A letter to the Parish from Rev. Allison

September 2024

Dear people of St. Stephen’s Sierra Vista,

I am so thankful for all of you who belong to our faith family.  You are such a blessing to minister with and to share our faith life with.  Robin and I love you and treasure our time together with you all.  Which makes this announcement bitter-sweet.

I will be retiring from parish ministry in August 2025, a year from now.  Robin and I would like to travel and do many things together that we have put off for years and now are able to take the time to go and to do such things.  We want to do these things while we are capable health and ability wise.

In discussions with Bishop Reddall and The Rev. Canon Anita Braden, you, the members of St. Stephen’s will begin the process of selecting a new priest-in-charge in the coming year.  The hopeful result of your process would be that come August of 2025, I will retire, and the new priest will assume leadership of St. Stephen’s in my stead without the need for an interim.

To begin this process The Rev. Canon Anita Braden will be coming Sunday October 27th to lead our members in the first steps towards identifying the desired characteristics of our church as we move into the next chapters of the life of the church.  This will then help describe the type of person to be the next rector of the church.

During this coming year, your wardens and vestry will be coordinating the information and advertisement of the open position for a new rector.  There will also be a “search committee” who will also have as its primary mission the evaluation of candidates and interviews towards a selection of your new priest-in-charge.

Following my departure next year, Robin and I are planning to retire in Sierra Vista; however, for the first year of my retirement I am required by The Episcopal Church directives to distance myself from the church and you all as your pastoral minister.  Much of that time, Robin and I anticipate being involved in travels around the country and to other places outside the US.  When in town, we will need to worship in other churches for that year as well.  After a year with your new priest, we can attend worship again at St. Stephen’s.

In closing, it has been my privilege and honor to journey with you through these past seven years.  Know that I love you and look forward to new opportunities to see where God’s Holy Spirit leads this church in its next chapters of its faith life.

I ask that all of you actively participate in the upcoming process for helping to identify the next rector of St. Stephen’s beginning with the Day of Discovery on October 27th from 12pm to 3pm in the Education Building.

 

Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Allison Cornell