[As a vestry member] I’m writing today about an important piece of the background to St. Gabriel’s current financial situation – our transition from Mission to Parish in 2017. Many of you were here at that time and had a front row seat to the changes, but many of us were not here, and may not know how that change affected our budgeting and our finances. You’ve probably already noticed that this communication is long, but I hope you will take the time to read it. I think it’s important, and I hope you will too.
The beginning
Let’s start at the beginning. A mission is a congregation that is not yet self-supporting, and receives direct financial assistance from the Diocese. Leadership is
provided by a vicar (a priest appointed by the bishop, rather than chosen by the congregation), and decision making is directly overseen by the bishop. rather than an independent vestry. St. Gabriel’s was founded as a mission in 1984 because a need was seen for a parish located in this community. The Diocese purchased the land on which St. Gabriel’s was built, and provided a loan for construction of the church building (we currently owe approximately $26,000 on this loan, which is paid at $500 per month). Some missions remain missions out of necessity, but every congregation that desires to discern and live out its own unique mission hopes to become a parish. It is no surprise that the independent-minded people of St. Gabriel’s charted that course.
New financial commitments
Becoming a parish did involve additional financial commitments. One of the basic hallmarks of a parish is that it possesses the financial well-being to employ a full-time rector. Additionally, although both missions and parishes contribute financially to the mission work of the diocese (a percentage that is decided by the diocese, based on income, and adopted by the general Convention each year), the percentage that parishes give to support the work of the diocese is significantly higher than that of missions, for obvious reasons.
How we view this financial contribution is important. It is one link in a chain of contributions that support the mission of the church, both individual and collective, both local and indeed, global, and it provides the pool of resources that makes a lot of the good work done by the churches in the diocese possible. The diocese, in fact, makes its own percentage-based contribution each year to ECUSA, the national church. And it all begins with us, making our own contributions toward the mission of our own parish. We want to be cheerful givers of our fair share, not only because it furthers good work, but also because it is not hyperbole to say that without the support of the diocese, powered by the contributions of other churches, St. Gabriel’s would not exist.
Where we are now?
This diocesan contribution, and our full-time Rector’s salary, are our two largest expense categories, and a
s your Vestry and Finance Committee have wrestled with trying to balance the 2026 budget over the past weeks, there is just not enough to cut from the other line items to make a serious difference in the shortfall. As of today, we’re not actually sure how we’re going to make it work. That’s why Fr. Everett has been apprising you of these details in recent communications. The Vestry will be meeting next week to discuss options, and many of them are not ideal, to say the least.
But the future is bright!
This financial situation, although challenging, is not unusual for a new parish in their first decade – new parishes typically struggle for a time as they find their financial footing in their new circumstances. Our journey has been even more challenging because shortly after we attained our parish status, the pandemic arrived, resulting in some major financial hits, and stalling our growth for an extended time. We are back on track, and the future is bright for us, but we still need to make that delayed financial leap in income. It will not happen overnight, but some of it needs to happen sooner rather than later!
Who we are
St. Gabriel’s is important. Its continued existence as a parish is important. My family
and I have been coming to St. Gabriel’s for over a year now, and there is not a single Sunday that I am not filled with gratitude when I sit in the pews and look out at all of you. I see a diverse congregation full of talent and kindness and deep connection to God and to each other. I see people with all gradations of political and social views, still coming together in love to be a community and work together to serve others, which is exactly what I believe God is calling us all to do in this tumultuous time. We have so many teenagers (and soon-to-be-teenagers) that are growing up in this complicated world, and I see a congregation utterly devoted to them, treating them with respect and love, and letting them know they are not going to do this alone. When all the younger kids enter the sanctuary just before communion, I see all of our faces light up, not just the parents. We have music that stirs the soul, and sermons that stir the intellect. We are a congregation that inspires both lifelong church-goers, and the newly baptized. And so much happens at St. Gabriel’s! There are more opportunities here for connection, worship, education, service and community than there are at parishes twice our size. All of the above, combined with being the most welcoming parish in town, puts us on the cusp of exciting growth. This is the time to take steps forward, not steps back!
What we can do
Going to church during the annual stewardship campaign is like listening to public radio during the pledge drives. You know it’s important, but sometimes you think “Can’t they just play the music already?!” Our official stewardship season ended during the ingathering, but we are not yet where we need to be, and as your Vestry gathers to make decisions next week, we are hoping that some new pledges, and/or some additions to existing pledges will push us out of the red and into the black. Every little bit will help! Thank you!
~Robin Mullins, Member of the Vestry
