pastoral residency

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Luke 10:2

overview

The Church of the Incarnation Pastoral Residency is what Anglicans call a "curacy" – a formative period when a young pastor is trained and equipped for a lifetime of senior church leadership. This three-year experience is designed to train and equip emerging senior church leaders for leadership in the Anglican tradition. Like a research hospital, the Incarnation Curacy provides gifted leaders with hands-on training as they transition from formal theological training into long-term practice. Since 2010, five curates have been trained and equipped for ministry through our Curacy; a sixth begins in June 2022. With the generous support and expert guidance of Made to Flourish, our Curacy is becoming even more robust, as we are now able to begin a new three-year curacy at the beginning of each curate's third year, yielding a year-long overlap which will amplify the learning experience of both curates. The Curacy, a paid position with full benefits, provides a wide-range of potential ministry opportunities suited to each Curate's gifts, abilities, and eventual ministry focus, with several forms of mentorship available.

who we are

Settled by the Pennsylvania Dutch and the Scotch-Irish, Harrisonburg was historically a homogenous rural community with an agriculture-based economy. Over the past three decades, with the growth of James Madison University and the massive influx of immigrants and refugees, the area has become ethnically diverse and the economy has moved toward education, manufacturing, service, and technology. This shift has been dramatic. Harrisonburg is now a multiethnic, multilingual city. In two decades, the English as a Second Language (ESL) population of our public school system has shifted from 5% to 34%, representing more than 51 countries and nearly 60 different languages.


Located on the I-81 corridor in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Harrisonburg is the principal city of the second fastest growing Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in Virginia. With a population of 54,224 in a MSA of 158,000 people, we are home to five colleges and universities. As a university town and a city growing significantly through immigration, our importance is disproportionate to our size. People come to Harrisonburg from all over the world, with all sorts of different backgrounds, different languages, and different cultures. This helps make our community an excellent training ground for pastors. As a vibrant church deeply imbedded within the local university community and the local immigrant and refugee community, we prepare pastors who can interact thoughtfully with other views. The constant interactions with inquisitive people from a wide variety of backgrounds helps develop the skills and habits to engage the wider culture of our secular age.

requirements

The Church of the Incarnation seeks candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to the Christian faith, and who have a clear sense of calling to ministry in the Anglican tradition. In addition, they must meet the following requirements:

  • Has excelled in, and completed, a seminary degree (either the MA or the MDiv)
  • Is in full agreement with the Jerusalem Declaration as a faithful summary of biblical teaching;
  • If male, is desirous of ordination to the diaconate or presbyterate in the Diocese of Christ our Hope; if female, to the vocational diaconate;
  • Demonstrates potential for excellence in preaching and/or Bible teaching;
  • Is a confident self-starter who desires to take primary responsibility for areas of ministry;
  • Evidences a high level of emotional intelligence and maturity;
  • Has a commitment to evangelism, discipleship, and hospitality;
  • If married, one whose spouse shares a sense of call to pastoral ministry; if single, who has a high view of the opposite sex, exemplifying wisdom and integrity.

Overview of the application process

READ THE PASTORAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM OVERVIEW

To read the program overview, click here.


SUBMIT A COVER LETTER AND RESUME

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Wilson West. Materials will be received through December 9, 2022.


PHASE 1

Open residency position published online and through our networks. (January–November)


PHASE 2

Pastoral Resident search committee creates a short list of applicants and conducts video interviews. Sermon links and references are reviewed. (December)


PHASE 3

Top candidate(s) invited to Incarnation for a weekend visit. Rector and search committee decide on a finalist after candidate visits. (January–early February)


JOB OFFER

We will extend a job offer to one candidate. (mid-February)


RESIDENCY BEGINS

The new Pastoral Resident will begin June 1, 2023.

testimonials

Would you like to hear what former curates have to say about our Curacy program?

  • Luke

    "New to Anglicanism, the Church of the Incarnation’s curacy program helped me to live into the contours of the Christian Calendar, church polity, explore the intersection of the gospel and culture, as well as engage in missional and pastoral leadership. Aubrey is a thoughtful pastor and teacher, who leads others to drink deeply from the well of Scripture, faithfully participate in tradition, and creatively engage with culture for the glory of God and the good of others. Incarnation is an invaluable place in my life and formation as a priest."

  • kevin

    "Even though I entered the Incarnation Curacy with prior experience in pastoral ministry, the intentional structure, environment, and spiritual formation of the Curacy equipped me to be a much better pastor. It provided a context where I could grow theologically, practically, and personally in the skills needed for long-term ministry. I am now 5 years into a church plant, and I constantly look back on my time at Incarnation to inform my work." 

  • drew

    "The Church of the Incarnation curacy program prepared me for long-term ministry in the local church. Pastor Aubrey emphasizes the necessity for pastors to live a well-balanced life-- one that follows the Godly rhythms of prayer, work, service, and rest. These rhythms will follow me for the rest of my ministry, enabling me to live deeply into Christ so that the life I receive from Him can be passed on to others. In addition to cultivating the rhythms of pastoral life, I also received invaluable experience in different areas of ministry-- collaborating with volunteers, casting vision with teams, and implementing the mission of the church on the ground-level. I believe now that a curacy is an integral part of becoming a senior leader in our Lord's church."

  • wilson

    "As someone early on in vocational ministry, I have been hungry for the kinds of formational experiences needed for a lifetime of faithful, pastoral ministry. The curacy program at the Church of the Incarnation offers just that. To be exposed to every area of senior leadership early on is truly a gift, but the curacy goes one further by providing close guidance and mentoring along the way. This blend is unique, making the curacy an especially effective and exciting means of starting well."