September 4, 2022

A joyful announcement

It is our great joy to announce that the vestry has called the Rev. Tim Johnson to serve as Advent’s next rector. Rev. Tim currently serves as rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in College Park, MD and as the Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Maryland. He previously served as rector of Christ Church, La Plata MD which was yolked with Christ Church Wayside. Prior to that he served as Chaplain and religion teacher at Washington Episcopal School.

Rev. Tim earned his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry in Liturgy and Preaching from Sewanee: The University in the South.

Of all the wonderful rector candidates that the Discernment Committee interviewed, Rev. Tim best fit what you indicated on the CAT survey that you want in your next rector–an entrepreneurial priest, a warm and joyful pastor, a spiritually grounded preacher and teacher, a change facilitator, and a strategic leader.

Although Tim’s experience, skills, and education make him a great candidate on paper, he’s even better in person. Tim is faithful, warm, joyful, a great listener, perceptive, smart, funny, and kind. The 12 members of the discernment committee recommended Tim unanimously to the vestry. The vestry voted unanimously to call Tim as Advent’s 19th rector.

The wonderful part is that Rev. Tim feels the same way about Advent. He is excited to begin his ministry partnership with us on November 20th. He is looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you and to working with you to share God’s grace with the community beyond our walls. Rev. Tim was impressed with the way we’ve been keeping Advent running without a rector or interim priest. Credit to Stuart Davis, Senior Warden and Dave Scott, previous Senior Warden for their excellent leadership; and to everyone who has contributed in ways large and small.

Please thank the Discernment Committee members for their faithful commitment and the many hours they devoted to interviewing, reviewing materials, watching sermons, calling references, and prayerfully discerning. The saints that said yes when Sally asked them to serve are as follows: Jose Colon, Stuart Davies, Emma DiPace, Andie Hall, Jay Hummel, Bill Hutchins, Trish James, Meredith Jankov, Jaclyn McCabe, and Steve Verget.

We have exciting work to do to prepare for Tim’s arrival so keep your eye on the Advent Weekly for announcements and ways to get involved and help. In the meantime, pray for Tim and his family: spouse, Kevin O’Brien, and sons Victor, and Omar. Pray for Advent’s parishioners, that we may be open to this next chapter in our life together. Pray for our siblings in Christ at St. Andrew’s College Park, who are learning this morning of Rev. Tim’s departure. And pray in thanksgiving to God for being with us throughout the discernment process, and for sending Rev. Tim our way and calling him to Advent.

Faithfully,
Stuart Davies, Senior Warden
Sally Palic and Kim Hoeschel, Discernment Committee Co-Chairs