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2025 Annual Report

Table of Contents Rector’s Report 5

Ministry Reports

Membership Updates 10

Altar Guild 34

Staff Reports

Altar Ministries 34

Senior Associate Rector Report 13

Austin Street Ministry 35

Administration 14

Centering Prayer 35

Adult Formation 15

Daughters of the King 35

Children’s Ministries 16

Episcopal Men’s Fellowship 36

Congregational Life 17

Episcopal Peace Fellowship 36

Communications 19

Figs with Kids 36

Music Ministry 20

FigTech Ministry 37

Youth Ministries 21

Flower Guild 37

Vestry Reports

Food Pantry 37

Senior Warden’s Report 23

Foyer Groups 38

Budget, Finance, and Administration 24

Funeral Reception Ministry 38

Building, Grounds, and Technology 25

Kitchen Ministry 38

Mission, Ministry, and Connections Committee 28

MacMaster Library 39

Financial Reports Endowment Fund 31 Stewardship 32 Leadership Directory 50 Photo Index 51

Garden Ministry 38 Labyrinth Ministry 39 Nurturing Faith Through Fiction 40 Open Door 40 Outreach Committee 41 Pastoral Ministries 43 Racial Justice Ministry 43 Prayer Shawl Ministry 44 Sound Technician Ministry 44 Second Half Lunch Bunch 44 St. Elizabeth’s Guild 44 St. Hilda’s Guild 45

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Gathering after The Table 46 Transfigured Nights 47 Wedding Guild 49 Women’s Evening Book Group 49 Youth Acolytes 49

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Rector’s Report by the Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min I am grateful for this opportunity every year to share with you about some of the highlights I experienced – things to celebrate and things to consider as we carry on seeking and serving Christ in all persons. I hope you’ll take time to remember with me the year we just enjoyed, and also read on through this whole report to see what our dozens of ministries were up to. This is a thriving, dynamic community, and there is never a dull moment!

Foundations Transfigured

Six years ago at the 2020 Annual Meeting, after nearly two years of discernment, the Capital Discernment Committee presented their findings. We had millions of dollars in looming maintenance over the next few years, and the longer-range forecast was no better: by the committee’s estimate, we would need at least $150,000 every year going forward for capital projects. The bottom line, they told us, was that we needed to raise $3 million for urgent repairs, and another $3 million to create a long-term fund for the future.

At that same Annual Meeting, the Vestry shared what it had learned from a consulting firm that we’d hired to help us solicit feedback from the parish about our campus. We learned of the strong desire to replace our sacristy, renovate our kitchen, install solar panels on our roof, and if possible, create some sort of chapel. This was all reported to us in late January 2020…mere weeks before the world shut down.

Here we are six years and a pandemic later and we’ve accomplished every single one of those recommendations. We repaired roofs and walkways, air conditioners and emergency systems, and dozens of other projects big and small. We renovated the kitchen and installed

solar tiles on the church. We created an entirely new sacristy, the finest I’ve ever seen, including a handsome new ADA-accessible west entry.

And we updated our 50 year-old church with new lighting, electrical, sound, seating, and accessibility, not to mention the creation of Holy Cross Chapel in the south transept.

Not that it was easy. Along the way, we doubted our ability to do all the repairs and also save $3 million for the future. There were many long, hard conversations by vestry, staff, and other parish leaders about the challenges of accomplishing these two hugely important goals. But in the end, we did it. Late in 2025, we cleared $3 million in our restricted reserves (about a third held in cash for coming projects and two-thirds invested by the endowment for the long-term). We now have the funds to care for our campus for decades to come. Keep in mind when we did all this: during a global pandemic; during a time in which churches all over the country are struggling and shuttering; during massive social, political, and financial anxiety. We rose to every challenge, met every obstacle, and achieved something incredible. We did, indeed, transfigure our foundations.

We did all this together, our whole community working, praying, and giving. There are a few whose gifts of time and effort deserve special mention.

• I want to thank the donors to our Sixth Year Campaign, and particularly those who sponsored chairs, pews, and light fixtures in the church. I hope you feel proud of these beautiful additions.

• I want to thank our Needlepoint Ministry, which removed, cleaned, adjusted, and mounted hundreds of feet of kneeler covers. Nothing was lost or wasted, even as our pew configuration changed.

Every dedication, old and new, has been preserved. Special thanks to Olga Ruff, Marcy Mignardi, and Christine Johnson for their direction and dedication, but over 30 people participated. Our best estimate is that volunteers contributed over 1,500 hours to this work!

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• I want to thank Sarah Tatro, who engraved hundreds of dedications into chairs, kneelers, and other dedicatory markers.

• I want to thank the chairs of the Building, Grounds, and Technology Committee during these last five years – Jodi Dalton, Jeremy Teeple, and Olga Ruff – as well as their committee members. The stress and complexity was tremendous, yet they stayed patient, unified, and focused. We couldn’t have done it without them.

