June 27, 2007 

Dear Members of Trinity Church,

It has been a privilege and an honor to represent you during the past year as members of the Trinity Search Committee.  We have intentionally sought God’s guidance throughout our discernment process as we have evaluated over 100 possible candidates to become our next Rector. Our task was greatly facilitated by the Trinity Profile Committee, who developed our Parish Profile. The profile helped us greatly as we objectively evaluated the gifts of the various candidates.

It is with great joy that we announce that we have recommended, and our Vestry has called the Rev. Robert L. Banse, Jr. to be our new Rector. Rob, his wife Janie, and their children – Holland, Lee, and Will – will join us permanently beginning August 26, 2007.

Please remember the Banse family in your prayers as we prepare for this exciting new era in the life of Trinity Church.

Faithfully,

The Search Committee

Don Cady, Alix Coolidge, John Johnson, Stephanie Knapp, Randy Mullett, Neil Peddicord, Debbie Reckmeyer, Molly Spencer, Sheryl Wood

A Letter from The Rev. Robert Banse:

Dear People of Trinity,

It was (and is) with great joy, peace, and much excitement that I accepted your Vestry’s invitation to become the next Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville. As there will be plenty of opportunities to share our full stories with you in the near future, I will be brief.

We are the Banses and there are five of us (plus two large dogs and a Bearded Dragon, which is a type of lizard found in the Australian Outback. Don’t worry – the lid of the cage is extremely tight and secure.) 

Janie and I have been married for twenty-one years. Janie has just completed a Masters degree in Library Science and Information Technology at the University of Pittsburgh and will be seeking a job as a School Librarian when we are settled. Although I learned a long time ago not to volunteer her for any particular work of the church, she has chosen to be quite active in the life of the congregations we have served, particularly in the ministry of Christian Education. And there is no question – she is the “better” in the expression “Better Half”!

Holland is our eldest and only daughter. She is nineteen and has just completed her first year at Georgetown University. She is the “horse person” in the family and is looking forward to riding and eating pain au chocolat from the bakery in Middleburg.

Lee is seventeen and a rising junior in high school. He is particularly interested in history and has already read extensively the biographies of many of the military and political leaders of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is also a very good ice hockey goalie. Finding a team for him to play with in the area is one of our great challenges at the moment.

Will is a rising eighth grader. He is an easy-going kind of guy with particular interest in bugs, bonsai trees, and the reading and creating of cartoons. He is also a hockey player but seems open to trying some of the sports more often found in the region.

Finally, there is yours truly. I grew up in Philadelphia and am a graduate of Georgetown and Virginia Theological Seminary. I was ordained to the priesthood twenty years ago and have served parishes across the country, including Hawaii (it was tough duty, but someone had to do it) Boise, Idaho, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Most recently, I have been serving as the Interim at St. Stephen’s, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania while working toward a PhD. My particular field of interest is the interface between faith, organized religion, and matters of ecology and the environment. I believe that my gifts are in the areas of vision, education, liturgy, and pastoral care and I pray that these gifts will be helpful to you all in the years ahead.

As to the future of Trinity, I have said to both the members of the Search Committee and the Vestry that I believe that God’s time has come for you all. You have been blessed mightily and in many ways and there is much work to be done locally, nationally, and internationally on behalf of God’s Son. It is going to be exciting and we look forward to being part of this mission and ministry.

 We will be joining you in August. In the meantime, we will be praying for you three times a day. We humbly request that you hold us in your prayers as well. We will see you soon.

 Faithfully yours in Christ,

The Rev. Robert L. Banse, Jr.

(Rob, Janie, Holland, Lee, and Will)