Grace in Transition

Our Transition Begins...

8/9/2018

Greetings friends!

This is the first edition of a periodic Newsletter that I will write to keep you updated on the progress of our transition and building renovation project. The transition is the time between Rev. Spencer Hatcher departing our parish and the beginning of the tenure of our next permanent priest. The building renovation project is our plan to render our marvelous 96 year old church building accessible to everyone in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT

During the July monthly vestry meeting on July 25th, the vestry decided by consensus to approve the renovation plan coordinated by Senior Warden, Charlie Harris, and award the construction contract to Rockwell Construction Company. The elements of the plan were designed by the architectural firm Noelker Hull Associates, Frederick, MD and include:

An ADA compliant entrance on A Street
ADA compliant egress from the undercroft on 2nd Avenue
Limited Use - Limited Access Lift between the Narthex and Undercroft
Two ADA compliant rest rooms in undercroft
Replacing stairs with a safety hand railing at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Mooseheart Alley.

The construction contract will be signed in late August with construction to begin soon afterward. While construction can be messy, I promise you I will work everyday to coordinate this project with the contractor to minimize the disruption to our use of the building.

Please note that the renovation project will be funded from our endowment fund
which can only be used for capital improvements.

THE TRANSITION

The wardens have engaged in an extensive dialogue with the senior personnel in the Diocese, Bishop Chilton Knudsen and The Rev. Canon Stuart Wright, and consulted with several veteran Episcopal Priests in our community. We are all in agreement that the needs of our parish will best be served by calling an experienced time-certain interim priest to guide us through a period of discernment as we prepare for the search process and then call our next permanent priest. This process typically takes one to two years. Canon Wright and Bishop Knudsen are currently evaluating interim candidates for us to interview. In the meantime, we have arranged for two veteran priests, The Rev. Georgia DuBose and The Rev. Charles Holder, to serve as supply priests. You may remember Mother Georgia and Father Charlie, as they helped us during last year's transition.

The Sunday schedule from now through the end of November is provided below. In addition, we have arranged for The Rev. Linda Fernandez, Pastor of our neighbor Bethany Lutheran Church (and an ordained Episcopal Priest), to meet our emergency pastoral care and special services needs during the transition. Please pray for God’s guidance during and after our transition, for your vestry and officers, and for the special needs of everyone in our parish.

With warm regards,
Charlie Harris
Senior Warden

SUNDAY SCHEDULE THROUGH NOVEMBER

Our hope is to have an interim priest on board by the beginning of Advent.

August 12

August 19
August 26

September 2

September 9
September 16
September 23

September 30

October 7
October 14

October 21
October 28

November 4
November 11
November 18

November 25

The Rev. Spencer+ Hatcher last Sunday
Farewell reception to follow 10 am service
The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose
The Rev. Charles+ Holder

The Rt. Rev. +Chilton Knudsen
  Reception and town hall meeting follows mass
The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose
The Rev. Charles+ Holder
The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose
Sunday Evening: Eat, Pray, Talk:
Visioning and Community Building Session 1
(facilitated parish discussions, led by Dr. Deborah Crall,
to be coordinated with Canon Wright)
The Rev. Charles+ Holder

The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose
Morning Prayer II with Communion led by
Kathleen and Teri Smith-Jones
Sunday Evening: Eat, Pray, Talk:
  Visioning and Community Building Session 2
The Rev. Charles+ Holder
The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose

The Rev. Charles+ Holder
The Rev. Georgia+ DuBose
Morning Prayer II with Communion led by
Dj Gunning and Al Horton
Sunday Evening: Eat, Pray, Talk:
  Visioning and Community Building Session 3
The Rev. Charles+ Holder