• I want to thank our Treasurer, Bill Evans, who did far more than monitor our church finances. He was an assistant chancellor, contract negotiator, and project manager.

It is hard to state how important Bill’s leadership has been the past several years.

• I want to thank our Director of Operations, Bracken Reece, who managed all the vendors and oversaw every step of the work. Bracken’s encyclopedic knowledge of building maintenance helped us consistently make good decisions, resulting in our ability to stay on budget.

• And I want to thank my several recent Senior Wardens – Mike Mignardi, Mat Thekkil, Peggy Kwoka, Mark Ramsay, Julia Trizzino, and Oliver Cone – who led the way to our success. You were steady, faithful, and wise, and your crowns have earned many jewels in heaven!

I’ll long remember the joy of our blessing and dedication on March 2, but I’ll also long remember the grace and patience everyone showed during our nine months in Roper Hall.

The entire experience was a beautiful testament to the Spirit’s presence among us, and it showed that we are far more than a beautiful building; we are a beautiful community.

A Change in Bishops

Last year the Diocese of Dallas elected the Very Rev. Robert Price as Bishop Coadjutor. He was ordained in September and enthroned this January. Bishop Price has declared his intention to lead all the churches of the diocese, including our own, which meant that in December we said goodbye to Bishop Wayne Smith, who 6

had been appointed by Bishop Sumner to lead us since 2018 (in response to the actions of General Convention and our unwavering desire to offer same-sex marriage). The farewell to Bishop Smith was filled with gratitude and love, for his ministry with us has been a blessing beyond measure. He marched with us in the Pride Parade, shared a trench with us in COVID, confirmed the faithful, preached the gospel, and loved us like a true pastor. Now, we look to a new chapter with a new bishop, and it is a moment of hope and opportunity to be more fully one as a diocese.

Guns to Gardens

2025 was a year of prophets. During the summer, the clergy preached our way through some of the “greatest hits” of the Hebrew prophets. Given the social and political unrest of our day, when there is too much abuse of the poor and powerless by the rich and powerful, and vice is often packaged and peddled to us as virtue, the prophets feel especially relevant. In Advent, we returned again to the prophets, who point us not only toward the messiah’s birth but also toward the messiah’s way.

In September, in one of the highlights of my life, the words of the prophets came to life.

Inspired by Micah 4:1-5 and Isaiah 2:1-5, and working with over a dozen other congregations and community partners, most notably Raw Tools South, we sought to turn a few modern day swords into plowshares. At an event called “Guns to Gardens,” owners of unwanted firearms were invited to bring them to our campus, where trained volunteers carefully received, inspected, and dismantled them using chop saws. Metal gun parts were then fed into a forge operated by volunteers from the North Texas Blacksmith Association and converted into garden tools.

Between our Dallas event and a tandem event in Fort Worth, we dismantled 85 guns, including nearly 40 semi-automatics and five assault rifles.

There is nothing like the feeling of a beautiful vision from Scripture coming to life before your eyes. It is the hope of the event leaders, of which I am a proud member, to offer these events several times a year in various neighborhoods of the Metroplex. For the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: it starts very small,

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

almost unnoticeable, but grows into something magnificent in which creatures of all kinds can dwell in safety and peace.

Speaking of Gardens

The tools made at our Guns to Gardens event won’t sit on the shelf, either. This past year our gardening ministry really took off. A team of over 20 dedicated volunteers now maintains several large flower beds around our campus, several of which exclusively feature Texas native plants. The idea for these gardens took shape during our first congregational pilgrimage to Mexico in 2023 to witness the over-wintering monarch butterflies, and last year the dream took a huge step forward. Our campus is now a beautiful haven for pollinators of all kinds (we are designated as an official Monarch Waystation!), and because of our focus on Texas natives, these gardens are environmentally sustainable. When the weather warms, take the teaching of our Lord to heart (Matthew 6:27-29): sit on a bench or stone near one of these garden beds and gaze upon the fair beauty of the Lord in flowered and winged form.

Living Our Baptism

In our Baptismal Covenant, we commit to seek and serve Christ in all persons, love our neighbors as ourselves, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. Lofty promises, but with God’s help, last year we poured ourselves out in pursuit of them. Each month we provide a week’s worth of groceries to nearly 60 families.

Each month we offer dinner to 450 men and women at Austin Street Center, and another 100 at St. Jude’s Center. Day by day, our Little Free Pantry offers food and toiletries to anyone in need. Meanwhile, our Clothes Horse sends huge bags of clothes to several local partners every month, our Men’s Fellowship regularly visits Genesis Women’s Shelter to cook for the women and children, our Immigration Ministry helps migrant neighbors know their rights, and dozens of volunteers spend many Saturdays each year building ramps for the disabled.

Toward the end of the year, to grow our gospelwitness farther, Transfiguration joined Dallas Area Interfaith. DAI is an organization of over 40 diverse congregations, schools, non-profits, and unions that work together for the common good.

