Candidates are encouraged to reach out the transition minister about compensation options in this position.

Our liturgical, low-church style is welcoming and approachable. Both Episcopalian and Presbyterian services are offered each Sunday. Typically, but with flexibility, the 10 a.m. service on the first and third Sunday of each month is Presbyterian, while services on the second and fourth Sundays are Episcopalian. The fifth Sunday alternates. The 8 a.m. services are usually on the opposite schedule. Our congregants generally attend their service of choice based upon the times they are offered, not by denomination. Each clergy member is responsible for developing the flow of services oriented toward their respective denomination, however, both lead and participate in worship services together. They alternate weekly with delivering the sermon but share responsibilities during each service for administering sacraments, leading prayer (which, it’s important to note, requires our rector to sometimes pray extemporaneously), and performing other service elements. On weeks they are not preaching, they are responsible for preparing and teaching the adult education class between the two services.

In 2022, Indian Hill Church celebrated 75 years since our founding as a dual-denomination church. In addition to recognizing this achievement, our church community embarked on an ambitious fundraising campaign to improve our facility, including the addition of an elevator and a new organ. Funds were also tithed from this campaign to purchase a refrigerated food truck for a local food bank to which we have long, strong ties. This effort was conducted in addition to our successful stewardship campaigns which have seen giving continue to grow by 25% since 2022.

Forced closures and other safety concerns experienced during the COVID pandemic created a dynamic worship and church environment. Gathering restrictions and safety recommendations were difficult to address in our intimate church, and decisions on how best to implement them were polarizing. Ultimately, when we chose to gather in person, we followed the strict social distancing and masking guidelines, which angered some members of the congregation. Despite our efforts to supplement worship opportunities by creating video-based programming, family pods, and outdoor services, the lack of socialization we experienced resulted in reduced participation and a strong yearning for more engagement. Through this experience, we learned how important the sense of community is to our congregation and worship practices. As safety concerns have waned, our restrictions have relaxed and regular church attendance has grown. We’ve also introduced new programming throughout the congregation – for young children (Messy Church), adolescents (music and youth groups), and adults (weekly Bible study for men and women) – to give our church community more opportunities to gather together and grow.

As a church, we recognize that the polities of our two denominations are very different, with Episcopal hierarchy being more top-down and Presbyterian being more bottom-up. Blending the processes and steering through the nuances of each is not taught and must be learned on the job. Recognizing that this has been a challenge for some of our more recent clergy members, particularly on the Episcopal side, we embarked on a multi-year, introspective process to look deeply at who we are, what we value, what we want for our church, where we excel and where we can improve. We’ve also worked closely with our diocese to develop strategies that better meet our church’s unique, dual-denominational needs.

Search information from the parish website, including profile

Candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest addressed to the search committee, OTM porfolio, and resume/CV to transitions@diosohio.org

The Rev. Canon Michael Spencer, Canon for Transitions, is happy to speak with applicants at any time: 513-632-6024 or the same email address.