Who will be the next rector of St Columba’s Episcopal Church?
We are delighted to announce that the next rector will be The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, currently the rector of St Christopher’s Church in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. We’re really excited for the church and for Rev Hillary!

Who chose the new rector and how?
The vestry made the choice. We came to joyful, prayerful consensus about Hillary, and we believe she is the right leader for our next chapter. 

Our call to a new rector began last spring with a survey and listening sessions to better understand what we love about St. C’s, any concerns, and what we were looking for in a leader. Based on this input, we developed our profile and job description, which we posted last summer. Throughout the fall, we proactively reached out to dozens of Episcopal leaders around the country to identify strong potential candidates. And we actively contacted many, many priests to share the good news about St. C’s. This generated more than two dozen applications. 

The vestry conducted informal initial conversations with most of the applicants and reviewed recordings of their sermons and information about their current and previous churches. Based on this information, we invited about a dozen candidates to formal Zoom interviews. After prayerful individual and group discernment, we decided to invite three finalists for 3-day visits to St. C’s in January. They each had a chance to meet representatives of the staff and spend time in conversation with small groups of vestry members. Each candidate led a prayer service with the vestry and had dinner with us as a group. We also spoke to numerous references for our top candidates, and the diocese conducted additional vetting. 

This was a mutual process of discernment with the candidates, and with the Diocese of Washington. The Bishop of Washington, Marian Edgar Budde, approved the vestry choice and was a thoughtful, considerate voice and counsel throughout the process. 

What happened to the previous rector?
Our previous much loved rector, The Rev. Ledlie Laughlin, was with St Columba’s for ten years. He told us in September 2023 that he would retire in early 2025, giving us substantial time to conduct the  search process. He left St. Columba’s in March 2025, and we wish him well in his retirement.

Who is running the church until the new rector arrives?
Our interim Rector is the Rev. Dr. Joshua Daniel, previously Senior Associate Rector. Working with our senior warden, Gina Lagomarsino, he is running the day to day business of the church.

Will the interim Rector leave when the new rector arrives?
No. It’s common for churches to bring in an interim rector between permanent leadership, and for that interim rector to then leave – but that’s not the path we are on. Joshua will return to his role as Senior Associate Rector when the new rector arrives.

When will the new rector arrive?
We expect Hillary to join us in Washington, DC in August and officially start as rector in September. Her first service will likely be in early September. Until then, we are in frequent touch with her while Joshua runs the day to day business of the church.

Will we get the chance to meet the new rector before she takes up her new role?
Yes! We hope that Hillary will be visiting us on June 15th  for Columba Day, our church’s annual celebration of our patron saint. We hope that many parishioners will get to meet her then.

Will the new rector change the times of services? Or stop streaming services? Will Children and Youth still have the same attention? Will Wee Worship change?
Rev Hillary will get to make her own decisions about our services and programs once she arrives – but it’s unlikely she will make big decisions before she has got to know our church and our congregation. She will want to meet many people and hear how they feel about St Columba’s. Transitions can be stressful times and she is keen to make sure she understands how we live and pray together. 

Is the new Rector committed to anti-racism and social justice? Refugee response? Will the new rector support the Water Ministry and help it to grow? How does the new Rector feel about Zero Waste and Environmental Conservation?
The new rector is committed to the same values as our church with a strong track record on outreach, justice and sustainability – when she gets here, she can take a look at our ministries and learn more about the work we do, just as we will learn from her wonderful and deep experience.

In the Episcopal Church, the Rector is invested with the authority and responsibility for the worship and spiritual direction of the church. Hillary is wise and discerning. She will, of course, want to meet many people and hear how they feel about St. Columba’s.

Our search prioritised the values that we hold dear – Open-hearted, Growing in Faith, Grateful Stewards, Innovative, and Called to Bold Action. And we talked with each candidate about our five priorities: Strengthen Community, Practice Faith, Become Anti-Racist, Embrace our World, Build Capacity. We have no doubt that our mission to Live God’s Love will be maintained and strengthened with Rev. Hillary! 

Have more questions? email us at RectorSearch@columba.org