St Mary the Virgin

You Can Download a copy of this letter here. 

Beloved of St. Andrew’s University Heights:

There are, of course, many stories out there as to what is happening at St. Andrew’s!  As with most grapevines, some stories are true, some are not, most are speculation, supposition, hearsay or gossip.  The reality of understanding and clearly communicating our situation at St. Andrew’s is complex.  We hope you have been able to attend Sunday services and hear first hand during announcements, or the occasional Community Meeting, all that has been transpiring to date.

Parishioners with an email address have received a copy of the mailing I sent to the WNY Clergy list serve Subject:  WNY Grapevine.  This letter is to our entire parish family mailing list so all may have a common understanding of “where we stand.”

As I look at the simple phrase:   “Where we stand,” I think of last Sunday’s Gospel (August 10) when Peter began to question if Jesus was who he (Peter) thought he was and, starting to venture out on water, began to sink.  When we question who Jesus is and the source of his power we, too, begin to sink.  And yet, when Peter at last called out to his Lord for help, he finds God’s arm outstretched to save.  

God has been with the community of St. Andrew’s as long as we have existed and is still with us.  From our early beginnings over a tavern, to our first building, on to worshipping at the Trinity Chapel and next, our present building, God has been and is with us.  It is our task to open our hearts and minds; and, in faith, seek to understand. 

We are in a challenging time.  But, I dare say, one no more challenging then the time of  our early church, much less of the fisherman Andrew himself.  I have often wondered whether the theft of our St. Andrew’s statue, its subsequent journey into the world and being found and returned, is a sign for us to venture outside of ourselves; to, as did Andrew, break free from what may encumber in order to live more freely into the mission to which God calls us.

We have been formed in the beauty of a beloved building soaked in prayer.  Yet, has our building become for us like Andrew’s fisher nets, something holding us back.  Our building is not the Church.  The Church is the people, the community of St. Andrew.  Have we, perhaps, also become burdened by decades of things in excess of our need that our vision has been distracted and our passage way cluttered?  Have we held on too tightly to vestiges of times past which simply invite us to seek the essence from which they came and be allowed to take new form.  This ongoing process of discovery is what it means to be an honest and truly spiritual community.

We have valued what we have had.  Rummage Sale after Rummage Sale have allowed us to let go of what we felt we no longer needed.  Our vision has become clearer so we have been able to see more clearly the hidden treasure gifted to our community.  It is to this end we are carefully de-accessing what is presently being put up for auction.  The funds generated from this will enable us to meet our bills and continue to live into a new way of being. 

THE FACTS

St. Andrew’s is not closing.  In a meeting with the Bishop and Trustee Steven Metcalfe, the vestry was encouraged to not dissolve St. Andrew’s parish status.  This means the proceeds of what we sell, be they objects of art or our building, are ours.  As well as paying our bills, this also requires us to deliberate how we can truly become that which we seek to be:  a self-sustaining community of worship and prayer.

At this time, we are looking to “mothball” the building for the winter months.  We look to stay in our building until late fall when the cost of heating will inhibit our worship.  During the winter we will worship at another location in University Heights.  At this time, we are conversations about gathering for worship at Allen Hall, UB South Campus, Main Street.  Depending upon what transpires happens during the winter months, we will return to our church building Holy Week 2009.  

Though we had discussed with the diocese the possibility of St. Andrew’s returning to Mission Status, not obligated for fair share contribution and financially dependent on the diocese.  The diocese is, however, not in a position to support us.  Therefore dissolving at this time would inhibit our ability to generate financial support from the sale or redevelopment of our building.  Diocesan Council will be informed at the September meting of our inability to continue paying our fair share apportionment which we have done faithfully.  (note: your rector is Chair of Council Governance Committee).   If, by the October 2009 Diocesan Convention, we are financially able to be a self-sustaining as  is our goal, we may petition Convention to dissolve as a Parish and request Mission status. 

