The Curacy
Core Responsibilities

Servant First

Skills can be taught and knowledge can be gained, but a humble willingness to serve is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart.  Your curacy at St. Andrew’s will enable you to serve the church through a variety of ministries. You might be tasked to assist with taking down and setting up rooms or with parking cars at the Easter service at Boone Hall. You might rock babies in the nursery and help with messy games with middle schoolers. You will teach in Day School chapel services. You’ll clean up late on Saturday night after every attendee at a conference has left and you’ll be back early on Sunday because you’re a greeter at the 9 am service. You will also teach, preach, and pray –  and shepherd the body at St. Andrew’s.

Sacramental and Liturgical Leadership

Leading Worship

We believe presbyters are called to lead worship. At St. Andrew’s, you will learn to lead the People of God in varied contexts and services. Sometimes, you’ll be the point person in leading worship and will be responsible for conducting and overseeing the service. At other times you’ll play a supporting role in worship.

Traditional Worship

Three services in the Prayer Book tradition each Sunday in the Historic Church.

• 7:45 am – Holy Communion
• 9:00 am – Holy Communion with a worship team and organ. There is a mixture of contemporary music and traditional hymns.
• 10:45 am – Holy Communion and Morning Prayer on alternate Sundays. Organ and a vested choir lead the congregation as well.

Wednesday Morning

• 11:00 am – Holy Communion in Middleton Chapel

Contemporary Worship

There are two services each Sunday in the Ministry Center Sanctuary. The services are structured in the Prayer Book tradition.

• 9:00 & 10:45 am – Holy Communion with the Worship Band.

Wednesday Evenings

• 6:30 pm – 2nd & 4th Wednesday in the Sanctuary.

Baptisms

Baptisms are generally conducted during our services in the Sanctuary and the Historic Church. You will begin by learning while observing and eventually have the opportunity to baptize others. There are plenty of opportunities as we conduct baptisms at least once every month. Baptizing in the ocean will also be a part of your training experience. You will work alongside other staff to conduct baptism preparation for baptism candidates and families.

Weddings

Couples married at St. Andrew’s go through premarital mentoring with a couple who has been married for at least 15 years and they meet with the head of our Pre-Marital Ministry.  You will preside at a wedding and have the opportunity to meet with a couple in preparation for their service.

Funerals

Much like baptisms, there are always opportunities to participate in a funeral at St. Andrew’s. You’ll participate in the pastoral and planning visits with the family of the deceased and will assist in conducting funerals. You’ll learn how we do committals in the columbarium at St. Andrew’s as well as graveside services. Funerals are a team effort at St. Andrew’s and you’ll work with multiple staff members as well as local funeral homes.

Teaching and Preaching

We believe a primary role of the presbyters is to teach and preach. The rector is the primary preacher and teacher with oversight responsibility of all who engage in the Ministry of the Word.

Preaching

We believe sermons are preached at a specific time, in a specific place, and for a specific group of people. Once each year, we preach through an entire book of the Bible. At other times, we’ll explore a topic in biblical theology or other series. Some seasons we follow the lectionary. A few times a year, the preachers are invited to preach what the Lord has put on their heart for that time, place, and people.

You’ll preach in multiple services at St. Andrew’s ~ Mt. Pleasant but also at our campuses in Charleston and North Charleston. One of the advantages of our large staff is the resource of multiple preachers (6) to consult with. In your first year, you’ll be closely mentored by another preacher as you prepare your sermons. You’ll be recorded every time you’re assigned to preach on a Sunday so that you may review and critique your presentation. Before you preach, you’ll outline your sermons and prepare a list of application questions for Life Groups.

Teaching

Alpha

First, you’ll participate in Alpha even if you’ve done it somewhere else. We want you to see and experience what someone coming from the outside experiences. We think it will make you a better Alpha teacher. You’ll be provided outlines of Alpha talks and then you’ll develop your own talks from the outlines and from hearing other St. Andrew’s speakers and how they address the 12 topics we explore together.

