Thursday, January 22, 2009

New Rectors

Well, I've met three candidates out of four so far for the post of Rector of Holy Trinity, Nailsea. Three nice people. Three different people. Possibly three people who, as a result of manic late-night googling, are now readers of Mustard Seed Shavings. Who knows?

The nature of external patronage (someone outside the situation has the responsibility of appointing) means that I do not get to sit on the interview panel next week. Some would, in any case, argue that it would be inappropriate to interview someone who will later have some degree of authority over part of your work.

So I get 45 minutes with each candidate during which time I have to find out if we can have a conversation and work together - all this by trying to answer their questions and hear a bit of biography. I have not been shown the candidates' application forms so I too have been googling like crazy. This has enabled me to hear one of them preach.

So many questions. Do you always dress like that? Is that slightly irritating habit going to drive us mad the seventeenth time? Was the flattery well-meant? Were you flying close to the edge of rudeness to see how I'd react or are you habitually like that? Do you always carry a gun? Who knows?

Blink. What was the first impression? You only get one chance to make one of those. That might be the best we can do. Blink.

It's a bit of a lottery isn't it?

4 comments:

Mike Peatman said...

Exciting times, Steve.

Hope it works out well.

Anonymous said...

So many questions . . . were these the ones arising in your mind or the candidates?

David Keen said...

It's the 77th time you've got to worry about.

It is a bit of a lottery. But how many of us would be happy with a probationary period? And who would make the call then? Must be hard having no part in the decision, but then I guess you had no part in the decision over his/her predecessor either!! Hope you get a good one.

RHK said...

A chum visited a church where everyone was eagerly awaiting appointment of new incumbent.

An elderly lady confided: 'It's not easy being in the middle of an interrectum.'