WELL.
Dear Friends,
Sorry for not updating for so long. After I finished all my hauling of ass up and down the East Coast, I felt more than a little exhausted. Also, this is about the level of excitement I can maintain for a blog, so you shouldn't feel that it's anything personal.
A lot has happened in the last few days. I still do not have a job. Well, I still have not accepted a job.
Dunn Loring didn't hire me; they hired someone who has already been a rector at her own church. That smarted, but I guess I can understand their motives. Their priest is taking a three-month sabbatical next year, and it might be a little weird for them to have someone as new as me in the role when that happens.
Holy Old Trinity, in Philly, is interviewing another person this weekend. The rector sent me an email that basically said he'd prefer to hire me right now, but that it wouldn't be a great move for him politically since some people are worried about his making up his mind too soon. And also they need to get the vestry to commit to funding the Assistant Minister position for at least two years. That is my preference as well, so, uhm, I guess I have no choice but to wait things out.
I had a GREAT phone interview for a curacy position at the cathedral in Cleveland. Do you remember how much I think I hate cathedrals? Turns out I maybe only hate stuffy churches. This one is run by a married lesbian who is very invested in inclusive/expansive language and mentoring young women. Her second-in-command is a person of color. Have I mentioned that all my other opportunities are working for old white guys? I'm flying to Cleveland on the 16th. The possibility of going back to the Middle West warms my heart like hotdish. Although they're all OSU fans out there, which would be difficult for me.
And that brings us to today, in which I turned down the one solid job offer I had to date. St. Dorf's-in-the-burbs. And it was an offer for a lot of money, by which I mean it was an offer for what passes for a lot of money in the church world. It just felt like a bad deal to me (recall my earlier post in which I described it as resoundingly mediocre).
The proof that I have made a right decision here is that I FEEL GREAT. About twenty minutes after an awkward 4 minute and 40 second phone call (I timed it), I was like OH MAN THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT DECISION. I also recalled that I did the same thing after college: I turned down a big managerial-tracked job with a company that made widgets 'n' things before I even had my admissions office job and you know what? Best decision evz. Occasionally, when working super late at some admitted students' event, I would wonder what it would have been like to make an extra $20,000 a year, but never really fully regretted it. Also if I had done that, I might be working on my MBA right now, God forbid.
Seriously, ew. I could be at Kellogg or something. Grosstown.
Anyway. In addition to waiting to hear from HOT and waiting to be wined and dined in the land of Cleve, I'm also going to write a cover letter to another church in Virginia, which is also like the DC-land version of HOT. I'll keep you updated....
Sorry for not updating for so long. After I finished all my hauling of ass up and down the East Coast, I felt more than a little exhausted. Also, this is about the level of excitement I can maintain for a blog, so you shouldn't feel that it's anything personal.
A lot has happened in the last few days. I still do not have a job. Well, I still have not accepted a job.
Dunn Loring didn't hire me; they hired someone who has already been a rector at her own church. That smarted, but I guess I can understand their motives. Their priest is taking a three-month sabbatical next year, and it might be a little weird for them to have someone as new as me in the role when that happens.
Holy Old Trinity, in Philly, is interviewing another person this weekend. The rector sent me an email that basically said he'd prefer to hire me right now, but that it wouldn't be a great move for him politically since some people are worried about his making up his mind too soon. And also they need to get the vestry to commit to funding the Assistant Minister position for at least two years. That is my preference as well, so, uhm, I guess I have no choice but to wait things out.
I had a GREAT phone interview for a curacy position at the cathedral in Cleveland. Do you remember how much I think I hate cathedrals? Turns out I maybe only hate stuffy churches. This one is run by a married lesbian who is very invested in inclusive/expansive language and mentoring young women. Her second-in-command is a person of color. Have I mentioned that all my other opportunities are working for old white guys? I'm flying to Cleveland on the 16th. The possibility of going back to the Middle West warms my heart like hotdish. Although they're all OSU fans out there, which would be difficult for me.
And that brings us to today, in which I turned down the one solid job offer I had to date. St. Dorf's-in-the-burbs. And it was an offer for a lot of money, by which I mean it was an offer for what passes for a lot of money in the church world. It just felt like a bad deal to me (recall my earlier post in which I described it as resoundingly mediocre).
The proof that I have made a right decision here is that I FEEL GREAT. About twenty minutes after an awkward 4 minute and 40 second phone call (I timed it), I was like OH MAN THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT DECISION. I also recalled that I did the same thing after college: I turned down a big managerial-tracked job with a company that made widgets 'n' things before I even had my admissions office job and you know what? Best decision evz. Occasionally, when working super late at some admitted students' event, I would wonder what it would have been like to make an extra $20,000 a year, but never really fully regretted it. Also if I had done that, I might be working on my MBA right now, God forbid.
Seriously, ew. I could be at Kellogg or something. Grosstown.
Anyway. In addition to waiting to hear from HOT and waiting to be wined and dined in the land of Cleve, I'm also going to write a cover letter to another church in Virginia, which is also like the DC-land version of HOT. I'll keep you updated....
... no, I won't, that's a lie. But eventually I'll update again.
posted by HighlySelective at 1:43 PM
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