Rector – Episcopal News Service

St Mary’s started with six families in the late 1940s. The congregation grew until the house which served as the church became too small and in 1956 the church was built. Since then, two major fundraising campaigns have nearly tripled the size of the church building and added a school wing, which now houses a community preschool. We have lived the part of our mission to open doors to strangers through our outreach programs which have been as varied as preparing lunch for those attending a local food bank or traveling as a group to Mexico to build homes . Our group of young people have made mission trips to Appalachia as well as to the closer Yakama Indian Nation. We look forward to more opportunities now!

We are looking for a priest who will inspire us and connect us to the word of God, helping us to focus on the part of our mission that opens our hearts to Jesus. Strategic leadership was identified as a key capability that was needed. We want a good administrator to ensure the proper functioning of our parish. We hope for someone who will guide us into the future and who will be “with us” to provide pastoral care. Based on a parish survey, we need a rector who can help us develop a clarification of purpose and direction. We value honesty, good preaching and fellowship. We want to adopt a new vision for St Mary’s and we ask you to create this with us.

Lakewood is an economically and racially diverse community of 60,000 located in beautiful South Puget Sound and Joint Base Lewis-McChord is in our backyard. Drive west for a few hours and you’ll be at the edge of the Pacific Ocean or drive in less than an hour southeast to Mount Rainier. The Pacific NW is known for its beautiful summers and mild winters, perfect for hiking or biking, but you can access ski areas with a short drive into the mountains. There are several colleges in the area, as well as varied entertainment options, with many more within easy driving distance of Seattle. In addition to our local minor league baseball team, there are several professional sports, men’s and women’s, in Seattle including football, soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey. We think you’ll love living here, we do!