A Letter to the Parish from the Wardens:

Dear  Friend:

As the Wardens of the Vestry of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, we are committed to keeping you informed about important events at the church. When news is particularly important we feel that we should inform you by mail, as we are doing today. As you know, since Fr. Robert G. Certain’s retirement announcement last December we have been aggressively dealing with issues related to the search for a new Rector. As part of that process we have been working closely with Fr. Dan and our Bishop’s office to find an Interim Rector whose skills would match the needs of St. Margaret’s. An Interim Rector traditionally serves while the parish undertakes the lengthy search process for a permanent Rector.

We are pleased to announce that in consultation with the Rt. Rev Bishop James R. Mathes, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, the Vestry of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church has called the Rev. Dr. Roger Douglas as Interim Rector.  Fr. Douglas was the Rector of St. Philip’s in the Hills of Tucson, Arizona from 1977 until his retirement in 2001. During his tenure at St. Philip’s the church grew from a mid-size neighborhood church to the 9^th largest Episcopal Church in the nation. St. Margaret’s is the 33 largest Episcopal church in the nation.

Under the leadership of Fr. Douglas, St. Philip’s music ministry grew from six professional singers to 11 choirs with 212 musicians. Well regarded as a visionary leader, Fr. Douglas is excited about St. Margaret’s, and he knew Fr. Brad Hall. Fr. Douglas told us that he knows and appreciates the history of this lovely, dynamic church and that he looks forward to being a part of our entry into the next phase of our life.

Fr. Douglas is well known for his sermons, and has taught homiletics at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He is the author of many articles and papers regarding church matters and is the author of the book The Pilgrim Season. Fr. Douglas is married to Dr. Peggy Atchison, who retired as the Asst. Dean of the College of Education at the University of Arizona. They have 4 children and eight grandchildren. In his spare time Fr. Douglas enjoys duplicate bridge and tennis.

Fr. Douglas begins his work at St. Margaret’s on May 1, and he will offer his first sermon the following weekend. You are invited to a special “Meet the Rector" brunch on May 6. The brunch will be served in Karns Hall between services.

Fr. Dan Rondeau will continue to serve as priest-in-charge until May 1st. Fr. Dan will return to his role as Associate Rector and is looking forward to working with Fr. Douglas. As Fr. Dan told us; “I am excited to work with Fr. Douglas. His work and success at St. Phillip’s in Tucson is known throughout the Episcopal Church. We are fortunate to have him serve as our Interim Rector. We will make a good team here, and I think we are in for a real treat as we continue to know Christ and make Christ known

We hope you will join us offering our sincere gratitude to Fr. Dan Rondeau for his wonderful leadership as priest-in-charge. We are truly blessed to have a man of Fr. Dan’s caliber in our midst, and we deeply appreciate his tireless efforts on behalf of St. Margaret’s. We have received many positive comments about Fr. Dan’s leadership and he has done a wonderful job during the first phase of our transition. He has elevated our spirits, kept us focused on the future of the parish, and brought renewed energy to St. Margaret’s. Fr. Dan’s efforts on the “Let Your Light Shine” campaign will have a lasting positive effect on the financial stability of St. Margaret’s.

Now that the Interim Rector has been appointed, the careful process of calling a new Rector has begun. Bishop Mathes has assigned Canon Jenny Vervynck to help guide St. Margaret’s in the search for a permanent Rector. Details of the process will be offered by Canon Vervynck on Saturday April 21^st from 9:00 AM to noon and repeated on Sunday May 22^nd from 11:30 AM until 2:30 PM. Both presentations will be held in Meyers Hall.

In the coming months the Vestry of St. Margaret’s Church will assemble a committee who will, with the Vestry, discern the calling of the next Rector of St. Margaret’s. We will include a diverse group of parishioners in the process, working closely with our Bishop and the Bishop’s Office. There will be many opportunities for members of our congregation to participate in shaping the future of the ministry of St. Margaret’s Church, and we will issue frequent progress reports in the coming months.

Faithfully yours,

Curtis Barlow                                                Kathleen Pippin

Senior Warden                                             Junior Warden

Fr. Roger Douglas