Ministerial Duties and Responsibilities
The Opportunity     St. Luke’s seeks an exceptional individual to serve as our next Rector.  The Rector gives leadership to the spiritual care and nourishment of the parish through word and sacrament in the liturgy, Christian formation, missions, pastoral care, and leadership in the life of the church.  Please read below to learn more about the Ministerial Duties and Responsibilities
Worship
 As stated in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, the Rector’s essential role is to preach the word at all times and lead worship, to preside in the breaking of the bread and the blessing of the wine, to lead the community in a life of prayer and praise.  We seek a devoted person of prayer who desires to form disciples who then seek to disciple others. We seek a Rector for St. Luke’s Church who will fulfill these requirements and lead our congregation with humility, hospitality, joy and spiritual maturity.     
    Worship Responsibilities include:
  • Bearing the primary responsibility for leading worship on Sundays and Holy Days
  • according to the Book of Common Prayer
  • Offer original sermons each week based on the Scripture readings
  • Oversee the work of all other participants in worship, including readers, lay eucharistic ministers, choirs, musicians, and all others
  •  Develop other worship opportunities and services as appropriate (Night Church, Under The Oaks outdoor service)
  • Offer baptism, marriage, burial, confirmation as appropriate
Christian Education and Formation
Our Rector is responsible for overseeing Christian education and formation in the parish. The Rector values and encourages the inclusion and participation of all members of the parish.  Emphasizing a life of prayer, scriptural study, and catechesis, alongside the exploration of the Bible, book groups, art studies, and other opportunities for spiritual and relational
growth is valued.        
 Christian Education and Formation Responsibilities include:
  • Teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and example
  • Oversee Christian Education in the parish, including education for young people and adults, and develop other educational opportunities as appropriate
  • Oversee preparation for baptism, confirmation, reaffirmation, and reception
  • Participate in continuing education programs for his own growth and development as appropriate
Pastoral Care
The Rector must be available and equipped to meet the pastoral counseling needs of the parish. With previous experiences, the Rector has been tested in situations of crisis and responds calmly and comfortingly with the wisdom of God. The Rector maintains and encourages a spirit of peace and love among all Christians so that they are marked by their unity of mind and spirit, a people who rejoice in God. The Rector must keep in mind that dealing with conflict as effectively as possible is a key role and acknowledge that those with whom you are meeting with have free will, is crucial.
  Pastoral Care Responsibilities include:
  •  Oversee the care of individuals and families in joy and sorrow
  •  Offer pastoral care concerning birth, marriage, and death ● Make referrals for counseling and other services ● Equip the laity for extending pastoral care to one another.
  • Offer spiritual counsel and guidance for the members of the parish in dealing with conflicts as required to make changes or movement forward. Deal either in being proactive, responding assertively, neither passive nor aggressive, but assertively to resolve issues in a Godly manner
  •  Model good self-care by managing his times of work and rest and giving adequate time and support to family or close personal community   Tend to the quality of his own spiritual life through retreats, days of refreshment, spiritual direction, and other appropriate means
Missions and Outreach
The Rector is invested in the Christian community, both locally and globally. Hospitality is encouraged within and beyond the parish, and those desiring to participate on the local or global level are encouraged to do so. Relationships with other churches both on a pastoral
level and between congregations are sought out and developed.
 Missions and Outreach Responsibilities include:
  •  Model the hospitality of Christ by encouraging a culture of faithful welcome in the church.
  •  Assist in the development of ministries of service to the wider community.
  •  Model concern and care for the needs of the world.
  •  Equip the laity to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ in their varied spheres of life.
 Administrative and Leadership
The Rector is a wise leader and administrator. As the rector of a church in Hilton Head Island, our rector is culturally conversant, but not trendy. Hilton Head Island is a moderately diverse community with some aspect of faith having varying importance to the majority of residents. There are over 50 active churches in the Bluffton/Hilton Head Island community. As the leader of a church whose members hold varied opinions on many current and diverse issues, the Rector navigates areas of potential division with grace, emphasizing unity in Christ above all else while acknowledging differing points of view. The Rector is spiritually mature and able to navigate those who have questions regarding the faith. He models trust in the face of uncertainty, particularly in spiritual matters, and does not always need to have the ‘right’ answer. The Rector provides a stable, trustworthy, approachable presence for the congregation. He maintains order and peace in his own life and lives a life of personal holiness. He has a vibrant and diligent interior spiritual life that can be attested by peers or superiors.
Practically speaking, the Rector knows when and how to delegate, and builds the life and function of the parish by raising and equipping others into various roles in the church. He manages church finances well, has strategic planning skills, maintains oversight of staff and parish vestry, and works well with them. He maintains appropriate boundaries for himself and church leadership, and maintains healthy relationships with the many volunteers on which St. Luke’s presently depends.    
 Administrative and Leadership Responsibilities include:
  •  Preparation for and chair vestry meetings.
  • Encourage Godly stewardship/tithe and oversee the best use of these gifts in consultation with the Vestry.
  • Ensure clarity of staff job descriptions and performance evaluation procedures.
  • Oversight of the administration of the life of the church, in consultation with the Vestry.
  • Coordinate and supervise the work of all other clergy and administrative staff.
  • Undergo an annual review process with the Vestry.
  • Regular communication with the parish outside of Sunday morning services.
  • Participation in the life of our Diocese, including (but not limited to) attending required Diocesan gatherings, ACNA conferences and ADOSC meetings/retreats.
There may be other duties, not outlined here, that fall to the Rector in the normal course of parish.  
If you are interested in applying for the position of St. Luke's Rector, please see the following information:
Parish Profile
​Application for Position