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Vicar Search

We are currently in search for our next vicar. You can learn more about the transition process on the Diocese of Virginia’s website. To enter into discernment with us, please submit: letter expressing interest, resume, Vocation Hub/OTM Profile, and sermon recording to the Rev. Will Dickinson, Diocesan Transition Minister (wdickinson@episcopalvirginia.org). Applications will be considered as received.

Buck Mountain Episcopal Church Profile Download as .docx

Position Details

Benefits

  • Health Benefits: Family Medical & Dental
  • Housing: Allowance provided
  • Is there a rectory: No
  • Equity Allowance: No
  • Additional Comments re: compensation, benefits, housing
    • Vacation: 4 weeks (5 Sundays)
    • Continuing Education Allowance: $1K, 2 weeks (1 Sunday)
    • Sabbatical: Up to 14 weeks every 5–7 years
    • Moving Expense, Local Travel & cell phone reimbursement

Parish Profile

  • Communicants in Good Standing: 81
  • Average Sunday Attendance (from parochial report): 51
  • Budget (from parochial report total operating expenses): $257,619
  • Staff: Part-time admin, music, nursery; contractor support for bookkeeping, cleaning, and maintenance
  • Parish Online Connections

Liturgical Style and Practice

At Buck Mountain Episcopal Church we worship in a simple, colonial-era sanctuary and our services reflect that setting. We use Rite II from the BCP and EOW at our 10:30 service; Rite I is seldom used. Chasuble use by clergy is optional, incense is avoided due to our limited space.

We are blessed with many Eucharistic Ministers and three licensed Lay Preachers, each of whom preach 2-3 times a year. We offer multiple services during Holy Week, Advent and Christmas – all enhanced by our dedicated Altar and Flower Guilds.

Most Sundays feature piano accompaniment using selections from the 1982 Hymnal, LEVAS II and other contemporary sources. Our historic organ is played about once a month. We would like to restart our choir, but for now, our congregation sings with enthusiasm. Children participate in Christian formation during part of the 10:30 service once a month, and a children’s message with an interactive response is incorporated into the liturgy.

We offer evening Eucharist services a couple of Sundays each month. These services particularly draw people searching for healing, an alternative worship style, a comfortable introduction (or reintroduction) to church, and a less traditional liturgy. These contemplative services feature candlelight, poetry, and music. The tone is reflective and spacious, inviting worshippers into quiet prayer and gentle community. The parish has expressed a strong desire to return our evening worship to a weekly schedule, perhaps expanding liturgical offerings beyond Celtic and Taizé, and exploring a wider range of musical expressions.

Strengths

We are fortunate to worship in a historic sanctuary that has welcomed generations of parishioners since 1747. Our location in the village of Earlysville in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains contributes to the parish’s character, offering a beautiful and peaceful worship environment. We strive to live the Gospel message of love for all of God’s creation both within our parish community and with our neighbors.

Buck Mountain has a strong sense of identity and purpose grounded in our mission to be a Spirit-led and inclusive community of faith. Our congregation is known for its warmth, sincerity, and “open arms,” welcoming people from many traditions as well as those new to church. Members describe Buck Mountain as a church where all are accepted; our community includes families, single adults, couples, LGBTQ couples and individuals, and those with disabilities. Newcomers report that they have readily made connections and were quickly made to feel part of the parish.

A defining strength of the parish is our deep commitment to outreach, expressing our faith as Jesus taught us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Mark 10:45. We seek to be the hands of God in serving the neighbors in our local community. For nearly two decades, our Parish Hall has served as the home of a twice-monthly Food Pantry that now supports 50 to 80 clients per distribution and draws volunteers from both the congregation and the wider community. Our partnership with the Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM) provides household essentials to neighbors transitioning out of homelessness; the children of the parish regularly help prepare supplies for a group of under-resourced older or disabled adults also served by AIM.

Parishioners are active in social-justice efforts, including Sacred Ground, community dialogues, and local advocacy. Our Stephen Ministers extend compassionate care to those facing difficult seasons of life. They lovingly serve people in need both within and beyond the parish. This very committed group of ministers is close-knit; they nurture each other in spiritual development and continuing education. Our outreach efforts are viewed through the lens that developing relationships and caring for each other is a key Gospel message.

Lay leadership is a notable strength of Buck Mountain. Many of our ministries, formation programs, and fellowship events have originated from the ideas and energy of parishioners. Lay initiated programs have included a Lenten labyrinth, a writing symposium, movie-based discussion groups, and a mental health panel discussion series. Lay leaders coordinate our Women’s Retreat, parish Shrine Mont retreat, weekly Bible Study, and the Food Pantry. Expansion of our ministries is supported by our Endowment. Though only 10 years old, it has grown to $300K and annually provides funding for programs beyond our operating budget.