This allows us over a year to pray, listen and determine what God is calling us to do.

Though we have had an appraisal on our property (Guerney Becker and Bourne), the building of St. Andrew’s is not yet on the real estate market.  Over the past two years, innumerable conversations regarding possibilities for our building and collaboration with the wider community have taken place; from those with the university, arts, civic and social services communities, as well as private developers with expertise in redeveloping churches for reuse. As long as we are a parish, we hold our property in trust for the diocese and have some degree of control over who might purchase the property.  There are options to be explored.  One possibility might be a Sale/Lease agreement which would enable us to rent space from whoever might purchase the building and/or perhaps developing a non-profit entity that could manage the re-hab and rental of our property for creative re-use as well as our worship.

As to the question I know is on many minds:  What will happen to our columbarium?  Should the building of St. Andrew’s be sold without our ability to engage in some lease arrangement, all those with family members’ ashes residing in our columbarium as well as those who have purchased a niche, will be contacted well in advance and invited to decide where they wish remains to be interred; either a family plot or one of the many other churches in our diocese.  

As I have said publically, should any of you feel you are unable to move through this time of transition and need to find another church home, please, do what you need to for your spiritual health and well being.  If you were baptized or confirmed at St. Andrew’s or have had your Letter of Membership moved to St. Andrew’s, when you find another church home, have them contact our church office so your Letter of Membership may be transferred.  Many times we make up excuses to leave a church when what we really need to do is gracefully and graciously go where God may be calling.  Please pray and if God is calling you elsewhere, know that you go with our blessing.  We are all one church, you will be welcomed.  We will always be part of one another.

If you discern that God is calling you to the community of St. Andrew’s as your spiritual home, throughout this new venture as unseen as it is, you are not alone.  Throughout church history there have been communities of diaspora who have stayed the course with the courage and faith to walk into the unknown.  It is this committed group who will make New Wine from the Root of the Ancient Vine.  I learned from a wine broker, the value of the wine depends on the age of the root from which it grows.  The roots of St. Andrew are run deep.  May they continue to bear rich and nourishing fruit.

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Come to the Auction Friday August 22,  5-7 p.m.

And thank the Auction Team:   Matt Buettgens, Elaine Lodick, Barbara Northan,  Joe Wisnet (chair), and Carrie Zoda!

+

Come to the Parish Picnic Sunday August 24, after the 10:30 a.m. service 

+

Pray for our Vestry and their meeting Monday, August 25, 7:00 p.m.

+

Continue to honor your Pledge and Capital Campaign promise

+

Plan to attend our GALA LAST EVENSONG & BENEDICTION

Sunday, September 28, 4:00 p.m.

+

Remember A small body of determined spirits fired by unquenchable faith in their mission, can alter the course of history.  Gandhi

+

Continue to Pray for the Mission of and Gather for Worship with the Community of St. Andrew!

In God’s Love and Peace,  

Mother Sarah

p.s. I would be remiss to not share with you some recent grace filled change  

Thankfully, Kevin Rung has been able to find better housing as well as financial support as Sexton with the Church of the Good Shepherd parishioner.   He no longer lives on site and remains a faithful member of the St. Andrew’s community and offers his continued service as Sexton for St. Andrew’s.  

Matt Buettgens is in the last critical months of his Ph.D. upon which much of his future depends.  He has asked the vestry for support in relieving him of the duties he has so fully embraced as Sr. Warden. The vestry gracefully accepted.  Matt remains a faithful member of the St. Andrew’s community and as active as this present time allows him.

Several months ago, when the parish began to embrace the challenges brought to us by this present time, I affirmed to the staff a particular duration of employment and yet also encouraged them to look for future employment. 

