In-person church (is there any other kind?) is going well I think. I want to thank all of you for being intentional about the care of others. It has been my intention as the pandemic winds down to err on the side of caution. I still feel that way given the smoldering uncertainty of the behavior of Covid-19 and its variants. For the time being we will still require masks when we gather, recognizing that there are still those among us who haven’t been vaccinated, though I suspect a majority of us have been. However, assuming that the number of Covid cases continues on its downward trend, we will continue our path to “normalcy.” I ask for your patience.
The vestry met this past Monday and it was reported by the treasurer that pledges remain stable. We are ahead in income compared to previous years, and our expenses are under control, down in fact, so we are in a much more favorable financial position than we have been in the last ten years. I thank you for your stalwart commitment to the mission and ministry to All Saints. We are holding together, and that bodes well for the future.
We are seeing an increase in visitors to All Saints. Some of that is due to the press coverage of our hanging the Black Lives Matter banner. Some of that is due to our reputation in Mobile. Please be intentional about welcoming newcomers. All Saints is not for everyone, in light of the fact that we are located in the Deep South, but for those who are drawn to us, it is important that they know they are welcome to our fellowship. I am hopeful that we can restart soon our action groups that organized in the late Fall before the advent of the pandemic. Participation in these groups would be a prime means of involving newcomers in the life of the parish. Now would also be a good time to recruit new participants in our guilds: acolytes, Altar, Flowers, lectors, ushers, etc. please keep that in mind as we welcome newcomers.
I want to say again how grateful I am to be your rector. You have given me the space and grace to grow and mature in my ministry. I’m not so sure, given the deep divisions in our culture, that that is possible in many churches. I treasure your affirmations of what we have here. In the meantime, persist in the faith. The world needs us now more than ever.
