The Search for an Associate Rector

Saint Mark’s, Locust Street, in Center City Philadelphia is searching for a priest to serve as Associate Rector, to share in collaborative ministry at this progressive, urban, Anglo-catholic parish.  We are committed to the ministry of women in holy orders, and both men and women are encouraged to submit their expressions of interest.

Our mission centers on the dual emphases of the worship of God and care for God’s people, especially those in need.  We continue to develop ministry with families and children, an area of parish life that has seen substantial growth in recent years.  The Associate Rector shares all aspects of priestly ministry with the Rector, and takes leadership responsibility for ministry with families and children, as well as with adults in their 20s and 30s.  Gifts in liturgical leadership, preaching, pastoral care, Christian formation, and administration, among others, are all important to the fruitful exercise of ministry in this context.

Saint Mark’s has grown steadily over the past 15-20 years, and has navigated the transition from a pastoral-size parish to a program-size.  We continue to experience a call to grow in our capacity for ministry and in our health and vitality.  We are looking for someone who will work collaboratively with the Rector, lay leadership, and volunteers to contribute to this process of growth, and who shares a vision of the church that is hopeful, engaging, and expansive.

We are looking for a priest possessed of significant gifts for ministry, including a desire to stretch his or her self as a leader in a parish that’s engaged in a wide variety of ministries, and that strives to adopt an outward-looking focus, while attending to the pastoral needs of the parish community.  The clergy at Saint Mark’s lead liturgies that are said and sung, use the breadth of the Prayer Book, and that daily require a meaningful engagement with the Scriptures for preaching, study, and instruction.

Those who find such a vocation attractive and who believe they may have appropriate gifts are asked to please express their interest to the Rector, Fr. Sean Mullen, by sending a resume and cover letter that shares some insight about their strongest gifts for ministry.  Please submit materials by email to: semullen@saintmarksphiladelphia.org

An Announcement from the Rector

Dear friends in Christ,

I'm writing to share with you the news that our Assistant Rector, Fr. Kyle Babin, has been called to be the Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, on the Main Line.  Fr. Babin's gifts will be a blessing to this well-known Anglo-catholic parish.  We will miss him greatly, and I’m glad that he’ll remain a not-distant neighbor.  In only a short time here, Fr. Babin has provided excellent leadership of ministries with families and children, 20s and 30s, and has steered RISE - an experimental ministry - through its most recent phase.  He's been a gentle and good pastor to so many of us.  And we have benefitted from his voice in the pulpit and at the altar.  I'm very sorry to lose Fr. Babin as a colleague in ministry on Locust Street, but I am confident that God is blessing him and the people of Rosemont by bringing them together through this call.  Fr. Babin will be with us through much of the summer, wrapping up his time here on August 16, which will mean he can be with us through Choir Camp, assuming the camp is able to happen.  He and his husband, Robert McCormick (our Organist and Choirmaster) will be moving to Rosemont shortly thereafter, which means a longer commute to Locust Street for Mr. McCormick. As we get closer to the time, we will plan a way to celebrate his ministry among us in a way that's appropriate and safe, so that we can say thank you and wish him God's blessing in his new ministry. You'll be hearing more from me about this as plans are made, and I'll keep you updated on the search for a new priest to join our parish community.  Meanwhile, don't forget to offer your thanks to God for Fr. Babin's fine ministry, as I am doing too.

Faithfully,

Fr. Sean Mullen