Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Dear St. Michael’s, 

Ecclesiastes 3:1: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” 

I am writing to tell you that after eight and a half years, my time at St. Michael’s is coming to a close; a new season is coming for both St. Michael’s and my family.  I have accepted a call to be the next Rector of St. Luke’s, in Jackson, Tennessee.  I have notified the Bishop and Vestry of my resignation, and my last Sunday at St. Michael’s will be April 27, 2025.  It has truly been my pleasure to pastor and lead this parish during this time.  

Many of you know our story: my family and I knew that one day we would find ourselves moving closer to home again.  The loss of my brother, the birth of my second son, and the emotional distance brought on by COVID taught us something about ourselves: we discerned a need to be closer to family and grandparents once again.  We have been discerning the right time and the right call, and believe this is what God is calling us to do at this time. 

However, I write this with a mix of emotions. I’ve grown to know and love this parish and have served you through some challenging times. Initially, our mission was to bring stability and energy to the church after a sharp decline. We successfully accomplished this by stabilizing attendance, improving the budget, and calling a full-time curate. However, the pandemic interrupted our progress, and our new challenge was to adapt as a community to worship together in a new and different way. Once again, we rose to the occasion, transitioning to virtual worship, and quickly returning to our regular worship and community life as permitted. In the past couple of years, our focus has been on rebuilding. I’ve been blessed to witness the flourishing of our music and children’s ministries, as well as the growth of our church with new members. While our attendance, staffing, and finances continue to be affected by new cultural trends, we have embraced a renewed vision to be a place of God’s healing both inside and out. I now believe it’s time for someone new to lead St. Michael’s into the next phase of its ministry, bringing fresh energy and a new vision.  

I am also excited to begin my ministry with the good people of St. Luke’s, and to join them in continuing to be an Episcopal witness in Jackson through Anglican worship and ministry in their community.  Just as God brought me to Barrington to serve here at St. Michael’s in 2016, I believe God is now preparing me and my family for this moment of faithful response to a new call.  I also believe with certainty that God is also preparing your next rector to join you at this point in the life of this parish.  

Please pray for St. Michael’s, St. Luke’s, and both me and your next rector as the Holy Spirit guides us all to where we need to be when we need to be there. 

With God’s Blessing,  

The Rev. Jesse Perkins, Rector

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

From the Wardens: 

Greetings in Christ, 

It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Father Jesse, Katy, Gaius and Atticus. While we will miss them greatly, we are also excited for them as they prepare for Father’s Jesse’s next calling at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, Tennessee.  In the coming weeks, we ask that you pray for Father Jesse and his family as they transition into a new chapter in their lives.  

Let us also pray for St. Michael’s as we enter into the process of finding a new Rector.  In conversations with the diocese, it has been recommended that the parish focus on celebrating Fr. Jesse’s ministry to St. Michael’s in conjunction with moving through the Lenten and Holy Week calendar. Father Jesse has been a true blessing to our Parish, and we are deeply grateful for everything he has done to strengthen St. Michael’s.  To celebrate his time with us, we will be planning a special gathering to show our appreciation after the 10 am service on Sunday, April 27, 2025.  Let us come together to celebrate the wonderful gifts that Father Jesse has shared with St. Michael’s and to send the Perkins family off with our deepest blessings. 

With the help of the diocese, we will then embark on finding an interim or priest in charge who will lead us until a new rector has been identified. History tells us that the process of finding a new rector will take some time. We are fortunate to have great in-house clergy to provide coverage as needed.  

We have begun coordinating with the Diocese to understand our next steps, including a Vestry meeting with the diocesan representative on March 17th. Part of discerning a process and timeline will include identifying a search committee, but the initiation of that process is will not begin until Fr. Jesse has moved on.  All members of the congregation are eligible to be members of the search committee, and we will detail the time requirement for the committee as we get closer to asking for volunteers. Once the search committee has been approved by the Vestry it will take the lead in conducting a parish self-assessment using a Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) survey and small group meetings.  This assessment will allow us to provide protentional Rector candidates with a strong sense of who St. Michael’s is as a community and how we see our future.

The Wardens will be available to answer any questions we can about timing, process, etc. at the coffee hours at the end of both services this Sunday March 2nd. We invite you to join us as we all walk in confidence that God has an amazing plan for St. Michaels and for Fr. Jesse and his family. Please pray for our community, the Vestry and wardens as we begin a new chapter in the history of St. Michael’s 

With gratitude, 

Liz Gabis, Sr. Warden

Bob Hoyler, Jr. Warden