Rector Search Update from Sue Carter, Senior Warden
Our new interim, the Rev. Broderick Greer, has served as the Canon Precentor for Saint John's Cathedral, Denver since 2017. In that capacity he worked closely with lay leaders to plan worship, coordinated 20s and 30s ministry, shared in pastoral care, supervised staff, and assisted with stewardship and the recent A Cathedral for All Generations capital campaign. A 7th generation Texan, Father Greer holds a Bachelors of Science in Social Work from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN and a Masters of Divinity from The Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA. He served as Curate and Associate Rector for Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church and School in Memphis, TN from 2015-2017. He is an active member of the Denver Art Museum, is a member of the board of One Colorado and the diversity committee for St. Anne's Episcopal School, Denver.
Previously…
The Rev. Canon Lucy Amerman and Pastor Jackson Haas, who server as our interim pastors have moved on.
We are pleased to announce that beginning April 1st, The Rev. Canon Broderick Greer will be joining us as interim rector. His first Sunday as our celebrant will be on April 6th, and a welcome reception will be held during Coffee Hour that day.
Recently, we received a slate of five diverse, qualified candidates from the Diocese of Colorado. Wes pent evenings during two weeks in mid-February interviewing the candidates by Zoom. After much prayer and discernment, we determined that unfortunately, for various reasons, none of the candidates were a good fit with Holy Comforter. We unanimously agreed to carry on with the search.
Profile is Complete. Another step has been taken on our journey to hire a new rector. Our Parish Profile has been completed by the Profile Team, . . .Read the whole update here and access the profile here on our web page.
Our meetings for Holy Conversation questions are now completed and we have held a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the results of the Holy Cow survey.
We learned that our top three priorities are:
Growth – Holy Comforter members desire to make necessary changes to attract families with children and youth.
Growth – Members want to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church.
Education – Members desire the provision of more opportunities for Christian Education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life.
The survey also informed us that Holy Comforter is what they term a "Paraclete Culture."
We welcomed Co-interim Rectors for the first time Sunday, September 1, 9:30am. The Rev. Canon Lucy Amerman & the Rev. Jackson Haas, Co-Interims and married couple, will be our interim rectors. Lucy was an attorney prior to being ordained as an Episcopal priest. She has served as the Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Colorado. (A Canon to the Ordinary is an assistant to the Bishop). Jackson is a retired Lutheran (ELCA) pastor. He has been trained as a mediator, and has served as a hospice and hospital chaplain.
Special thanks to our retired clergy: The Reverend Charlie Piper, The Reverend Linda Piper, The Reverend Cass Strotheide, and The Reverend Kelsey Hogue for their faithful sharing of their gifts these past months. We are blessed to have you with us, and we are grateful for all you do.
The CAT (Church Assessment Tool) by Holy Cow! Consulting was sent to those on our email list who actively participate in the life of Holy Comforter, including some who are here part-time or are with us from home-bound spaces. The survey window closed on August 22, 2024. We had 150 parishioners take the Holy Cow! Survey in the month of August! We are told that is a very good response. Thank you, Holy Comforter!
Remember to read your “playbills” (the weekly Enews and Sunday bulletin) to stay apprised of the latest developments in the acts/stages involved in our search process. Please reach out to any member of the Vestry or myself to ask questions. warden@holycomforterchurch.net