We will share in their efforts to pursue solutions to important local issues like immigration, education, and affordable housing. I can’t wait to see the good we can do together this next year.

Farewells, Welcomes, and Proud Moments

Last summer, we said goodbye to our beloved Director of Youth Ministries, Delynda Moravec.

Delynda and her husband, Kip, had been part of the Fig family for nearly 20 years, but they were ready to begin a new chapter in Michigan.

Thankfully, we were blessed to welcome a parishioner, Bailey Roberts, to the helm of our amazing youth ministry, and things are not skipping a beat.

Meanwhile, in the fall Fr. Ted Clarkson accepted a call to serve as Vicar of the Cathedral of St. Peter in St. Petersburg, Florida, and we bid farewell on All Saints Sunday. Ted and his husband, Mikey, have been extremely important to our parish for almost 20 years, serving in the choir, vestry, rector search committee, Transfigured Nights, The Way, and NeXtGen – all before Ted was ever ordained and joined the staff! It is hard to say goodbye to such wonderful people, but we’re proud to see what they do in their new home. Thankfully, we were able to hire Mtr. Maddie Hill as an interim associate, and she is a great blessing to us already.

During the year, we also had the privilege of sponsoring Lynn Walters for the diaconate and Danielle Shroyer for the priesthood. Both will begin their studies toward ordination this coming fall. Susie Rodriguez is now nearly finished with her education toward ordination, and will (God willing) be ordained deacon this summer. And three of our own, Dana Jean, Michael Sturdy, and Mark Witte, were ordained to the priesthood this past year. It is an amazing thing to raise up leaders for the Church!

Growing Giving

Our stewardship goal in the fall was audacious.

We sought to grow our giving by 25%, in order to keep up with the rapid growth of expenses in recent years. Simply maintaining the very same operation – staff and budgets – goes up by over 5% every year. This is the product of escalating insurance costs (property and health) and the need to match staff compensation to

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inflation. For the past several years we’ve run deficit budgets, which the Vestry has been able to cover from a handful of reserves and other sources. But this year, we wanted to name the real number and shoot for it: to properly fund our church based on pledges, we would need to grow giving significantly.

The good news is that we had a record campaign. To date, we’ve received commitments for $2.26 million, up from $2.13 million last year. Of our 433 pledging households, 58 are new and 236 increased their giving. Our mean pledge has grown to $5,200 and our median pledge is $3,000, reminding us once again that we don’t rely on a few big givers, but on the sacrificial generosity of everyone who calls our church home.

The hard news is that 6% growth falls short of our goal, which means that we will once again depend on alternative sources to fully fund our church. The Vestry will be forced to dip into its restricted reserves, and we’ll need the help of some of our grant-giving ministries like St. Hilda’s, Transfigured Nights, and the Men’s Fellowship. We can do this, but we can only kick the proverbial can for so long.

Perhaps it’s time to make cuts, some say. Maybe it’s time we reduce our budget and run a smaller ship. Okay, and what would we cut? Reduce clergy, program staff, or musicians? Are we

ready for less worship, pastoral care, formation, and programs, too? Should we cut our maintenance budget, after all the work we’ve done to take better care of our campus? Should we cut our administrative team, which handles all our finances with impressive excellence?

Should we cut outreach, and stop supporting the wider community?

Our mission is too important to go backward as a church. Our witness to a compassionate, inclusive Lord is too vital for us to lose our momentum. A strong Transfiguration means more goodness, mercy, and love poured into the world, and what else do we exist for if not to offer those things in an abundance to our troubled and changing world.

Seeking to Grow

Last year I announced our major new goal to grow. The time is past when it was enough to be a pretty church with a school on a hill and people would come. Times are changing, and the claims of the gospel we proclaim are more important than ever. We need to look outward to a hungry world and reach out to it with the bread we have to share. There is plenty of angry, judgmental, and compassionless religion posing as Christianity out there. What there isn’t enough of is loving Christianity, Beatitudes Christianity, Christlike Christianity. Which is why we need to grow.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

In keeping with the trend since 2021, attendance at weekend worship crept up again this past year: from 464 in 2023 to 476 in 2024 to 486 this past year. This doesn’t take into account the rapid growth of online participation: YouTube viewership nearly doubled last year, along with listenership to our sermon podcast. More people than ever are participating digitally, which is exciting, but our hope is to transition online participation to in-person forms, for Christian community is best experienced together.

Staying on the Way

The arrival of a new year has already brought more of the pains of the last. The rule of law in our country is being actively eroded, leaders are unafraid to lie and unashamed of their corruption, government forces are brutally occupying American cities, law-abiding migrants are being violently detained and deported, and billionaires in positions of power are gleefully slashing programs for the poorest and most vulnerable. It feels like our nation is unmoored and floating from shore, and I’m afraid that we may clear the horizon and forget how to return.