Sadly, Parish Administrator Lynn Jones, who has been such a tremendous gift for St. Andrew’s, has discerned God calling her in another direction.   She will share her next vocation with us when all is confirmed.  As sad as I am to lose such a wonderful colleague, I am grateful to have found a spiritual sister.  Lynn conveys:  “I completely and totally loved the call to work with and take care of the St. Andrew’s family and will always remain a friend of St. Andrew’s.” PLEASE COME SAY THANKS TO LYNN FOR ALL SHE HAS BEEN AND DONE FOR US AT THE PARISH PICNIC, NEXT SUNDAY!

In the transition of this present time, parishioners Judy Zimmet and Peter Davis (who is also, of course, our Director of Music and Organist!)  will assume some of the work Lynn has done.  Barbara Northan remains as ever a faithful a quiet behind the scenes pillar for all of our administration. 

Let us also thank David Nuijens and Elaine Lodick for their diligence in being our in-house auditors and friend of St. Andrew’s, Michael Lehman, for continuing another year as our required outside auditor.

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

As my Pentecost Letter noted, during the summer we “move” through what is known in the Liturgical Calendar as Ordinary Time. This summer has, however, been “Ordinary” and “Extraordinary”

As part of the Ordinary life of the Church, we celebrated two infant baptisms, Victoria Aquilar-Scheib and Morgen Alexis Weickerson. A week apart, these baptisms seem almost like a parenthesis of vision, hope and promise surrounding our celebration of the life of and saying farewell to our beloved Dick Magee whose faith had been nurtured and grounded at St. Andrew’s for over sixty years. As we “die to Christ” in baptism, we are reminded that even “in the midst of life we are in the midst of death.” So also, in death is new life being formed. I thank God for the ordinary pastoral liturgy of our Prayer Book which gives us the ability to call upon worship as the structure upon which to frame our Life in Christ.

This extraordinary of the summer began outside (or “extra” to) the norm of parish life. It began with worship in the Glebe on the Feast of Corpus Christi. Our garden has never looked so lush or cared for. Thank you to Joe Wisnet, Robert Kapchan, Doug Bobak, Kevin Rung, Fr. Stephen and those whose names I may have missed. Next, St. Andrew’s was the site of gathering for the Walk for Canaan House. Though most parishioners were not able to join in the walk, Deacon Ed Ihde represented us well. Thank you to the many parishioners who contributed financially to the good work of our former Deacon, Shirley Trail, with Canaan House and women coming out of incarceration.

We also had visitors from across the ocean. The Revd Dr. Canon Andrew Wingate, the founder of Network of Interfaith Concerns in the Anglican Communion (NIFCON) who is also the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Counsel for Interfaith Concerns and Queen’s Chaplain for Interfaith visited St. Andrew’s, with his wife, on a research sabbatical. The time he and his wife Angela spent in Buffalo assisted St. Andrew’s in providing conversations in and outside the diocese with our bishop, lay persons and other clergy as well as various interfaith groups. The Wingates also spent time in the Dioceses of Washington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts and noted their time in WNY provided the most grass-roots and information regarding interfaith relationships in the United States.

The majority of time these past several months has been engaged with St. Andrew’s future. As many of you know, we have been looking towards de-accessing some of our hidden resources in the form of art to see if some of the riches we have been left may provide investment for our future. We have been very clear to consider letting go only of items not of necessity to our worship.

To date we have been in conversation with major auction houses (Christie’s and Sotheby’s) as well as those smaller (Doyle’s and Skinners); had appraisals from local artists and art galleries; been in contact with the University of Rochester Department of Sculpture, Burchfield-Penny Gallery, the Albright-Knox, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art and Hispanic Society of America.

Since we are no longer able to support our building as is, we have been in conversation with social service agencies and art groups which have proven we are a very desirable space for rental at a desirable location. (We are grateful for Mary Kate O’Connell of O’Connell and Company in making a significant contribution to St. Andrew’s to use our space for Theater Camp Cabaret this summer). However, because we are unable to keep up financially with the upkeep and upgrading needed to lower costs, we are having to look seriously at the reformation of our community in letting go of the building we know and love.

