Last fall, our vestry noted that Trinity is at an important inflection point, as our ministries expand and enthusiasm for our shared Cathedral ministry is growing. The energy on Sunday mornings is growing. Our community partnerships are expanding. The response toward our invitations to greater commitment, from folks stepping into leadership for the first time to long-time members making legacy gift commitments, speaks to a deeply held desire to see Trinity grow and our ministries thrive.
Pastoral care is at the heart of all we do: it is a vital part of Christian community and an essential building block for ministry that feeds us all. Pastoral care is how we envelop one another with the love of God; it is also how clergy offer faithful support and guidance to those in our care. Pastoral care is essential to a congregation’s integrity and well-being.
Pastoral care is also a key component in our search for a Priest Associate, and part of why the vestry and I have created this new position. That isn’t to say that the new minister would “do” all the pastoral care; rather, a third priest would increase our capacity for both ministry leadership and the care of our growing community. They will help coordinate and track the pastoral care needs of the congregation so that all clergy can care for the People of God.
That is but one leading area of this new position, but an important one as we consider how we as a congregation hope to grow in the coming years. Our search process is still underway: in February we held zoom interviews with candidates across the country and in March we have had several finalists visit Cleveland for in-person interviews.
I ask you to hold our process and our candidates in your prayers as our hopeful discernment work continues. It is generative work at an exciting moment!
Faithfully,
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens