ministry. She has had 10 years of training and experience in congregational development, starting with her participation, while Curate of St. Mary's in Park Ridge, Illinois, in the Making Excellent Disciples program, a Lilly Foundation grant providing five years of training and mentoring in pastoral leadership and congregational development. She has served on the Commission on Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago for six years. Rev. Aimee graduated Wellesley College magna cum laude in 1995, Candler School of Theology at Emory University with a Master of Divinity in 2001, and General Theological Seminary with a Master of Sacred Theology in 2004. When we looked at Aimee in relation to the qualities that our Profile called for in our next Rector, she was a perfect fit.

 

The other compelling vocation in Rev. Aimee's life is her family-her 17-year relationship with her partner Alyson, with whom she married this year when Illinois law first sanctioned it, and their remarkable, adorable daughter Willa, who is four. They will be moving into the Rectory and Willa will be entering the Parish School when they arrive in late November.

 

Rev. Aimee is a vibrant witness to God's love and grace. Her priesthood has been marked by leading others to discover how God is calling them to use their lives and gifts for ministry. Through vibrant worship, meaningful formation and creation of deep and authentic relationship, Rev. Aimee strives to equip God's people for effective ministry and leadership within and beyond the Church.

 

You will be learning more about Rev. Aimee in the weeks to come, as we plan for welcoming her to this Body of Christ at All Saints-by-the-Sea. And there is more, including photos, online.

 

God's Peace,

 

Chip Nichols                                        Ladeen Miller

Senior Warden                                    Junior Warden
 A Special Message From Our New Rector
From my initial Skype interview with the All Saints-by-the-Sea search committee, I suspected we had the makings of a call. Our conversation left me energized by the possibilities of what God might do with and through us together. My enthusiasm was heightened and my desire to serve deepened during Tom and Marni's visit to my home and parish. Finally, my journey to your spiritual home to discern with your vestry confirmed that I believed God was calling me to be your rector.

Your church has confirmed this call. I know that you have passed through difficult times at All Saints. Tragedy, the loss of children and families, and staff transitions take a spiritual toll on a community of faith. I understand this spiritual toll. From working for human rights in post-apartheid South Africa to serving a suburban parish that was recovering from their own traumatic losses, the experiences of my life and ministry prepare me well to serve with you. My life and faith
remind me that the darkness of our lives does not consume the light of Christ. Indeed, you have experienced that as well. In the past two years your lay leadership has led you beyond grief, into a rector's search, and now on to a hope-filled campaign to ready your physical space for ministry for generations to come. I perceive you as a community perched and ready to engage what God will call us to do together. I am eager to discern the path God lays before us, for our sake and for the sake of the world we serve in Christ's name.

My family, too, is eager for the adventure ahead. Alyson and I are excited that Willa will be formed in our Parish School, which we discovered to be a place of love, learning, and delight. I am also enthusiastic about building relationships with fellow Parish School parents, as both parent and priest. Alyson is looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom to Willa, and we are all excited about the family time this opportunity will create. Our move to California also puts us a road trip away from my brother's family in San Jose. We look forward 
to more extended-family time with them. And all of this while we shake 
off our Midwestern winters for a return to sun and sand, our natural habitat!

During that first Skype interview, I told your search committee that I sought to serve a church whose people I could love and who could love me and my family. From this simple beginning, great things are possible. I take leave from a healthy, vibrant, and loving congregation to serve with you now in mutual ministry. And I do so with great optimism that we will love one another well, and in doing so, will spread God's love abroad in our world.
Letter From Bishop Bruno

Thoughts From Your Vestry
"Her energy is infectious, and I believe her enthusiasm and engaging style are precisely what we need in this next stage of All Saints' growth. " ~Bill Macfadyen

"Reverend Aimee is a rector who I believe can walk with us, providing love and inspiration, as we serve this generation and prepare to serve the next." ~Nathan Sigler

"Aimee embodies all the qualities presented in the All Saints Profile for what we as a congregation wish for in our new Rector." ~Bitsy Bacon

"I thought we were asking too much with our ideal candidate characteristics in the Profile...turns out we were asking for Aimee."
~David Telleen-Lawton

"There has been a demand for better in-reach to our church family and Aimee will bring the strong pastoral skills that our congregation needs. She truly believes in the power of relationships and I anticipate that she will build close ties with each member of our community." 

~Alex Williams

 
"Educated, Spiritual, and a great fit for All Saints." ~ Chuck DiTirro

"We have been blessed with the acceptance of our new rector whose qualities and qualifications are truly unsurpassed. I am beyond excited about the future, wellbeing, and growth of ASBTS. I honestly believe Rev. Aimee has been Heaven sent." ~Doug Davidson

"Aimee is going to lead ASBTS into the future with grace and dignity." ~Sally Green

"Rev. Aimee has a special presence. She makes folks see what she sees and want to go where she leads." ~Chip Nichols, Senior Warden