In the midst of it all, as Christians, we know what is ours to do: we are light-bearers, saltshakers, yeast in the dough. That’s what Christ asks of us: to follow his example and love like he loves. To keep standing up for what is good and true and beautiful, day after day, in small moments as well as big. Even when the powers and principalities are arrayed against us and we have no tools to fight with but compassion and mercy. For “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are (1 Cor 1:27-38).” We mustn’t grow resigned to the evils we see, but allow the Spirit to provoke toward justice and peace. Seeking and serving Christ in all persons has never been easy or comfortable, but the costs of such a mission may get harder still. So keep praying, friends, asking the Lord for grace to continue our mission, come what may, not only with our lips, but in our lives.

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Membership In 2025 Transfiguration welcomed

80

New Members

53

Youth Formation Participants

107

Children’s Formation Participants

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Newly Baptized

24

Confirmations, Receptions, and Reaffirmations

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

New Members Cynthia Anson Ashley & Austin Ariail Elena Ariail Sloane Ariail Bob & Susan Arnold Betty Ann Bonneau Hannah Boone Erika & Philip Bower Liliana Bower Philip Bower Alice Bryan Quinn Carter David Call Domingo Castillo Barbara Churchman Barbara & Don Collins Scott Colson

Chace & L’Nae Craig Lucy Craig Jack Craig Liz Daniel Oz Edwards Brian & Sherry Fuerst Owen Graber Brenda Hemphill Greg Hemphill Adam Hinshaw & Ann Montgomery Joan Hinshaw Terry Hopkins Brianna Hutcherson & Zadie Rankin Lauren & Mitchell Judge Clementine Judge Louisa Judge William Kent

Amay Lakhankar Lee Lavergne Greg & Amy Luyckx Oliver Luyckx Katie Manning Denise Marshall Hailey Marshall Lois Melkonian Carol Miller Linda Mitchell-Thorpe Carol Montgomery Josh Moon Eric Mueller Connie Murray Eva Nieto Todd Norwood Sally Oppel

Mary Ellen & Douglas Peter Art Raymond Joseph Rebagliati Dee & John Rush Becky Sans Hannah Schwab Ky Scott Carla & Rudy Siegesmund Jennifer & Mark Smith Roger Starnes Wesley Strother Abigail Strother Marcy & Ben Tripp Quinn Tripp

Faithful Departed Kathi Bearden George Bienfang Bob Brewster Paul Desrochers The Rev. Amy Heller

Nora Henson Eloise Jackson Charles Johnson Luke Luquire Vivian Manthe

Bill Mercer Greg Rickard J.J. Rodriguez Jeff Rollings Sharon Willey

Samantha Lynn Hintz William Hittson Kent Darrell Wayne Raley, Sr. Joshua Thomas Moon,

Amanda RaeLynn Morreale Lucca Tarango-Taylor

Baptisms Elizabeth Perry Alkek Quinn Scott Carter Ezra James Andrew Fierbaugh Eva Catherine Nieto Hale

Marriages John Palmer & Langford Keith Jessica Wedge & Ryan Williams

Sean Norton & Jerry Garner Taryn deBruyn & Alexander Krenek

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Staff Reports

Senior Associate Rector’s Report by the Rev. Rebecca Tankersley What a joy it is to serve among you here at Transfiguration! My ministry with you is all about love; for I oversee Outreach (loving our neighbors in need) and Pastoral Care (loving all of you).

Outreach The 2025 outreach year was among our best! We began by sharing new bath towels with our partner agencies to equip them to welcome new clients. On Ingathering Sunday, we came together as a parish and packed toiletry bags for Austin Street, St. Jude, Our Friends’ Place, and Genesis, further supporting the dignity of each of their clients. We now serve meals monthly at both St. Jude and Austin Street. In the pages that follow, you will find a full report of all our Outreach activities during the year. Join us in 2026 as we continue to seek and serve Christ by extending our arms of love into our community.

Pastoral Care Every Tuesday morning, your clergy meet together to share pastoral concerns of our members and to lift those concerns in prayer. We value this time together at the beginning of the week to ensure we reach out to those who are sick, struggling, or alone. It is my joy to serve along-side our Eucharistic Visitors, Stephen Ministers, and Daughters of the King as we care for our members in need.

In 2025, our team of 20 Eucharistic Visitors shared Holy Eucharist with over 40 people who were unable to worship with us here at the church. This year, our Stephen Ministers, who are trained to provide one-to-one care to those experiencing spiritual challenges, continue to make themselves available as needed. Our pastoral care ministries are further supported by our Daughters of the King and Prayer Chain, each of which has over 50 members who regularly pray for the special needs and concerns of our members. I am grateful for the ministry of Pastor JoNell Lindh, who joined our staff as Pastoral Care Assistant this year. I am also deeply grateful for the many, many lay leaders who serve in our pastoral care ministries, without whom I would be lost.

During 2025, we held funeral services for 19 people. I am grateful to our active and retired clergy, as well as to our Altar Guild, Flower Guild, and Funeral Reception Committee, for their compassionate care of families and friends who lost loved ones this year. As has become our custom, this past December we held a Healing Service, in which we made space for those experiencing a less-than-joyful Advent and Christmas to worship together in the midst of grief and tumult.

