Rector Search

OUR NEXT RECTOR

St. James' Church, Las Cruces, seeks a rector for the oldest Episcopal congregation in southern New Mexico (1875), with a long record of service in the area. Our present sanctuary was consecrated in 1912 and built in the style of a traditional English parish. Our beautiful sanctuary and facilities host several local organizations.

We seek a rector who will:

• Lead us to biblically based spiritual growth

• Express his/her joy in the love of God and his/her neighbors

• Participate in church and community events

• Commit to providing pastoral care and visits

• Provide adult education opportunities

• Value diversity and inclusivity

• Care for his/her personal spiritual growth and well-being

• Commitment to our church and to our community

• Provide organization and direction to our parish

Compensation:

Financial Compensation: Please see our OTM Portfolio, available from our Transition Minister.

Pension Plan: Per diocesan guidelines, we pay the Church Pension Fund an assessment of 18% of the rector's compensation including housing allowance.

Health Insurance: The Diocese of the Rio Grande offers a group insurance plan with a variety of deductibles and coverage levels. 

Continuing Education: In 2024 St. James budgeted $500 for this purpose.

Travel: In 2024 St. James budgeted $1,000 for this purpose.

TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

We invite you to peruse our website to discover more about this wonderful church community, and the Las Cruces, NM area. 

Mission Statement

The mission of St James’ Episcopal Church is to spread the love of Jesus Christ and to proclaim his Gospel; to study the scriptures and encourage the seekers; to worship God in spirit and in truth; to share our blessings with those in needs; and to welcome all who come among us.

Worship Services

Services are normally held three times each week.

On Sundays, there is an 8:00 a.m. Rite I service with organ music for early risers. At 10:30 there is a Rite II service, complete with choir, organ, and occasional guest musicians and soloists. On Wednesdays, we have an Evening Prayer service followed by a potluck meal.

Sunday School

Adult education classes are held on Mondays at 5:3p.m. We cover a variety of topics dealing with our spiritual, physical, and financial health, and with church history and doctrine.

The Ministry of the Laity in Worship

St James is blessed with an active Lay Eucharistic Ministers group, trained by the rector and chairperson. They are licensed by the bishop to administer the chalice. Some also serve as Acolytes as needed. St James also has two licensed Eucharistic Visitors and one in training.

Music

St James is fortunate to have a music director who is a part-time employee. She oversees the 10:30 a.m. service music and directs the choir. Her talent is greatly appreciated along with her broad selection and variety of church music. St James also has a volunteer organist at the 8:00 service and a paid organist at the 10:30 service. The 10:30 service instrumentalist plays both the organ and the piano at that service.

Administration

St James has a dedicated and hardworking Parish Administrator and Bookkeeper. The Parish Administrator works four days a week for a total of 18 hours per week. The Bookkeeper is licensed and is paid on an hourly basis. In addition to performing day-to-day administrative functions, the Parish Administrator prepares materials for services and oversees organizing and sending bills to the Bookkeeper. The Parish Administrator is also responsible for creating a weekly Friday email to parish members.

Vestry

Pictures of and email links to our Vestry members are on the "About Us” section of the website. For more information,please see the St James’ Episcopal Church Bylaws link below.

Volunteers

We invite you to see the information concerning Volunteers and Committees in our website under “Ministries”.

St James’ Episcopal Church, the Corporation

St James Episcopal Church is a non-profit corporation under the Nonprofit Corporation Law of the State of NM. The parish is a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with the Diocese of the Rio Grande and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, both nonprofit organizations under the provisions of §501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Click here for the Bylaws of St James Episcopal Church of Mesilla, Inc.

HOW TO APPLY

Clergy of the Episcopal Church or a full communion partner may apply for the position of Rector of St. James, Las Cruces, by submitting to Canon Lee Curtis at lcurtis@dioceserg.org the following documents:

• Letter of Interest

• Resume

• Office for Transition Ministry profile