Why don’t we have a vicar this year?

Wondering Questions
  1. There are fewer candidates for pastoral ministry in all seminaries – there are no guarantees that there will be a vicar available every year.
  2. Of the fewer candidates, more are geographically restricted.
  3. Vicars can’t do weddings, funerals, and counseling, or take full responsibility for other current ministries.
  4. Most of all, we are not the same congregation we were 8 years ago when we had the first of our five vicars.  With growth, needs have changed.

The good news is that our vicars have invited us to stretch and see the potential for extending mission and ministry.  Starting new mission or ministry work requires more consistent support.  As we seek where God may be calling us to move, we have time to ponder the best ways to meet future needs.

Next week I’ll answer how we plan to fill in the gaps left by our vicars.

~Pastor Trudy Stoffel