Special Thanks This report would not be complete without taking a moment to express my gratitude to all of you for the many ways in which you support Transfiguration’s clergy and staff, most especially through your generosity in support of the clergy Ministry Fund. We see an ever-increasing number of individuals who come to us alone, in need, and without access to help. Your gifts equip us to respond with food, utility assistance, and other urgent concerns.

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Administration by Cathleen Dolt The Business, Finance, and Administration staff serves God and the Parish by overseeing the church’s financial and administrative operations with transparency, accountability, and prayerful stewardship. To maximize tax benefits for our donors, during 2025, we facilitated a dozen stock transfers and a significant number of QCD’s (Qualified Charitable Distributions). We also invested our operating and restricted funds in a variety of CDs and money market instruments to maximize the church’s interest income.

Our team also renegotiated several contracts – for our copiers, our dumpster and internet services, and space usage, at favorable terms. If you have any questions about giving, our finances, or our administrative practices, please reach out to Cathleen Dolt at cdolt@transfiguration.net or 972.233.1898 ext. 230.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Adult Formation by the Rev. Maddie Hill The formation of Christians is lifelong. We don’t “graduate” from Christian education when we leave grade school or are confirmed, nor is there ever a point in our lives when have learned all we need to know about life with God. The command to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind is one pursue until we enter God’s nearer presence at death. Transfiguration conducts a wide range of classes and special programs to form the faith of our community, drawing on the wisdom and knowledge of many teachers. In early 2025 we conducted the following: The Gospel of John – a survey of the fourth gospel led by Mtr. Rebecca Episcopal Church History, Considered – a survey of church history led by Fr. Ted Pray Big Things – Figs with Kids explored prayer practices using a book by this name The Way - The Way met on Sunday mornings in 2024-25, and Fr. Casey led the winter/spring classes on the nature of God and how we are saved During Lent we explored the intersection of art and faith in a class called “Images of the Invisible God.” On Sundays we looked at the ways Jesus has been depicted throughout the centuries, in our Wednesday Eucharists the homilies explored different aspects of Rublev’s famous icon of the Trinity, and in our Wednesday program we welcomed a series of presenters such as Dr. Heidi Hornik, Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at Baylor University, Fr. Eric Hollas, prior of Saint John’s Abbey, and Kelly Lattimore, a modern iconographer.

In Eastertide, the clergy led an engaging and well-attended class looking at the Gospel according to Les Misérables, both in Hugo’s original novel and the beloved Broadway musical.

In the fall we offered several choices once again: Letters of Paul: Philippians & Ephesians – a survey of these letters led by Mtr. Rebecca Grace in Action – Fr. Casey led a class on practicing grace in a graceless world Practical Mysticism – Fr. Ted explored some of the great mystics of Christian history Bowling Alone: Faith, Community, and Seeking Commonality – Figs with Kids discussed isolation and community using the book by Robert Putnam.

In Advent, we brought everyone together to consider the prophets. Throughout history, the prophets helped the people of God hold onto hope and look for salvation. The parish clergy were joined by several excellent guests, including Rabbi Andrew Paley, Danielle Shroyer, Parish Episcopal School chaplains and religion teachers, and our esteemed retired clergy, to reflect on these powerful truth-tellers and pointers toward the inbreaking of the kingdom.

Such rich offerings are not possible without the contributions of many, notably our Companions in The Way. Special recognition is also owed to Fr. Ted Clarkson, who skillfully led our adult formation for the last several years and left our staff in November. His passion for Christian education left a beautiful mark on our church, and did much to strengthen the faith of our community.

Children’s Ministries by Allison Blalock It has been a joy and pleasure to enter my fifth year with the children and families of Transfiguration. Children’s Ministries’ serves children from birth to fifth grade and we work to grow and encourage a spiritual life in children in partnership with their parents. Children are introduced to God’s love through worship, prayer, story, play, service, and outreach.

We begin Sunday mornings offering an interactive age-appropriate chapel service for children ages four through first grade to help children experience Scripture, prayer, and worship in ways they understand and enjoy. We offer a Montessori curriculum, Godly Play and Wee Wonder, during our Sunday School hour. Children experience a nurturing play-based environment in which they learn, grow, and belong. Professional childcare is provided during our Sunday worship services and the Sunday School hour. We also depend on the service of adult volunteers to lead our five Godly Play classrooms.

In addition to our Sunday offerings, our children are ministered to through: “Figlet” bags, blessing of the backpacks, third grade Bibles, sacramental preparation, Advent Festival, our Christmas pageant, a Lenten series, an immersive Passion experience and interactive Stations of the Cross, age-appropriate worship services during Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter, a weeklong Vacation Bible School, and opportunities to serve in a variety of ministries within our parish as lectors, acolytes, and choir members. There are also outreach opportunities, especially by our Impact Kids (4th & 5th graders).

