Dear Friends,
Happy Friday! We are excited to share the news that St. Paul’s vestry has called the Rev. Sarah Phelps to be our interim rector! Sarah will be starting in that role on Sunday, March 9.
For many in our parish, Sarah will be a familiar face. She worshipped with us in 2015 and 2016 when her family first moved to Cary from California. At that time, she was on an 18-month leave from parish ministry during her son’s preschool years. She also covered for Fr. George during his sabbatical in 2016.
Sarah brings a wealth of experience to St. Paul’s. She is in her 26th year of ordained ministry, having been ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1998 and then to the Episcopal priesthood in 2007. She served as the rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Palos Verdes Estates, CA, from 2008 to 2015. In mid-2016, Sarah was called to serve at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Wake Forest, where she currently serves as rector. Sarah has specific training, experience, and passion for interim ministry and organizational transitions.
At each step along her vocational path, Sarah left a positive mark on the organizations and communities in which she served. She helped her parishes identify and build upon their strengths, invigorated lay leadership, and expanded programs. Her leadership is evident in the success of those parishes. During her tenure at St. Francis, annual giving increased by 30%; at St. John’s, both weekly attendance and the parish budget more than tripled in her 8 years of leadership there.
Sarah is excited to be joining us as interim rector as she also pursues some new training to build skills in specialized areas such as ministry coaching, spiritual direction, retreat leadership, and possible chaplaincy in the years ahead. Sarah shared with our vestry that she appreciated how St. Paul’s welcomed her family into our worship life after their cross country move, and further supported her as a young mother through our MOMS ministry. She is thrilled to join us once again to support us now as we journey through this significant moment of transition at St. Paul’s.
Please join us in giving Sarah a warm and hearty welcome on Sunday, March 9th.