And Now Jane?

by Jeff Marian

One of the first things our transition consultant told me the first time we met was, “When a lead pastor leaves their position, you can expect a number of other staff transitions to occur. It’s a natural part of the process.” I had no idea just how right he would be!

By now you’ve likely heard the news that our Director of Finance, Jane Victorey, has announced her retirement effective May 15. If you ask her why, you’ll see a twinkle in her eye as she talks about spending more time with her grandchildren.

Jane and I began our tenure at Prince of Peace just six weeks apart. In the past 15 years we have forged one of the most enjoyable and productive working relationships I’ve ever experienced. In my 35 years of ministry, I’ve worked with, and continue to work with, some incredibly gifted people. Jane Victorey ranks high on that list.

Her wisdom, strategic focus, transparency, faithfulness and unmatched thoroughness have helped to transform Prince of Peace from financial struggle to financial health. From the No Debt, Know Mission campaign through our building campaigns, Jane has led with clarity of vision, always with an eye on increasing our long-term financial health.

So, where do we go from here?

• A team has been assembled to review Jane’s position description and make recommendations for moving forward. Jane taught our staff to see every transition as an opportunity to ask, “How might we do this different, better?” The outcome of this team’s work will be to recommend any structural changes and new position descriptions if needed. Board of Directors will review and vote to approve the team’s recommendations. Ideally, this work would be completed at the March 7 Board meeting.
• The position(s) will be posted, and interviews will be conducted.
• In a perfect world, Jane will have some overlap with any new staff to ensure a smooth transition.

As I look back to our beginnings, there were tremendous advantages to Jane and I starting at the same time. We both came in with fresh eyes. The Spirit blessed our partnership and our ministry. I trust that the Spirit will do that again as a new Lead Pastor and Director of Finance help to lead Prince of Peace into a new chapter of ministry growth.

Jeff Marian is the Lead Pastor at Prince of Peace.