This past year the children’s wing underwent important renovations that included new countertops, fresh paint, refinishing cabinetry, and new sinks in each classroom. The hallway was repainted, and new lighting was added to brighten it. In 2025, Children’s Ministries outreach projects were in service to Our Friends Place, Austin Street Center, and our Little Free Pantry.

We celebrate the spiritual interest we see in our children and their love for God. We are blessed by our many parents who take seriously their role in nurturing faith in their children. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to watch your children learn and grow as Christians.

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Congregational Life by Gabby Guion “With mortals this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).” This seemed to be the prevailing theme in 2025. The parish was getting acclimated to worship services in Roper Hall and the temporary chapel in the library, but dreams of moving back into the Nave for Christmas were thwarted by unforeseen delays. Patience was the order of the day.

With the help of hundreds of dedicated volunteers and helmed by our tireless staff, the church did indeed open and we celebrated the grand dedication and blessing on March 2. Over 600 parishioners and guests attended, followed by a joyous reception!

All things are possible with God. A brief review of year 2025 includes a dramatic burning of the greens on a bitterly cold and windy evening on Epiphany; a memorable full immersion baptism at the Table service, when Ezra was marked as Christ’s own forever; ministry meetings and Fig parties in February; exploring art and images of God in Lent; hosting the Bishop Election Walk-About for hundreds of people from all over the diocese; a joyful Easter with full services in our beautiful sanctuary.

We didn’t stop there, May continued with more dedications and receptions! The Drotman fountain and Diggs butterfly garden were blessed and are maintained by the now very busy gardening ministry. We added a new ministry to continue the pastoral work of George Bienfang, our beloved birthday caller, who passed away February. It may seem small, but getting a call to wish you a “happy birthday” from a person who cares about you is just about the most Christian thing you can do. June did not slow down, as we had the massively successful Fish Fry, Vacation Bible School, and we welcomed many newcomers! July was a time for our Figs with Kids ministry to get fired up and grow connections between families with children.

In August we tried something new and had a Ministry Fair Open House over two weekends.

Everyone had fun touring the campus and learning the behind-the-scenes activity that make this church work. September brought new formation classes, more Fig parties, and multiple outreach activities. October began stewardship season and the theme this year was “The Power of We,” which is what the whole year felt like! There is something happening at Transfiguration every single day, and you are making it happen!

We ended October with our big parish celebration, Figfest. November was bittersweet, as we honored all the parishioners who have died, and in particular, those in 2025. These faithful people helped build a foundation of service and love of our neighbor that continues today.

More sad news as we said “farewell” to Father Ted as he was called to a church in Florida.

Additionally, we kirked brand new tartans that were sponsored by our wonderful EMF team!

December was here in no time. The Advent festival focused on the prophets and our mascot Homer roamed around the church and posted his adventures on Instagram. Preparations were underway for Advent and Christmas when the terrible news of the death of Mother Amy Heller. Her funeral was wrenching. Hundreds arrived to honor this remarkable woman and priest.

We ended 2025 with a beautiful and Holy Christmas. As Father Ted wrote in his last sermon “I love you, Transfiguration.” Continue to Pray for Peace on this Earth as we begin 2026!

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Communications by TJ McCoy In 2025, the Transfiguration community united to embrace the Power of We. Hundreds of heartfelt messages filled the Gathering Space with inspiring examples of God’s grace at The Fig. It was truly moving to witness our ministries’ growth and transformation, ensuring a warm welcome for future generations of visitors and members.

The Communications Department contributed by overhauling and relaunching our website to make it easier for new visitors to learn about us. We also implemented technical improvements to streamline site maintenance and content management. Al Blackwell played a key role in promoting the adoption of Realm, our church’s internal communications tool for ministry groups and members. There are currently 703 active users now regularly signing-in to Realm.

We partnered with BGT, external technology and A/V consultants, and our Sound Tech ministry to significantly expand our livestreaming and audio capabilities across campus. We now offer amplified sound in the Memorial Garden, Parlor Courtyard, and Belltower areas, along with enhanced support for individuals with impaired hearing.

Brittani Houghtlen-Smith’s expertise in marketing and content creation has been invaluable.

She helped us repackage sermons and expand our social media presence by editing sermon clips and providing strategies to grow our online following. As a result, our YouTube channel views increased by 280% year over year, reaching 52,000 views. Our subscriber base grew by 196, totaling 828. Currently, only 50.2% of our viewers are subscribers, which means we’ve made great strides, but still have room to grow.

We also publish sermons to our Podcasting channels, which have reached 2300 listeners across 25 podcasting platforms. Our top platforms were Apple Podcast, the Podbean App, and Spotify.

We extend heartfelt gratitude to our talented members, Robert Hacker and John Makowski, whose dedication and skill brought our events to life through their stunning photography. We also thank Richard Hill for beautifully documenting our Guns to Gardens event and the church dedication. A special note of appreciation goes to Michael Durance and the Fig Tech team for their patience and support in helping our ministries utilize new technologies across our campus.

