Vicar Search
Job Title: Canon Vicar (Full-time)
The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, FL, is seeking a Canon Vicar to partner with the Provost in (1) leading the mission and ministries of our vibrant congregation, (2) serving our local and diocesan communities.
Our next Vicar will work closely with the Provost, clergy, and staff in the shared work of preaching, teaching, program leadership, and pastoral care. The ideal candidate will bring a deep commitment to social justice, a spirit of compassion in pastoral care, and a calling to strengthen a congregation that is spiritually grounded, relationally connected and engaged in the life of the wider community.
St. Peter’s is a community, committed to meaningful worship, creative outreach, and courageous conversations. The Vicar will join a team that values shared leadership, healthy boundaries, and humor in the midst of hard work.
About the role
The Vicar supports the Provost in the day-to-day spiritual and communal life of the Cathedral, focusing on:
Nurturing congregational care and equipping lay pastoral leaders.
Strengthening justice and inclusion ministries such as our Becoming a Beloved Community, F.A.S.T., and St. Aelred’s Fellowship.
Serving as a visible presence in the civic, interfaith, and diocesan life of St. Petersburg.
Preaching, teaching, and leading worship alongside the Provost and music ministry team.
Mentoring and empowering volunteers to grow into their own vocations.
We don’t expect you to have all the answers. But we do hope you’ll bring curiosity, courage, and a deep love of God and God’s people.
What you will do
Celebrate and honor the vision and mission of the Cathedral and the Episcopal tradition of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.
Preach and preside at worship regularly and creatively, offering thoughtful theological leadership.
Collaborate with lay leaders and staff to create opportunities for parishioners to live out their faith through justice, outreach, and inclusion.
Deepen our pastoral care ministries and train lay volunteers to share in this sacred work.
Represent the Cathedral alongside the Provost in civic and diocesan events.
Share in the full range of clergy responsibilities including liturgies, pastoral offices, teaching, and presence in the life of the parish.
Our new Vicar will be
Committed to their own interior life and able to articulate the role of spirituality in their life and community • Curious, with an interest and passion for the questions we all encounter • Willing to commit to building and leading this ministry at the Cathedral for a firm four to five years • Digitally adept and technologically fluent • Eager to learn our names and remember our stories • A quick study who can easily assimilate into a complex organization • Able to juggle multiple responsibilities, meet deadlines; self-motivated to set and achieve goals; accountable and organized • A team player, willing to set aside his/her own work to help others, both clergy and lay staff, at busy times • Versatile, joyful, and flexible • Respectful of different opinions
Our desire is that our vicar
Be committed to self-care; devoted to emotional health as well as physical health; have a network of care to provide support for the long haul • Have a rich and nourishing spiritual life lived out in regular prayer, study and meditation that grows his or her friendship with God • Embrace high standards of behavior and performance and maintain a confident, authentic sense of self • Model a balanced work-personal life by maintaining healthy boundaries • Take all of her or his vacation time; stay rested and refreshed • Make family and friends a priority
Participate in our search:
1) Tell us how to be in touch with you: Name/Address/Preferred telephone/Preferred email
2) Provide your current position and location
3) Identify your Diocese of canonical residency
4) Help us get to know you by submitting the following:
An updated OTM portfolio
A resumé
Answers to our questions (on the following page)
A 500-word autobiographical statement
References from three people — one clergy, one lay, and one either clergy or lay who is not supervised by you and who is not related to you.
5) Send us your materials: Send your materials electronically to: mrobertshaw@spcathedral.com
Deadline for submissions of completed candidate packets: August 30, 2025
Our Timetable
Application Deadline: August 30, 2025
Interviews: TBD
Call Issued: TBD
Start Date: Negotiable
Contact us
If you would like to have a conversation to learn more about this position, contact Provost Michelle Robertshaw, at mrobertshaw@spcathedral.com or email the search committee at vicarsearch@spcathedral.com
Questions (1–2 paragraphs each) to the following four questions
How do you understand the unique vocation of a cathedral church — as both a parish congregation and as the mother church of a diocese — and what specifically draws you to ministry in that context?
Tell a specific story about a time you helped a congregation or ministry engage in justice, inclusion, or civic/community work. What challenge did you encounter, how did you address it, and what was the outcome?
Give an example of how you identified and equipped a lay leader (or team) for ministry. What did you do to support their growth and ownership of the work? What did you learn from the experience?
The Vicar serves as principal collaborator with the Provost/Dean and a visible pastoral presence in the congregation and the city. What do you see as your unique gifts and growing edges in collaborative leadership? How have those shown up in your ministry so far?
What else would you like us to know about you?
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Compensation and benefits are commensurate with diocesan guidelines.
Come join us in shaping the next chapter of St. Peter’s Cathedral, where our witness to God’s love meets the needs and hopes of our city.
Link to the job posting or application: spcathedral.org/vicarsearch
Cathedral Website: spcathedral.org
Diocesan Website: episcopalswfl.org