Retirement

To the people of Grace Church,

          It is with very mixed feelings that I am writing to tell you that I plan to retire as Rector of Grace as of June 30, 2009.

          When I came here in 2000 (I officially began on March 1^st of that year), I envisioned my tenure here as lasting no more than 10 years. The challenges faced by Grace at that time were substantial. There was no assurance that the parish could or would survive. My personal goal was to contribute as much as I was able to re-energizing Grace, and to leave when the parish was in a position to stand on its own.

          Much has happened in the meantime. Membership, attendance, and financial support have increased each year. We have accomplished a successful merger with Church of the Messiah. Lay leadership has expanded substantially. The parish remains focused on its mission in an ever expanding array of ministries.

We have received several bequests which, combined with outstanding investment performance, have increased the size of our endowment and its contribution to our operating income. We have raised sufficient capital through a campaign to enable the parish to maintain and enhance our facilities and equipment.

At the same time, our costs have grown at a rate that has made it impossible to date to reach a balanced budget. The economic downturn that began a year ago has not yet had a demonstrable impact on Grace’s financial health, but the chaos in our financial markets has resulted in a substantial decline in the value of our endowment and in the income available from it to support operations. Our leadership has begun to take a variety of cost saving measures to begin to close a widening deficit in 2009. I remain concerned about a combination of further economic weakness and a slow recovery in the economy.

My decision to retire this summer is in part driven by my longstanding plan to leave within 10 years, coupled with my analysis of the difficult economic environment in which we are living. I have recommended to our wardens and treasurer that in the near future the parish downsize its clergy staff from 2 to 1, effectively saving approximately $100,000 on an annual basis. We are also planning to beef up our lay staff in the key areas of leadership development and Christian formation (with the help, we hope, of a grant from the diocesan Congregational Development Commission) to complement our clergy leadership.

This new structure would mean that your involvement as volunteer leaders here at Grace will be more important than ever. As Sam Lloyd, Dean of the National Cathedral noted when he announced a series of staff and budget cuts last fall while at the same time calling for increased volunteer participation and leadership, “we are enhancing a rich heritage of community spirit and service at this Cathedral.”

The time Rhea and I spent on sabbatical last year showed me that this parish is vibrant, alive, filled with God’s Spirit in ways that will carry the day despite the economic problems we face as individuals, as a community of faith, and as a nation. I am confident that Grace will continue to grow and flourish as you move forward as you continue “to build, by the grace of God, a loving and joyful community which lives the Gospel through worship, proclamation, and service to each other, to downtown, and beyond.”

May God continue to bless and keep each of you and those you love in the years to come.

Yours in Christ,