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Music Ministries by Joel Martinson Choir Return to the Gallery!

The choirs have enjoyed their return to the gallery of the renovated church and the ability to have several groups sing for any given service and be accompanied by our magnificent organ.

Highlights for the Transfiguration Choir include the Dedication Sunday in early March, Holy Week, the Fauré Requiem for All Souls’ Day, Advent Lessons and Carols with the St. Thomas the Apostle and Ascension Choirs, and our Christmas liturgies.

Younger Choirs & Bella Musica Kimberley and Chris Ahrens continue their important work in the formation of the Holy Family, Canticle and Youth Choirs. We are delighted that the two young choirs – Holy Family and Canticle – had increased membership this fall. Two strong singers graduated from high school last spring, leaving the Youth Choir smaller, but able to produce beautiful music. The Bella Musica Handbell Choir was able to play several times in the second half of the year with one new member and veteran bell ringers from the Transfiguration Choir.

Fifteenth Anniversary of the Godwin Organ Organ recitals by Daryl Robinson in May and Katelyn Emerson in October celebrated fifteen years with the J.D. Godwin Organ — Richards, Fowkes & Co.’s Opus 17. I also gave an organ demonstration for the Young Adults Fellowship in the fall. We will plan more of these opportunities during the coming summer.

“New” Harpsichord In June we borrowed a beautiful harpsichord from Joyce Patton, a friend and neighbor of Transfiguration. It was built in the French manner in 1980 by the William Dowd shop of Boston. After using the instrument with various forces during the summer and fall, and having it evaluated by three former and current harpsichord teachers from UNT, it became apparent that purchasing this instrument for the church would be very worthwhile. A gift from Susie Higgins-Rodriguez in memory of her late husband JJ Rodriguez made this possible.

Music Fund of the Church of the Transfiguration Endowment As was the case in 2024, the entire 2025 Music Fund spend was submitted to and approved by the Endowment Trustees to underwrite our sixth section leader for the first half of 2026.

We are planning to do the same with next year’s spend to complete funding the position through the end of the year. Though it is not the intent of the Music Fund to pay parish staff members, the Music Fund and Endowment committees have been willing to do this during our tight budgetary situation.

Goals for 2026 • Have the Godwin organ serviced by a team from the Richards, Fowkes shop, now that the dust has settled from the renovation project.

• Resume the choir recording project.

• Record my compositions for organ and instruments.

• Continue work evaluating choral scores currently a part of the music library in order to provide space for purchases of new music.

Youth Ministries by Bailey Roberts 2025 was an exciting year for the Youth Ministry. I am so privileged to have begun working with this dynamic group of youth and the leadership and energy they bring to our parish. My mission for this ministry is to provide a space where the youth can be their authentic selves, wrestle with and mature in their faith in an environment that supports them and honors all their questions, big and small.

Sunday formation classes began in September led by me and four other teachers. Last year we began the Journey to Adulthood curriculum, covering topics such as respecting ourselves and others, what it means to love our neighbor and our enemy, and a reflection on what privileges we may have and how they are used in the world.

During Advent, the middle school class took a dive into the prophets alongside the parish, while the high schoolers chose to explore the Book of Job. Before jumping into sometimes heavy conversations, the group joins together for a session of “good and get betters” where they can reflect on their week.

Crossover is a wonderfully energetic mid-week experience on Wednesday evenings, when we gather to share a meal, engage in conversation, and reflect on our theme for the year: “Guided by the Spirit” (inspired by Galatians 5:25). The theme encompasses the lessons we can learn from great Christian minds both past and present. We started and ended the year with C.S. Lewis.

While Crossover is always energetic, the evening caps off with Evening Prayer and music lead by our Chaplains Izzy Shobe, Hill Liles, and honorary Chaplain, Oliver McCoy. This past year we had an average of 22 youth at Crossover, with 36 youth on the highest attended Wednesday!

We are blessed by the leadership of our Youth Council. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes during our monthly meetings and random check ins, which makes the magic of this ministry possible; my right hands, Presidents Nathaniel Dick and Evan McCoy, Chaplains Izzy Shobe and Hill Liles, Outreach Chair Ben Philyaw and committee (Eloise Lowrance, Jack Cook, Fin Moore), Event Chair Naomi Dick and committee (Olivia Melendez, Brennan Fisk, Max Robb), Communication Chairs Maisie Harms and Madalyn Meyers, and Eighth Grade Representative Will Spicer. Their leadership deserves recognition, for they are leaders both in and outside the church. I am very much looking forward to the exciting things ahead.

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Vestry Reports

Senior Warden’s Report by Mike Mignardi About me While I’ve held many leadership positions in my 30+ years in the corporate world, my role as Sr. Warden was by far the most meaningful and rewarding. For many years, I attended church as a “consumer,” just being a church member. I now realize that membership in a church is not like other organizations; church membership means ministry and service. I eventually moved into several “contributing” roles: greeter, usher, Eucharistic minister, and sound technician. After serving on the Chapel and Capital Discernment Committees, I then served on the Buildings, Grounds, and Technology Committee (BGT) and joined the Vestry in 2023.