Fellowship is strong, supported by a weekly coffee hour and parish-wide social gatherings. We are a community that likes to celebrate and have fun together. We have an annual Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner, ECW events, baby showers, and occasional dances and concerts. We welcome our neighbors to several well-attended community events, including an annual July 4th “Great Hotdog Giveaway” and a community-wide picnic featuring barbecue and bluegrass music. In service to the community, we also host Girl Scouts, AA, yoga classes, and a weekly farmers market.

Our historic 1740s sanctuary and rural setting contribute to the parish’s character, but we also enjoy being just minutes from the urban amenities of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Our area is experiencing significant growth with the population of Albemarle County increasing 15.5% over the last decade.

Challenges

Buck Mountain faces several interconnected challenges. Many of our members are retirees, and we have fewer young adults and families with children. Although our outreach ministries generate engagement across the community, we have not established a consistent pathway from participation in these programs to active involvement in parish life. Improving how we communicate who we are as a church is necessary.

Sustaining our ministries is an ongoing concern, even with a cadre of highly committed volunteers. Many parishioners are involved, but many also carry multiple responsibilities. We need to cultivate new leaders and strengthen collaboration between clergy and lay leaders who desire a vicar who can “lubricate the gears” and be a source of counsel.

In Christian formation, children’s programs are currently limited, and consistent adult formation now consists of a single weekday lay-led Bible study. The decreased scope of programs constrains our spiritual growth, and many parishioners have expressed a real desire for growth opportunities. Developing a more robust formation program will require both additional resources and increased participation.

Recent stewardship results have been sufficient but below goal, and rising costs and economic realities will continue to place pressure on our operating budget. We recognize the need for both innovative ideas and an earlier campaign initiation to support increased stewardship programming. Our historic buildings and grounds are an asset but require ongoing maintenance and thoughtful allocation of resources. While the parish has a history of generosity, a growing endowment, and strong response to targeted capital campaigns, we must strengthen year-round stewardship.

Finally, there is a desire to improve our awareness of and participation in programs and resources of the Diocese and nearby churches. We believe increasing collaboration with local faith communities will enhance our ability to serve all of God’s creation.

Comments

Buck Mountain is a mission parish with a generous spirit, seeking a vicar who will join us as a partner in ministry and guide us into our next chapter. Buck Mountain is a place where people are welcomed with sincerity and where a sense of humor and kindness are part of our shared life. We look for a vicar who embodies these qualities and who will feel embraced by a community eager to work collaboratively with its spiritual leader.

The list of traits members requested in our survey is beyond long, and no person, save Jesus himself, could embody all the characteristics proposed. However, the most important qualities we seek are an engaging preacher and thoughtful teacher, someone who can deepen our understanding of scripture and its application in daily life. Visibility and presence beyond Sunday worship are important to us, particularly involvement with children, newcomers, and our outreach ministries, including the Food Pantry. We want to be in service with our vicar, sharing responsibilities and learning from each other. We hope for a vicar with experience encouraging congregational growth and with an interest in expanding Christian formation across all ages. A leadership style that is inclusive, relational, and supportive of lay involvement is essential, as is the ability to identify and nurture the divine spark in each individual and develop future leaders.

We do not need our vicar to be a financial and organizational expert, but we do seek someone who appreciates the importance of organization and fiscal responsibility. A willingness to guide our efforts to strengthen year-round stewardship and to expand our role in the community is important to us.

Buck Mountain is blessed with committed lay leaders, a capable vestry, an enthusiastic congregation (see testimonials), stable finances, and a location in a region known for its natural beauty, cultural richness, growth potential, and high quality of life. We trust that the right vicar is seeking a community like ours, one where we can grow together in faith, service, and love of all our neighbors.

As we say in our discernment committee opening prayer:

Dear Lord, Guide us as we enter this crucial stage of our discernment.
May we find comfort in the midst of discomfort—and put our faith in You.
May we, quickly, learn to take our time—and put our faith in You.
May we listen to each voice in our parish while finding our common harmony—and put our faith in You.
In the midst of the small things that will go forgotten, let us always remember the purpose of our calling—and put our faith in You.
All this we ask in Your name. Amen.

To enter into discernment with us, please submit: letter expressing interest, resume, Vocation Hub/OTM Profile, and sermon recording to the Rev. Will Dickinson, Diocesan Transition Minister (wdickinson@episcopalvirginia.org). Applications will be considered as received.