The Annual Report of the Priest in Charge for 2011
The Rev. Evan Thayer
January 22, 2012

One of the things I like most about the writer of the Gospel of Mark, is that he doesn’t waste any time getting to the point. He is interested in pushing the action along and his Gospel conveys a Jesus who is active and always on the move. Today’s brief reading deals with the calling of Simon & Andrew and then James and John. Jesus comes by, tells them to follow him and they do. Jesus doesn’t tell them how they are going to be fishing for men and women, just that they are. He doesn’t say I will be sending you to a three month training program to equip you for service. He says “follow me.” He himself is the instruction they need. In the past year we as a community of faith have attempted to follow in Jesus’ footsteps through Worship, Christian Nurture and Formation, Outreach, Pastoral Care and Stewardship. Together let us reflect over the accomplishments and failures of the past year. But first let us remember those who we laid to rest in the year 2011: Myrtle McGee, Bertha Epps-McCrae, William Bennett, Marie Borden, Malinda Johns, Goldie Johns, Ronald Baker, William Ryan, and Viviene Ellis. “May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” We also celebrate the welcoming into the household of faith of Sterling Williams, Janiya Robinson, Alan Sheriff, and Jasiri Cash. We hope that they will continue in the faith in this community and perhaps with others become the leaders of tomorrow.

Worship is the heart of our life together and we have learned that like Jesus our worship doesn’t stand still. Our contemporary worship service continues to grow and thrive teaching us that Anglo-Catholic worship can take many forms. Over the past year we have seen change in our worship leadership. We graduated three acolytes, but are recruiting new ones as well. Mr. Archie has been joined by Christopher Andrews to train the newest generation of acolytes and to continue our rich traditions into the future. Besides our usual schedule of special services, our participation in United Lenten Devotions, and Womens’ Day we have taken our worship out among the people. One of the highlights of last summer was our worship and picnic in Franklin Park. It was so well received that several people asked if we could worship in the park more than once a year. Over the summer for the third year a small but faithful group of parishioners gathered in Dudley Square to pray for peace and to remember those whose lives were lost to violence in our city. We have also continued to provide our afterschool children worship within their curriculum through a weekly chapel service. Roberta Ramos, Directress of the Altar Guild and Flower Guild is retiring this month. She has served our altar for many years and deserves our gratitude. As such she will be receiving the Absalom Jones Day award at the ceremony at St. Cyprian’s on February 12. Rossetta Beckford will be taking charge of the Altar Guild and flowers will be coordinated through the parish office. We are glad to be welcoming new recruits to the Altar Guild.

The ministry area of Christian Nurture and Formation covers both Christian Education as well as social events. Christian Education was challenging last year putting too much pressure on our small group of teachers. Brenda, Keitra, and Beverley were joined by Miecha Harrison who is doing a terrific job assisting with the children. Adrienne again provided musical education and we are proud to have a children’s choir who can claim a repertoire. We need other teachers to step forward and take their places as examples for our children. We continue using the “Weaving God’s Promises” curriculum. Our adult education was a little different over the past year. Besides some Bible study, we also looked at Episcopal language and traditions, focusing on Baptism and Eucharist. Over the summer many of you participated in “Father Thayer’s Bible Challenge” reading the entire New Testament in a two month period. We learned about Islam through the PBS series “Islam: Empire of Faith” and through a short trip down the road to the Islamic Cultural Center where we received warm hospitality from our Muslim neighbors. The year ended with a presentation on homelessness by a group of speakers who had themselves been homeless. Their discussion was touching and honest. Our usual schedule of social events continued with some tweaking here and there to provide some new takes on familiar diversions.

In the past year our parish has continued to reach beyond ourselves into the community. Our Outreach efforts were overseen by Hazel Briceno. Once again, over the summer our parishioners were generous in putting together backpacks for Children of Incarcerated Parents as well as children in our afterschool program. Over 50 backpacks were created and distributed. The B-SAFE children once again benefitted from a week of hot lunches only our parish could provide and during the school year on a monthly basis Keitha Hassell and a small group have provided snacks for B-READY, the afterschool program we share with St. Stephen’s. In November the Vestry and others put together a Thanksgiving feast for the children and their parents. Last year we received a House of Mercy grant from the diocese for our Soup and Coat ministry and we were able to provide over 50 new coats to children and many used coats to adults as well.

Stewardship was vitally important in a year where we saw the departure of our tenant of over 25 years, the HeadStart Program. Fundraising became even more important than usual. Marilyn Marion oversaw a variety of successful fundraising events. Vestry and volunteers did extra duty in serving chicken dinners and fish dinners and barbecue. It’s a good thing people around here like to eat! Pledging remained consistent and that’s something you can all be proud of. We weathered the difficult storm and in November our new tenant, Open Door Ministries moved in. So far the relationship has been very good and we look forward to scheduling opportunities for both of our congregations to get together. Our difficult year put us behind in our assessment and Stokes Loan payments. It will take us two years to repay them, but the plan is for surplus budgets going forward to enable us to keep these commitments. In spite of our financial difficulties through the success of our 100th Anniversary Appeal overseen by Adrienne, Carole and Tony, we were able to move forward with the first phase of our restoration. Though it took a little longer than expected, the brickwork on the entire front of the church was repaired, replaced and repointed, bracing was put up to support the parapet wall and the front doors of the church were refinished and painted red, so that we will be more visible to our neighbors. Last year we also replaced the heating and air conditioning unit for the Chapel and The Well, laying to rest a 25+ year old system. We are in the process of finishing an assessment of the building as a way of moving forward to the next phase of our capital campaign. We will also be receiving recommendations on the best use of our buildings.

For me personally, this has been one of the most challenging years since I have been here. It has underscored to me and to others that the work of the parish does not simply rest on the shoulders of the clergy but is shared ministry. And that is one of the blessings of this past year – that more and more people have gotten directly involved. Last year for the first time in many years I took a real vacation that did not involve taking care of anyone or any business. This past year I have also been more involved in the work of the Diocese as co-convener of the Boston Harbor Deanery and through my new role as a mentor to a young priest. As I move out more into the community it is all the more important that others fill in the gaps in the parish. One place where we have fallen short of the mark has been in Pastoral Care. Our lay Eucharistic ministry has fallen by the wayside and in the absence of clergy visits, many of our homebound parishioner have not received the pastoral care they deserve. One the other hand, many of you have quietly reached out to others without my knowledge.

Last week after everyone left, Bishop Tom and I sat for a few minutes talking about this parish. We cannot predict the future. We do know that we must continue to move out into the world reaching out to the community beyond our door, not so we will survive, but because it is the commission that has been handed down to us from the first disciples. Like them we have no road map for the road ahead, just the example of Jesus compelling us to follow.

Amen