Associate Rector

Christ’s Church, Rye, New York

Christ’s Church, Rye is a historic and thriving Episcopal parish entering a hopeful new season of ministry. After a period of transition, the parish is experiencing renewed energy, and increased attendance. Families with young children are arriving in growing numbers, and there is a palpable sense of excitement about what God is doing among us.

We are seeking an Associate Rector to join a collaborative clergy team and help shape this next chapter of parish life. This role is designed to be flexible, sacramental, and meaningful, offering real responsibility and space to discern and develop ministry in response to the Associate’s gifts and the congregation’s needs.

The Parish and Its Life

Christ’s Church is deeply rooted in the Anglican tradition, with a strong commitment to:

• Thoughtful, engaging preaching

• Beautiful and well-supported liturgical music

• A rich sacramental life

• Intergenerational community

• Pastoral warmth and relational leadership

Worship is central to the parish’s identity. Sermons and music are consistently named as among the most important aspects of parish life, and the liturgy is experienced as grounding, prayerful, and spiritually nourishing.

Alongside worship and formation, Christ’s Church is committed to loving our neighbors in tangible ways. Our outreach includes Blue Skies Camp, welcoming children from neighboring Port Chester, and our Youth Grantmaking Board, which empowers high school students to lead a philanthropic grant cycle responsive to demonstrated community needs. We are eager to become more strategic in how we deepen and share this work in the years ahead.

Children and youth are not peripheral at Christ’s Church - they are visible, valued, and woven into the life of the congregation. Current ministries include:

• Sunday school during worship

• Youth group and confirmation

• Our distinctive Youth Grantmaking Board ministry, empowering teens to serve the wider community of Port Chester

• Children’s and youth choirs, beginning as young as age four

• An annual Taizé pilgrimage offering youth space for prayer, reflection, and simplicity

The parish also hosts a well-established Episcopal nursery school on campus, serving both parish and community families and acting as a key point of connection and outreach.

Christ’s Church is financially stable and has recently completed a major capital campaign that restored and enhanced its historic campus, including worship, parish, and family spaces. The parish is intentionally investing in healthier systems, shared leadership, and sustainable ministry for the long term. Clergy families have historically found Christ’s Church to be a supportive and life-giving place to live and serve.

The Heart of the Role

The Associate Rector will share fully in the priestly, pastoral, and sacramental life of the parish, while helping Christ’s Church deepen its capacity for formation, belonging, and care across generations.

This is not a siloed or program-manager position. The Associate Rector will be a full partner in ministry, invited into preaching, presiding, pastoral care, and the shared rhythms of parish life.

The precise contours of the role will be shaped collaboratively during the first year, guided by parish priorities, staff discernment, and the gifts of the Associate.

This role is designed for a priest who is interested in building ministry over time. Christ’s Church is investing in relationships, systems, and shared leadership that can sustain faithful ministry across many years. We hope to welcome an Associate Rector who is drawn to deep partnership, patient formation, and the long arc of parish life.

Areas of Emphasis

(To be shaped collaboratively)

Formation & Belonging Across Life Stages

• Cultivate meaningful, accessible faith formation for children, youth, and families

• Support parents and caregivers as primary faith-shapers

• Strengthen pathways of belonging so people can move from participation to deeper engagement

• Encourage intergenerational connection and shared community life

• Strengthen and support the church’s relationship with nursery school families

• Support youth and family engagement in outreach and service through community partnerships

Pastoral & Liturgical Ministry

• Share in preaching, presiding, and teaching

• Participate in pastoral care and being a pastoral presence

• Be visible, approachable, and relationally grounded within the congregation

Collaborative Leadership

• Work closely with the Rector, staff, vestry, and lay ministry leaders

• Help build healthy systems that support volunteers and prevent burnout

• Bring creativity and curiosity to the work of ministry while honoring tradition

Who We Are Hoping to Find

We are less interested in a particular résumé and more interested in the right priest.

We are especially drawn to candidates who bring:

• A deep love for the Church and a grounded Episcopal identity

• Emotional intelligence, warmth, and relational maturity

• Experience or passion for ministry with children, youth, and families

• Theological depth paired with accessibility

• A collaborative spirit and comfort shaping ministry with others

We are drawn to a priest who can lead in a community that includes a range of perspectives - someone shaped by God’s good news, who listens well, speaks with charity, and stays at the table even when we disagree. In a complex world, we are seeking pastoral steadiness, humility, and emotional intelligence.

This role would be especially well-suited to a priest who enjoys building trust, experimenting thoughtfully, and helping a parish translate renewed energy into sustainable, shared life.

Compensation & Benefits

Christ’s Church is committed to offering compensation that reflects both the responsibilities of the role and the high cost of living in southern Westchester County. The anticipated stipend and housing allowance range for this position is $80,000- $100,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

The compensation package includes pension and health benefits through Church Pension Group, continuing education support, generous paid time off and holidays (including your birthday), and sabbatical leave. A generous moving allowance is also available. We are open to conversation about how compensation and benefits can support long-term ministry and family life.

A Final Word About This Opportunity

We are seeking an Associate Rector who wants to walk with a community, build on what is already strong, and help shape what comes next - faithfully, creatively, and with hope.

If that fires your imagination, we would love to be in conversation with you. To start the conversation, please send the following to discernment@ccrye.org:

• A brief cover letter (1–2 pages) that addresses

  • Why this role and Christ’s Church at this moment

  • Your experience and passion for ministry with children, youth, and families

  • What you are hoping for in your next long-term call

• Resume

• OTM

Christ’s Church is an inclusive community that welcomes LGBTQ+ people fully into the life and leadership of the parish. 

We aim to make this process thoughtful, humane, and respectful of candidates’ time. Additional materials will be requested only as mutual discernment progresses. There is no application deadline, as we will continue the search until the right candidate emerges.