A Transition in Our Parish Office

After eight years of faithful service, Sarah Morrison, our Parish Administrator since 2018, plans to retire this fall. Sarah has been the steady heart of our parish office — the first voice on the phone, the hands behind our bulletins and records, the person who has kept a hundred small things running so that our common life could flourish. We are deeply grateful for her ministry among us, and plans are underway to celebrate her well.

With Sarah’s retirement, St. Stephen’s is seeking its next Parish Administrator. The position description below describes the role in full. A hiring team of parish members — Josie Ellis, Leah Luczynski, and Craig Reynolds — is leading the search on behalf of the parish.

Applications may be submitted by email to ststephenshires@gmail.com. The position is also posted on Indeed. Questions about the position or the search may be directed to the hiring team.

Help us find the right person. The strongest candidates for a role like this often come through personal connections rather than job boards. If you know someone who might flourish in this work, please share this posting with them. Parishioners are welcome to apply and will be considered on the same footing as every other candidate. Everyone applies the same way — by email to ststephenshires@gmail.com — so that every application reaches the full hiring team and receives the same careful reading; please point interested people to that address rather than passing résumés along informally. Applications are held in confidence by the hiring team.

Parish Administrator Position Description [PDF – JULY 2026]

Parish Administrator

Position Description

30 hours/week • 4 days/week • $22–$25/hour (DOE) • non-exempt • benefited

About St. Stephen’s

St. Stephen’s, a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, is a community of people who together seek to serve our community, drawing strength and joy from worshipping together. We don’t all believe the same, act the same, vote the same, or dress the same — but we strive to love the same, as Christ loved and served all people.

St. Stephen’s is a welcoming community for all. We do not discriminate based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or beliefs.

Position Summary

The Parish Administrator is the operational hub of parish life and, very often, the first face and voice of St. Stephen’s for parishioners, visitors, vendors, and the wider community. Working closely with the Rector, staff, and lay leaders, the Administrator runs the day-to-day business of the parish — communications, records, scheduling, building use, and routine financial support — in service of the church’s ministry and mission.

This is a benefited position of 30 hours per week over four days. It calls for someone organized, discreet, and warm, who can work independently, juggle competing priorities, and hold confidential information with care.

Reporting Relationship

The Parish Administrator reports to and is supervised by the Rector.

Key Responsibilities (this list is not exhaustive)

Communications & Publications

  • Prepare, format, and produce weekly worship bulletins and > monthly/seasonal service booklets at the Rector’s direction, and > post to the website.
  • Compose and distribute the weekly parish email.
  • Maintain the parish website and manage its social media campaigns; > prepare flyers, mailings, and announcements.
  • Develop and distribute volunteer schedules for parish ministries.
  • Provide the congregation with the monthly calendar and notable > milestones (e.g., birthdays and anniversaries).
  • Compile and produce the parish annual report — gathering, editing, > and formatting contributions from ministries, staff, and > volunteers.

Reception & Front Office

  • Welcome visitors and parishioners hospitably; answer phone, email, > and mail, and direct inquiries appropriately.
  • Serve as the central point of contact among clergy, staff, members, > vendors, and community partners.
  • Maintain the parish calendar and coordinate schedules and > appointments.
  • Order and manage office supplies.

Administrative Support (including recordkeeping & database maintenance)

  • Maintain and update the membership database (Realm) and produce > the annual parish directory.
  • Keep accurate sacramental and service registers — marriages, > baptisms, confirmations, and deaths — and maintain the parish > service register (officiants, attendance) with care and accuracy.
  • Liaise with bereaved and baptismal families so that funerals, > memorials, baptisms, and other rites are handled respectfully and > accurately.
  • Maintain Safe Church training records and CORI background-check > documentation. Run CORI checks as required.
  • Handle pastoral and financial information with strict > confidentiality.
  • Provide general administrative support to the Rector, Vestry, and > lay leaders.

Facilities & Building Use

  • Serve as the first point of contact for tenants and groups using the > building; maintain the shared building-use calendar and send rent > invoices.
  • Coordinate with facility vendors and contractors; schedule annual > inspections (e.g., alarm and fire-safety systems) and serve as the > contact for the alarm company.
  • Report building issues (heating, plumbing, elevator, and similar) to > the property committee, and coordinate with the sexton and > cleaning staff.
  • Track and issue keys according to parish policy. (The Parish > Administrator is the parish’s authorized key holder.)

Financial Support/Bookkeeping

  • Record weekly donations and pledges and prepare deposit information > for the volunteer who makes the deposit; manage pledge cards and > giving envelopes; assist members with online giving; and prepare > quarterly giving statements with the treasurer’s letter.
  • Prepare checks for signature with supporting documentation, enter > invoices, and reconcile monthly bank statements.
  • Enter the annual budget and prepare monthly financial reports for > the Finance Committee.
  • Assist with the parochial report and the annual audit.

Qualifications & Skills

Essential

  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to > manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication and a calm, warm, > hospitable interpersonal style.
  • Discretion and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; comfort > learning new software and databases.
  • Comfort with routine financial record-keeping and accuracy in > handling recurring bookkeeping tasks.
  • Ability to work independently and take initiative, while > collaborating well with clergy, staff, and volunteers.
  • High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred

  • Experience in a church, nonprofit, or faith-based setting.
  • Familiarity with church management or membership database software > (Realm or similar) and with basic bookkeeping.
  • Basic graphic-design skills (e.g., Canva) and email/communications > tools (e.g., Mailchimp).
  • Familiarity with WordPress or another web content-management system.
  • Familiarity with Episcopal liturgy and the liturgical calendar.

Personal Qualities

Courteous, professional, and approachable; comfortable in a religious setting; able to maintain healthy boundaries; honest and dependable; and genuinely glad to serve a mission-driven community and to be part of the welcoming face of the parish.

Position Details, Compensation & Benefits

  • Schedule: 30 hours per week over four days, generally 9:00 > a.m.–5:00 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch; specific days set at hire.
  • Compensation: $22–$25 per hour depending on experience > (approximately $34,000–$39,000 per year at 30 hours/week).
  • Classification: Non-exempt (hourly).

The parish offers a benefits package, including:

  • Health insurance (employer contribution)
  • Dental insurance (employer contribution)
  • Retirement plan
  • Group life insurance
  • Paid time off (two weeks) plus the twelve diocesan-designated > holidays.
  • Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave and other leave as > provided by state law.

The position requires participation in Safe Church training and a CORI background check.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, résumé, and the names of three references to ststephenshires@gmail.com. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Parish Administrator Position Description [PDF – JULY 2026]