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Call Letter - Archived Copy
ARCHIVED COPY OF APRIL 2010 CALL LETTER
Calling our New Minister
The Church of The New Jerusalem in San Francisco California
(the SF Swedenborgian Church)

Come, grow with us!

  
We seek a Swedenborgian minister who will join us on a journey of mutually inspired growth. We are a vibrant urban congregation that has identified our central motivators as Love, Connection, Growth and Service.  We are increasingly aware of our priorities, strengths and foibles, and we are committed to co-creating and maintaining the optimal conditions for your ministry here and for the life of this congregation. 
 
What excites you?  What are the passions and talents that you want to build upon within a spiritual community?
 
We will collaborate with our new minister so that the scope of this position focuses on their passions and strengths and will build around them a team that supports this focus. We are looking to fill this position in the summer of 2010. 
 
The SF Swedenborgian Church is committed to Swedenborgian doctrine and serves a membership of approximately 120. In addition to our membership, there are approximately 100-200 friends and supporters that worship with us and participate in our church’s various activities, most likely due to our long and valued history of welcoming seekers from diverse spiritual backgrounds and beliefs. We hold weekly services supported by our gifted choir and Music Director with an average attendance from 50 to 70, host an active Rites and Sacraments ministry (weddings, baptisms & memorials) and have several ongoing spiritual groups and community based activities.
 
Our church was established in 1867 Gold Rush San Francisco and has an engaging and colorful history.  Our current sanctuary and grounds, built in 1895, were spearheaded by then minister the Reverend Joseph Worcester, Swedenborgian minister, scholar, intellectual, renaissance man about San Francisco, and amateur architect who directly collaborated with luminaries of the burgeoning Arts & Crafts Movement to create and build what is now a renowned National Historic Landmark.

“In the memory of many of its inhabitants, this church has been and still is a haven from the speeding world…
Unforgettable, for all those who worshipped there, are the experience of calm, the elation of the spirit, the rest in the shade of great trees.”
Rev. Othmar Tobisch, 1931 (pastor from 1929 – 1970)
And as a congregation, we are committed to growing spiritually and maintaining our sanctuary and grounds as the same haven that Reverend Tobisch so elegantly described.  
 
We would encourage candidates who are  motivated to use their skills in the following ways:
  • Leading Worship - the heart of our congregational fellowship
  • Education - inspiring and leading learning of Scripture, Swedenborg's writing and spiritual growth
  • Pastoral Counseling - care and guidance in spiritual and personal matters
  • Congregational leadership - leading us forward -  marshaling our time, talent and treasures to serve and challenging us to grow
  • Youth Ministry - leading the Sunday School teachers in motivating our young and expanding our programs
  • Community and  neighborhood outreach - making connections and serving our community
  • Rites and Sacraments ministry - touching lives through our Rites and Sacraments

The congregation recognizes that these are more than one person can do. We are committed to supporting a long tenure for our new minister and recognize the need to prioritize work realistically while meeting the needs of the congregation, those of the rites and sacraments ministry and those of the physical site through realistic staffing of a complete team, including additional part-time ministerial staff.  In addition to our full time Office Manager, we have funded and are staffing a new Operations position, which will manage the business and operations side of our enterprise, further supporting our minister to focus on the spiritual endeavors of our community. 


This call is an opportunity and a challenge.  The heart of Swedenborgian theology is uses.  Come and apply your uses, talents & passion to a community that is ready and willing to join with you to reach our shared goals. 
More Information & Next Steps

For more information on our historic church and our community we invite you to visit our websites at
and at

Compensation Package:
The compensation package is negotiable, commensurate with experience and reflects the high cost of living in the San Francisco area. Housing allowance and expenses will be part of the overall package offered.    

Express Your Possible Interest:
Want to learn more?   Contact us.  All inquiries will be kept in strict confidence.   We request you send us an email to msc@sfswedenborgian.org by March 31st.  This email should contain your contact information and is simply an expression of your interest in learning more about our call. Upon receipt you will be provided an information packet including all application requirements. 

The deadline for applications is April 28th, 2010. Materials should be submitted electronically to the same email address: msc@sfswedenborgian.org.

 
Contact Information for the Minister Search Committee:
Robert Carr, Chair
Phone: (415) 307-1454

For materials via U.S. mail, send them to the Chairman's home address to ensure confidentiality: 

 
Minister Search Committee

San Francisco Swedenborgian Church

725 Euclid Ave.

San Francisco, CA,  94118



Creation date: Dec 31, 1969 11:00pm     Last modified date: Sep 22, 2010 8:36am   Last visit date: Dec 12, 2024 9:28am
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