8 is Great!
"You can hold it this way, you can hold it that way, It's still eight."
The Count is right. Eight (years) is indeed great. This Sunday I celebrate eight years serving here at Memorial, and it truly has been a joyous and exceptional eight years.
I am grateful to all of you who have been a part of this journey, which is really... all of you reading this reflection. Memorial has a long history and I am aware that I only play a small part in that story (My photo isn't even on the wall yet!) but let's consider all that we have accomplished in this time.
We went from a staff of four to a staff of eight, adding a bookkeeper, parish administrator, youth minister, and justice minister.
Even with the pandemic, we have increased our attendance substantially, close to 20%.
We have revitalized the entire physical plant; rehabbing the rectory, air conditioning and modernizing the sanctuary, and painting and air conditioning both of the parish halls.
We are also in the process of putting new floors in the basement and rehabbing to create a Sunday school classroom and a more friendly and inviting space for the Samaritan Community.
We began a first-of-its-kind reparations program in the middle of the pandemic, and are leading the diocese and the country in showing how Churches can process their complicated histories and continue to serve God and the community in the future.
We have distributed close to $150k in reparations funds to West Baltimore nonprofits, and many times that in volunteer hours and additional support.
We have revitalized our music program, featuring exceptional musicians and vocalists, and a music minister who regularly composes new offerings not just for us but for the glory of God around the world.
We have become more diverse as a congregation and in our staff and leadership, better reflecting the community around us and what we hope the Kingdom of God looks like.
We helped more than 100 people escape the Taliban and find sanctuary in Abu Dhabi and Pakistan and provided critical legal and humanitarian services to refugees here in the U.S. who are trying to make a new home.
The Rectory went from a lightly used storage space to a home for the Episcopal Service Corps for multiple years and is now a home for refugee families resettling here in Baltimore.
We have borne witness to what it means to believe in Jesus and share Christ's love with the world to our neighbors in Bolton Hill and beyond.
We have been home to multiple non-profits and community-oriented programming that seek to make life more livable here in Baltimore for all.
And perhaps most importantly we have crafted a community of love. One that does not always agree on everything but that does find common ground in the love of God and sharing that love with the world.
Thank you all for eight wonderful years. Looking forward to many more.