The Ridley Institute

The Ridley Institute conducts theological training for both lay people and seminary training for prospective clergy. During your curacy, you will produce your own course for lay people. Choosing the topic will be a collaborative effort between you, the Ridley Institute director, and the rector.

Holy City Fellows (HCF)

HCF is a year-long Christian formation program for young adults that meets weekly. You will participate in the Fellows program every year of your curacy through teaching, fellowship, and retreats.

Confirmation

You will teach at least one session of the youth confirmation program each year.

Youth and Children’s Ministry

Each year, you will teach one middle-school youth group and one high-school youth group. Each semester, you will teach or assist at least one time in Children’s Ministry. That could mean rocking babies, teaching the K5-5th grade group, or leading the 3rd grade boys small group.

Men’s Ministry

You won’t be required to be at every Men’s Ministry event but we will expect active participation in the ministry, including being the chaplain for at least one off-campus event.

Bible Study Resources

Our Lord said “human beings do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). You’ll develop Bible study resources for both individuals and for Life Groups.

St. Andrew’s Day School

St. Andrew’s operates a pre-school and you will join the rotation of preachers in conducting chapel services each week.

Pastoral Care

As a presbyter, you will also take your place in shepherding all that the Lord has entrusted to St. Andrew’s. Most of the pastoral care will take place in casual conversations in our foyer, at breakfast, or in a coffeeshop.

Hospital and Pastoral Visitation

With a large congregation, many of the church’s pastoral obligations are handled at the Life Group level. However, there are still some situations that are handled by the clergy and you’ll be part of that team.

Life Groups

Some issues that arise in Life Groups are beyond the scope of the Life Group leaders and you’ll learn how to handle those situations whether it’s to step in as a pastor or to shepherd the Life Group leaders through the situation.

Counseling

You will be invited to sit in on counseling sessions with other clergymen with the permission of those being counseled.

Church Governance and Administration

(Things You Don’t Learn in Seminary)

What Does the Church Staff Do?

You’ll spend a week shadowing or working alongside each of the following staff members in your first year. As you move forward in your vocation, the experience will give you some insight into how ministry leaders and volunteers carry out the mission of the church.

• Children’s Ministry Leader
• Youth Ministry Leader
• Women’s Ministry Leader
• Men’s Ministry Leader
• Communications Director
• Worship Leader
• Facilities & Security Manager

Weekly Staff Meetings

We gather each week to listen to the stories of what God is doing in our midst. You’ll be privileged to hear of the quiet – and not so quiet – ways the Lord moves at St. Andrew’s. We also look ahead to what’s going on so we understand the challenges and expectations our team members face in the coming week.

Diocesan Ministry

You will take your place in the councils of the church at the diocesan level, serving where called, and attending regional and diocesan clergy gatherings. You will be the point person for St. Andrew’s for any diocesan meeting held at St. Andrew’s. You won’t be left out on your own. The wise curate will immediately enlist the aid of the Parish Life Coordinator in getting everything in order.

Vestry and Church Finances

During your curacy, you will attend a handful of vestry meetings. Prior to those meetings, you will review the latest financial reports with the COO or Staff Accountant. You will attend all staff/vestry presentations in preparation for a new fiscal year.  You will also lead the vestry in a short devotional and time of prayer and intercession 1-2 times a year.

Next Steps

If you are a confident self-starter with a clear calling to Anglican ministry and are either ordained or are seeking ordination in the Anglican Church in North America, we invite you to apply for this transformative three-year curacy. We are looking for candidates who have completed a seminary degree (MA or MDiv) and are in full agreement with the Jerusalem Declaration as a faithful summary of biblical teaching.

How to Apply: Send an email to Mrs. Sandy Hill (SHill@StAndrews.Church) and attach your resume. In no more than 500 words, discuss your sense of calling and how your experience lines up with this immersive season of formation.

This is a full-time salaried position. St. Andrew’s offers a competitive salary and a benefits package including health care and retirement.