Dear Friends in Christ,

Can you believe it? Our long-time Rector, Fr. Harvey, is celebrating his first year and a half of retirement and we, the flock he shepherded, are still here!

We did not deteriorate in mission, fall apart as a body, nor shut the doors and simply close down. Whatever calamity some may have envisioned did not come to pass. God has provided. The Church’s ministries maintained our traditions, meeting and exceeding our expectations. Concerned and caring priests have repeatedly prayed for us as a Church in transition and they have given us a charge:

o We are to continue faithful in praise, prayer and thanksgiving.
o We are to examine ourselves, our place here both as individuals and as the Body of Christ in this place.
o We are to pray without ceasing that God will open hearts and minds and strengthen our resolve to discern and to do His perfect will in this place.

Your Search Committee has been working diligently to complete the Parish Profile and its end is in sight. The members of the Search Committee, Christian Curry, Sharifa Dawson-Sena, Selena Harris, Norberta Mieles, Donna Riley, Rhinehardt Shannon, and I, request your prayerful support as we journey forward. Please know that information may be shared with you up until the stage where we begin receiving names. None of these may be divulged and there will be total silence from that time until the Vestry announces the new Rector.

We encourage you to “be of good cheer.” “For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Yours,

Susan E. Brown, Chair
St. Augustine’s Search Committee