Did you happen to walk through the office area over the last couple of weeks and notice a projection screen set up in the nursery? No, we’re not starting a film series for the little ones – the Search Committee was doing Skype interviews! These were our very first conversations with the candidates, and we set up in the nursery because it was the only place that had both a strong internet connection (a must for Skype) and a door that closes (a must for confidentiality). We scheduled the interviews over a week and a half, and we had between 5 and 9 committee members there for each one. If you’re trying to picture it, we had Skype running on a laptop, with two committee members in front of it, talking to the candidate. The candidate was projected onto the screen so that the rest of the room could see them. (We may have made some candidates a little seasick, turning the laptop around so they could meet everyone, but they were all very gracious about it.) We had a set of questions that we asked all of the candidates, and then answered their initial questions about St. Stephen’s and our search process. It was an exhausting week and a half, but the interviews were fascinating, and we continue to be thrilled with our pool of candidates.
This week the committee met to discuss the interviews and make some decisions about who we want to move forward with to our next round. Given the strength of our pool, this was a lengthy and challenging conversation, but we have discerned a set of candidates who we are very excited to learn more about. Next week we will begin our reference checking, and our planning for the following step, which involves pairs of search committee members visiting the candidates in their home parishes. We expect those visits to happen throughout April.
As you move through Holy Week and celebrate Easter, please keep the search committee in your prayers, and remember to give thanks for the amazing opportunities ahead of us!
-Melanie Schlosser, Search Co-Chair
