Part-Time Priest in Charge
St. John’s Episcopal Church is seeking a new priest in charge. We are located in the East Rock neighborhood of diverse and historic New Haven, Connecticut, only a few blocks from Yale University. Our position between vibrant urban communities and centers of international scholarship gives us unique opportunities to learn, serve, and worship in our character as an Episcopal, evangelical, and ecumenical church where women as well as men are fully vested with the authority to teach, preach, and lead. For more information about St. John’s see our parish profile below.
In addition to serving our parish with the responsibilities and duties of a priest – planning for and leading worship services, celebrating the Eucharist, convening Vestry meetings, overseeing the building, and acting as liaison with the Diocese —we seek a leader who:
- Has a deep relationship with Jesus Christ and serves with the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit.
- Faithfully ministers the word and sacraments from the Book of Common Prayer and is committed to biblically faithful teaching and preaching.
- Leads collaboratively and is comfortable sharing responsibilities—including preaching—with gifted laypeople and our Pastoral Associate.
- Motivates and empowers us to serve Christ and our neighbor in works of mercy, racial justice, healing, and active participation in God’s mission in the world.
- Provides pastoral care in coordination with our Pastoral Associate and lay team members.
Our priest in charge will supervise our church staff, consisting of our Pastoral Associate, Office Administrator, and Sexton.
Our congregation of 60-75 parishioners is approved to seek a part-time priest (1/3 time).
If you believe God might be calling you to discern with us, please contact our Wardens, David Mahan, PhD, and Michele Sigg, PhD, using the button below and send a Letter of Interest, a current resume or CV, and a current OTM profile to ECCT’s Diocesan Transition Minister, the Rev. Cn. Timothy Hodapp, Canon for Mission Advancement & Coaching and Diocesan Transition Minister (thodapp@episcopalct.org).
Parish Profile
Situated in the residential East Rock neighborhood near Yale University in New Haven, St. John’s Episcopal Church has been a living witness to the historic Christian faith to its surrounding community since our founding in 1852. True to our Episcopalian identity, our worship emphasizes “the beauty of holiness” in the Anglican tradition, using the Book of Common Prayer, while freely incorporating contemporary and global expressions of faith in our services. Our identity is also evangelical: we uphold the authority of Scripture and proclaim Jesus Christ and His unique, saving Gospel through the witness of our lives and words. We practice an ecumenical “generous orthodoxy,” welcoming people from different Christian traditions and inviting all baptized Christians to partake of the Eucharist.
Our congregation is diverse in many ways. Intergeneration relationships are a core value for us, and we have members of all ages, from infant children of young families to older adults. We offer Children’s Chapel each Sunday and also have a growing teen and young adults ministry. Because of our proximity to Yale and other area universities, our church is a spiritual home for a large population of graduate students and numerous professors, as well as a sizable number of members from other countries. Most of our core congregants work in various professions in the greater New Haven area.
Our location shapes outreach at St. John’s. We love New Haven and seek to be the hands of Christ in our diverse community, partnering with other churches and organizations to try to meet its needs, from pursuing racial justice, to helping local refugees resettled in our community, to caring for local ecology in our pollinator and native plant gardens. Because New Haven draws the world to us, our heart is drawn to the world: as a community we seek to understand, encourage, and support the global church. Similarly, because we serve a significant number of students who are here for shorter seasons, we aim to inspire, involve, and equip members who will carry forward our mission locally during their time here and become effective leaders for the church and society in the future. Nearly all our members are involved in service within the church as well as outreach to our local community.
In addition to outreach, as a congregation we seek to cultivate theological understanding and spiritual vitality through small groups, special events (such as an annual lecture series), and healing prayer. St. John’s is gifted with a “deep bench” of many leaders, including some with professional ministry training. In the last year alone, over 25 different parishioners preached at our services. We have an active vestry with two Wardens, several different committees and ministry teams, and a part-time Pastoral Associate who oversees Sunday service planning, ministry coordination, pastoral care, supervising our Sexton and Office Administrator, and managing much of the care for our building and grounds.
Built in 1892, our beautiful building is home to a sanctuary with lovely stained-glass windows, a prayer chapel, and a parish hall where we host weekly fellowship times and a variety of other church family events and outreach gatherings. The building also includes an undercroft with ample space for children’s nursery, game room, library, and Sunday school classrooms. In addition, our gardens have become a neighborhood hangout, complete with new playground equipment frequently used by young families, as well as a place for us to practice creation care.
Greater New Haven is a cultural, artistic, and educational hub with many opportunities for professional and personal growth. There is also a wide variety of residential neighborhoods that are suitable for singles, couples, and families, with many different kinds of schools available.