A real estate appraisal has been obtained; conversations have begun with many persons at the University of Buffalo and others as to future prospects for the building. We have also contacted those who specialize in environmental sustainability. Our building has been inspected and we have been given assurance of our suitability to be granted status on both the National and NY State historic registers. We have stayed in regular contact this past year about our financial picture with our bishop and kept the Standing Committee, Deanery, Diocesan Board of Trustees and Council informed of our status.

The above has been about our Church Building which we all love and would hope to keep. However, as we look more openly to our vision statement crafted several years ago, we need to remember St. Andrew’s, the Church, is the People, not the building. God may be calling us into some new kind of formation. As our vision statement acclaims: “St. Andrew’s is a spiritual oasis nurturing and replenishing the soul of the journey of faith. With unwavering trust in God, St. Andrew’s steps boldly forward as a catalyst for individual change and the transformation of the University Heights District and City of Buffalo.”

We are at a crossroads, a liminal place or threshold of the unknown. To this end, our work as The Church is really just beginning. Through the past six years I have spent with you, I have come to believe in the faith, fortitude and grace of this community gathered. Having the building and point of gathering has been of necessity for forming who it is we are today. The question is “are we willing to step outside together?” I wonder whether our Statue of St. Andrew’s “coming down from above and moving out into the unknown” was in deed a precursor of our calling.

Matt Buettgens, Kevin Rung and Fr. Stephen attended a program in Jamestown this past month on the Emergent Church. This was led by The Revd Ian Mobsby of the Moot Community in London. Fr. Stephen and I had visited and worshipped with this commuity last fall. We came away from our visit in faith that God is moving in new ways in the Church. For sometime I have been contemplating what God may be doing with our community. I learned from an international wine broker I sat next to on a plane, that the quality of the wine is contingent on the age of the root. If who we are in Christ is based on the root of the faith handed down and we are ever mindful of that being nurtured and replenished, it ultimately makes no difference where we worship, rather who and why we worship and how that informs our being. NEW WINE from THE ANCIENT ROOT OF THE VINE.

Do everything you can to attend next SUNDAY’S COMMUNITY CONVERSATION JULY 27th AT NOON (see flyer for details). I have been invited to the Lambeth Conference to present on Pastoral Concerns for Interfaith Marriage to both Bishops of the Anglican Communion and their Spouses. I will miss not being with you. I have every faith in our Vestry and in Matt Buettgens, Sr. Warden in particular. Fr. Stephen will also be with you at the meeting.

Please pray for me as I travel, pray for the Bishops in our Anglican Communion and know of my prayers for the Community of St. Andrew at Canterbury Cathedral, the holy see of our Anglican Communion.

With love in Christ,

Mother Sarah+

Service Schedule:
Sunday
8:00 a.m. Contemplative Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 a.m. Sung High Mass Rites I, II or III

Weekdays
8:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday – Morning Prayer (Chapel)
7:00 p.m. Tuesday – Brent Society study group, followed by Compline (Parish House)
7:00 p.m. Wednesday -Evening prayer and meditative Bible study (Parish House)

Our Vision
St. Andrew’s is a spiritual oasis, nurturing and replenishing the soul on the journey of faith. With unwavering trust in God, St. Andrew’s steps boldly into the future as a catalyst for individual change and the transformation of the University Heights district and the city of Buffalo.

Our Core Values

• Worship provides us with the strength and will to glorify God in our daily lives.
• Transformation—living into the fullness of what God is calling us to be.
• Anglo-Catholic Ceremonial engages all of our senses in sacramental celebration of the mystery of God.
• Children—an integral part of the fabric of our community.
• Diversity—respecting and embracing the multitude of our differences.
• Welcoming—opening ourselves to people; needs, challenges, and possibilities.

Our Purpose
Intimacy with God in a community of diversity!