Rev. Sarah is warm and personable, and has been praised by her colleagues for her pastoral care skills. She is comfortable with the liturgies in the Book of Common Prayer and is energized by new modes of worship as well. She is both confident in her own gifts and humble in her approach to ministry. She values and respects the importance of lay ministry, both formal and informal. An excellent writer, compelling preacher, and capable administrator, Rev. Sarah has a passion for feeding people—both literally, through ministry to the hungry and unhoused, and spiritually.
We anticipate Rev. Sarah will begin her ministry with us on September 1. The vestry, clergy, staff, and lay leaders will use the summer months to prepare for that transition, including a formal farewell for Rev. Jeanne as our interim rector.
We look forward to growing together with Rev. Sarah on our mutual spiritual journey.
Yours in Christ,
Chris Anderson and Heath Luedde, wardens
Emily Mitchell and Ron Presti, Search Committee co-chairs
——-
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bedford, MA, is in the process of calling a new fulltime rector. The vestry has commissioned a search committee, who are leading the parish’s efforts to discern where we are as a faith community and what we are looking for in our new rector.
Below is a timeline of the steps we will follow during the search, with additional information linked as appropriate. We encourage you—whether you are a prospective candidate, a current member, a newcomer, a Diocesan staff member, or a visitor—to review this information and our entire website to get a sense of St. Paul’s and our members.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community.
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
Welcome! We are delighted you are interested in learning more about St. Paul’s and applying to be our next rector. We encourage you to explore our website to understand who we are as a faith community: our worship practices, ministries, history, and fellowship.
Our parish profile provides a snapshot of our common life in Christ: St. Paul’s Bedford Parish Profile
Instructions for candidates and links to the relevant job boards are included in the profile. We will be accepting applications through February 15, 2026.
Job postings:
TIMELINE FOR THE PARISH
SELF-STUDY
Parish survey: The search committee offered an all-parish survey to help determine where we are as a worship community and what qualities we’re looking for in our new rector. The survey is now closed.
Small-group discussions: The search committee hosted several informal meetings in October and November 2025 to provide members an opportunity to share their hopes for a new rector in a small-group setting. Thank you to all who participated!
Parish profile: The search committee has incorporated the information from the survey, small-group discussions, and parish statistics into a comprehensive parish profile [St. Paul’s Bedford Parish Profile], to advertise the position and tell prospective candidates who we are and what we’re seeking.
INTERVIEWS
Receiving applications: The search committee receives applications, using the Diocese’s and the greater ECUSA’s platforms to advertise the position widely. Instructions for candidates and links to the relevant job boards are included in the profile. We will be accepting applications through February 15, 2026.
Job postings:
Preliminary interviews: The search committee conducts preliminary interviews of our longlist and shortlist of candidates.
Finalist interviews: The search committee conducts extensive final interviews of the finalist candidates, including opportunities to meet with vestry and staff members.
Call of the new rector: The search committee recommends one candidate to the vestry. If the vestry agrees with the committee’s choice, the wardens are authorized to call the new rector and negotiate an agreement. The new rector will be formally installed at a service within a few months of their start date.