Rector Search
Parish Updates
Welcome to Grace Episcopal Church in Elkridge, Maryland
Rooted in the love of Christ, we are a diverse parish of all ages and backgrounds who come together to worship, serve, and grow in faith. Whether it’s through Sunday worship, community outreach, spiritual formation, or fellowship, Grace is a place where people are known, valued, and invited to deepen their relationship with God and one another.
As we continue our search for the right person to lead our parish, we’ll share updates on the process below. The grey progress bar shows completed stages of our timeline. For any additional information, please feel free to get in touch!
**Newest Updates will be added to the bottom of the page**
UPDATE 10/02/25-
On September 24, 2025, the Vestry of Grace Church voted to create the Search Committee for the new rector with the following members:
Annie Burke
Debbie Fontaine
Steve Nolan
Robert Puppa
Stephen Pospisil
UPDATE 12/04/25
Starting January 11th through February 15th, the Search Committee will be gathering in small groups with parishioners to get your thoughts as we discern what we need in our next Rector. We plan to hold two group sessions each Sunday morning at 9 at the Family Life Center. Each session will be limited to around six people to ensure everyone is heard. There will be more options for people who cannot make one of the small group sessions. These meetings are your opportunity to be heard, and every voice is essential! Sign-up sheets will be available in the next couple of weeks.
UPDATE 01/03/2
The sign-up sheets are ready and will be available at the service and online at the bottom of this page. This is for small-group meetings with the search committee on the future of our parish. This will take place on Sundays at 9am in the Parish Hall, replacing Adult formation at this time. Below are the questions we will discuss in the small-group sessions. The questions will also be included in a questionnaire that people can use to provide additional input. We do want everyone who can to attend an in-person session. We will add a couple of evening online meetings for those who cannot participate in the Sunday sessions. Those dates and times will be available as soon as they are confirmed. The image below can also be saved to your device for printing.
UPDATE 03/07/26
The Search Committee completed the first draft of the parish profile and reviewed it with the Vestry on March 07, 2026. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their input. The meeting with the Vestry was very productive, with a lot of good conversation. The Search Committee is now updating the answers to some of the profile questions. We expect to have a final version for Vestry review and approval within the next few weeks. Once the parish profile document is completed, we will work with the Diocese Office of Transition Ministries to post the opening. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to a member of the Search Committee.
Profile will be approved by the Vestry on April 21st.
UPDATE 03/07/26
The Search Committee extends its gratitude to everyone who participated in meetings and shared their valuable input. Using the feedback received, the Committee finalized the Diocesan parish profile, which was subsequently reviewed and approved by the Vestry. Last week, the Diocese began uploading the profile information into its new system. Once this process is completed, the Rector position at Grace Church will officially be open for applications. Over the next month, the Diocese will collect applications, conduct an initial review, and forward applications to the Search Committee. The Committee will then evaluate the applications and initiate the interview process.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
…/Bob
