St. John’s has called The Rev. Kirstin Swanson to be our next rector. She will begin her ministry with us on January 1, 2027.
Message from The Rev. Kirstin Swanson shared with the parish on November 1, 2026.
Portion of Announcement Email
from Wardens and Vestry
Dear St. John's Family,
It is with great joy and excitement that we announce that The Rev. Kirstin Swanson has accepted our call to become the next Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, effective January 1, 2027!
This wonderful news comes after many months of dedicated work by our Parish Profile Committee and Search Committee. Their commitment, thoughtfulness, and prayerful discernment have brought us to this exciting moment, and we are deeply grateful to every member of both committees.
Following the Search Committee's enthusiastic recommendation, the Vestry had the pleasure of spending an evening with Rev. Kirstin, sharing conversation, asking questions, and getting to know one another. It was a truly wonderful evening, and we all came away feeling that she is exactly the person St. John's needs to lead us into the future. The Vestry voted unanimously and joyfully to extend the call to Rev. Kirstin, and we are thrilled that she has accepted.
A Few Things to Know About Rev. Kirstin
Coming to St. John's following just over three years as the Staten Island Missioner, a position similar to that of Rockland County's own missioner.
Bringing a background in non-profit management and fundraising, as well as extensive experience as a lay leader in The Episcopal Church.
Diocesan and church-wide service includes: Diocesan Council, 2024 Deputy to General Convention, serving on the Church Planting Task Force and the Public Witness Task Force.
Rev. Kirstin will be moving in with her dog by the beginning of January, to be joined by the rest of her family after her children finish the school year in June.
By the time Rev. Kirstin begins her ministry with us, St. John's will have been without a rector for three years. Those years have certainly presented challenges, but they have also demonstrated the strength, faith, and dedication of our parish.
We are especially grateful to those who have remained active and engaged throughout this time, and to the many parishioners who have stepped forward to take on leadership roles, serve on committees, support our ministries, and ensure that St. John's continues to be a welcoming and caring church community. Because of you, St. John's is ready to embrace this new chapter.
Looking Ahead Together
As we prepare to welcome Rev. Kirstin, we are looking ahead to the future of St. John's with renewed excitement and optimism.
Throughout the search process, the Vestry has been mindful of the financial commitment involved in calling a full-time rector. We have always anticipated that our investment funds would play a role in supporting our next rector. While that commitment may be slightly greater than we originally hoped, we believe wholeheartedly that investing in strong spiritual leadership today will help ensure a vibrant and sustainable St. John's for tomorrow.
Rev. Kirstin brings so much to St. John's, and we are confident that her leadership, energy, and vision will help us strengthen our parish and build upon the wonderful community we already have.
Transcript of Video Message
from The Rev. Kirstin Swanson
Good morning, saints at St. John’s New City!
I am so excited that I will be joining you as your Rector in January 2027. I am grateful that we have discerned ministry together. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know you all better and make New City a home for me and my family.
I know that today is the in-gathering for your stewardship campaign, and that you have heard from multiple members about their own commitment to this congregation. I very much appreciate the theme you’ve been exploring through this campaign: that of God’s abundant blessing.
My favorite verse in the Gospels comes from Luke, and it happens to be about abundance and generosity: “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:38).
One of the reasons I applied to be your rector is because of your mission statement, which focuses on reaching out to your neighbors through Christ. This verse from Luke concludes the Sermon on the Plains, which is the Lukan version of the beatitudes. In it, Jesus encourages his listeners to love broadly, abundantly, and without restriction.
There is much to give out of when you trust in Christ’s abundant love, poured overflowingly into your lap.
When I met with your search committee in September, one of the things they asked me to do is prepare and deliver a sermon on The Prodigal Son. There are lessons about confession and forgiveness to learn from that parable - and, if we look at it a little bit differently, we can also see a story of a father and two sons who are unable to connect with each other. The mission of St. John’s New City - to be “a loving, diverse, and welcoming community, reaching out through Christ to serve the needs of our neighbors” - calls us to the work of relationship that this parable calls these family members to.
I am looking forward to doing that work with you.
In the coming weeks, we will each be in preparation mode - particularly appropriate as we approach Advent! I will be moving to the rectory (with the family dog) to start with you on January 1. My family will join me at the end of the current school year.
Please join me in the weeks ahead in holding on to and noticing the Advent themes of peace, hope, joy, and love. While these themes are a particular focus in Advent, they really are applicable year-round - and, I hope, will be emblematic of our ministry at St. John’s.
My prayer for our work together is that we will deepen our connection with each other, with our neighbors, and with God in order to expand the reach of the Gospel, that our work will foster true and abiding peace and bring a word of hope to those who encounter this community. May all our work be characterized by an abiding joy in God’s presence, grounded in deep love for Jesus, each other, and all that God has created.
See you in January.