Dear Members of the St. John's Community,

 

Saint John's was blessed with a visit from the Right Reverend Dabney Smith, the Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, this past Sunday.  One of the commitments he made to you in his sermon was that there would be clear and timely communication about any decisions made going forward.

 

As he announced, the Bishop met with the Vestry following the 11:15 a.m. service.  One topic of discussion was the fact that during these four months of Father Remer's sabbatical it is not possible under the Canons to name a Priest in Charge or an Interim Rector.  Instead, during the Vestry meeting, Bishop Smith appointed, with the unanimous support of the Vestry, Father Charles Connelly as Bishop's Vicar for Saint John's Parish.  

 

Father Connelly, working with the Wardens and Vestry, will be in charge of the day-to-day operations and administration of the Parish. He will continue to serve as Chaplain to the School, although his activities will be significantly realigned to allow him to fulfill his new responsibilities in the parish.

 

In his role of Bishop's Vicar, Father Connelly will serve on the staff of the Bishop, thus allowing Bishop Smith direct input and support for our church.  We, the Wardens and Vestry, are all very excited to have Father Connelly in this role and to have Bishop Smith's ongoing support.

During the Rector's sabbatical, Father Douglas Zimmerman will continue his ministry as Associate Rector for Pastoral Ministries.  He will continue to be our liaison to the Hyde Park neighborhood as well.

 

We are excited to share this good news with you.  If you have any questions, please contact the Clergy, the Wardens, or any member of the Vestry.

 

Faithfully yours,

 

Gregory G. Gaar, Senior Warden, and Paul Brokaw, Junior Warden, on behalf of the Vestry

 

 

Also, please note that given the current state of transition in our parish, the Bishop has declared the Vestry "frozen." This means that current Vestry members will continue to serve until next year.  This also means there will be no elections at the January Annual Meeting this year.

The St. John's School Board met together with the Vestry on Saturday, August 24th, to share information on the state of the School and objectives for the year. The Vestry and School Board will work together closely this year, including through a joint governance task force chaired by Mr. Christopher Lykes, the Vestry Liaison to the School Board, and through the formation of a joint committee to continue planning for facilities renovations.

 

With Gordon Rode's departure at the end of this school year, the search for a new Head of School to begin July 1, 2014 is underway.  The School's position statement is now available on the St. John's School website on the Head of School Search page.  This document describes the Head of School opportunity at St John's and will be used to inform and recruit candidates. If you have any questions about the Head of School search process, please contact Search Committee Chair Betsy Graham at betsygraham@verizon.net or 813.835.1410.  If you have suggestions for potential candidates, please contact our Search Consultant, Linda Gibbs of Resource Group 175, at gibbslm@gmail.com or 646.261.5761. 

 

   

Thank you to hosts Anne and Jim Voss!

Ministry Moment: Uganda, given by Leland Baldwin

The annual FATHERS camping trip to Lakewood Retreat will take place Friday, November 8 to Saturday, November 9.  This fun tradition for fathers and their kids includes an overnight in tents, dinner, breakfast, a hayride, kettle corn, and s'mores over a cozy campfire.  The cost is $25 per person.  FATHERS (Fathers Accountable To Healthy Enduring Relationships and Spirituality) is a group of dads, both old and new, who support each other in becoming better men of God, better husbands, and better fathers. For more information or to RSVP, email Lionel Lowry.