Drawn Together by Grace

Reflections by your Search Committee :  As we begin our Transition and the Search Committee undertakes its ministry, each member of the Search Committee agreed to share a brief reflection on what drew them to serve on the Search Committee and on their hopes for Grace/La Gracia. We hold them in prayer throughout this Interim period.

Carlos Munoz  [Chair]: I believe the search for a new Rector is a task critical to the future of Grace/La Gracia and its place as a leader and servant to the White Plains community.  I hope that my 25 years as a member of the Church places me in a position to play a useful role in this effort..

Daisy Calderon: I am very involved with the Latino ministry and La Gracia, and I have been active in Hospitality Ministry, Outreach Ministries, and EYC. I believe the selection of a new Rector is a determining factor in having a successful parish and leadership in the community.  It is important for the Search Committee to select the right individual in terms of character, kindness, respect for others, and dedication to our parish family.

 
Linda Gallo: I have been a parishioner at Grace for 27 years, and I have had the opportunity to be an active participant in parish life and worship.   I have taught Sunday School, served on the Welcoming Committee and on several Nominating Committees, co-chaired the 150th Anniversary celebrations, and as  Chair of Stewardship on Vestry and as both Junior and Senior Warden.  It was during my term as Senior Warden that Fr. Rich Kunz was called to be our Rector, and I cooperated with the Search Committee at that time to design the process and criteria for a Rector Search.  I believe this range of experience will contribute to a timely and successful selection of a new Rector for Grace Church.

 
Arlene Roberts Grant: I happened upon Grace Church one Sunday in 2010 which, ironically, also happened to be “New Member Sunday”. The committee presentations that followed were interesting and informative and I chose to attend the Bible Study the following Wednesday. Eventually, a group of us decided to enroll in EfM ( Education for Ministry), a 4-year educational program on Scripture, Church History, Theology and Spiritual Formation; and it has been a transformative experience for me. Upon graduating, I joined Grace’s Pastoral Care Committee and completed Eucharistic Visitor licensing with the diocese. It is now my hope serving on this Search Committee will support efforts to call our next rector who will strengthen prayer and Christian education in this vital parish.

Andrea Hamilton: I am invested in the Grace Church community and have been a member of this parish since I was a child. As a young steward I take great pride in serving as a member of the Search Committee to find the best candidate to lead this parish I call home. It is my hope and prayer that God continues to guide me on the right path to collaborate with other members of the Search Committee to find the person who is the best fit, guided by the light of the Lord, to lead this parish.  

Stuart Madden: I came to Grace in March, 2011, drawn to Grace’s inexhaustible commitment to service in its urban community, and to the intimate and inviting character of the 8 am service.  I am an Usher and  Lector for the early service, and I have become involved in several of Grace’s activities, including the Walk of Grace and other Outreach Ministries,  Bible Study,  language teaching, and events with La Gracia.  Grace has given me a right-sized and God-centered life.

Charlotte Roberson: I first visited Grace Church on Christmas Eve, 1979, and I enjoyed the service so much that I returned to meet the Rector. I have been involved in the Finance Committee, Outreach Ministries, and I am a Lay Eucharistic Visitor. The priests at Grace have had a very important spiritual and pastoral role in my life and in the life of my family, and they have shown me how important it is that our Rector be both a spiritual leader and a compassionate pastor who will be able to reach out to parishioners.  Equally important is the Rector’s leadership in the community:  Grace church is in the heart of White Plains and has the potential to be a true leader for the wider church and the community.