From the Senior Warden – June 19, 2020

To the Community of Saint Paul’s Church,

While the Church has been physically closed, the work that has been planned continues to move forward. The work on the new ramps is scheduled to begin Monday, the bathroom renovations planned for the Parish Hall continue to move forward; the east side parking lot has been re-paved, and the organ re-leathering is underway. In addition, the strategic planning committee held its first meeting Sunday afternoon, a Search Committee has been authorized by Bishop Logue, and I expect an announcement regarding that soon.

For the foreseeable future, our focus needs to be how and when to re-open the Church to in-person worship and meetings while protecting our members, staff and visitors; growing the congregation and spreading the good news of God in Jesus Christ; and defining our way forward through strategic planning, the development of a Parish profile and the search for a new rector.

Our rector is leading us in the discussions that have arisen in the country over the past weeks and as the elected representatives of the congregation, the vestry is responding to and reflecting on the request to relocate the Bishop Leonidas Polk cenotaph ( noun; a sepulchral monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body is buried elsewhere). The history committee has been able to provide some information about Bishop Polk, which includes that he was not a member of our church and is no longer buried here (all rumors to the contrary aside). The current monument to Bishop Polk is a replica given by his son and daughter-in-law after the 1916 fire.

When the Vestry began the listening sessions, we heard that many of you came to this church because of its history and physical beauty. We assume that everyone who came to a listening session did so for the future of the Church. The Vestry, who has the responsibility for the property of the Church, plans to work with the History and the Building and Grounds Committees to develop a deliberate and prayerful response to the request to relocate the monument. We would appreciate your prayers during this time.

Ashley Wright, Senior Warden