The Vestry Retreat – Our 2025 Goals The Vestry and Staff kicked off 2025 with a local retreat at SMU’s Bridwell Library. Our primary theme was “how to grow the church – an era, not a year.” We established eight goals for the year with four goals focused on growth, two on finance, one on a new gift policy, and one more about security. This past year the Vestry addressed and/or completed seven of the eight goals.

The Vestry showed exceptional leadership and actively engaged in our committees, ministries, church services, and a wide range of volunteer activities, making my role so enjoyable. The best part of being a Sr. Warden is getting to know the clergy and staff better – they are an amazing, talented, and dedicated group. Finally, I greatly appreciated the support and commitment from our Jr. Warden Elaine Sweet.

Additional Vestry Accomplishments After an extensive nine-month capital campaign project for the Church and Sacristy, we had a joyous dedication ceremony in March, which included the consecration of Holy Cross Chapel. In early May, we similarly dedicated the Bell Tower garden, courtyard, and fountain. The Budget, Finance, and Administration Committee skillfully managed our annual budget, and also took on the heroic task of updating our Policies and Procedures manual. BGT’s focus throughout the year involved the construction punch list, plus several other important projects to enhance our campus’ beauty and function. The Mission, Ministries, and Connections Committee managed most of our growth initiatives, with a strong focus on welcoming newcomers, planned big events like Fig Fest and Sharing our Faith Dinners, and updated all ministry information in Realm.

Closing Remarks I would strongly encourage each of you to get more involved with our church. Serve at Mass, volunteer with one of our many ministries, help out at an event, or join a committee.

Becoming a contributor in our church will change you. It did for me.

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Budget, Finance & Administration

by Brett Vanderbrook The Vestry’s Budget, Finance & Administration Committee (BFA) supports the church’s mission by monitoring and advising on all financial and administrative matters relating to church business. BFA develops the annual budget for approval by the Vestry and reports monthly on the church’s financial position relative to the budget and activity in restricted, ministry, and investment accounts. BFA liaises with the Transfiguration Endowment trustees, facilitating communications and cooperation between the Endowment and the Vestry.

This year, Christy Jump served as the Endowment liaison. This year’s committee was chaired by Brett Vanderbrook and Lindsey Murphy, who extend many thanks to this year’s committee: Ann Peak, Cathy Anwyl, Lauren Bendiksen, Elaine Sweet, Mike Mignardi, Nancy Korman, Cathleen Dolt, Bill Evans, and Robin Caldwell.

BFA continuously reviewed the budget throughout the year, created procedures for the church, and completed the monumental task of reviewing and updating our parish’s Policies and Procedures document.

BFA also exercises oversight of the Nominating Committee for open Vestry positions and our Diocesan Convention delegation. The 2025 Nominating Committee was well-chaired by Lindsey Murphy, who led the committee and the voting. The following recommended slate for Vestry was approved: Babs DeLizza, Chris Dick, Sam Jackson, and Jan Waller. Also elected by the parish was our 2026 Diocesan Convention delegation: Benjamin Bledsoe, Jeff Button, Fred Ellis, Brooke Grona-Robb, David Reece, and Julia Trizzino. Many thanks to the Nominating Committee for their hard work: Mark Ramsey, Allison Murphy, Barbara Geiter, Nancy Jagmin, and Libby Nicodemus.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Building, Grounds, and Technology

by Olga Ruff The Building, Grounds, and Technology Committee is responsible for stewarding the church’s physical assets and facilities. Working closely with church staff, the committee supervises the repair and maintenance of church property and its technology systems.

Additionally, it manages and documents the fiduciary responsibilities related to the Capital Campaign Sustainability Fund.

The renovation of the church and the construction of the new sacristy were substantially complete as 2025 began. However, as is common for projects of this size, the final phase, which continued through December, was dedicated to resolving a lengthy “Punch List.”

In the Nave, several elements were installed: custom pews, hand-altered needlepoint kneelers, bespoke lighting, and a dedicated chapel. A state-of-the-art audiovisual system was installed that includes our outdoor spaces. A hearing assistance system was added to help worshipers with hearing impairments. The entirety of this effort is intended to enrich and beautify our worship space and services.

Although newly constructed, the Sacristy required creative solutions for additional storage needs.

A generous memorial gift funded the new furnishings, including window treatments, rugs, seating, tables, desks, and a historical photo gallery.

The past year saw significant advancements in our technology infrastructure. We successfully launched a new website. We improved network efficiency by decommissioning two outdated servers and integrating their functions into a single new PDC server. Furthermore, VLAN Re-Subnetting was completed, increasing IP address availability. To enhance ministry operations, we implemented “Clickshare” in the Parlor and conducted technology and Realm training sessions for parishioners.

Our parishioners’ extraordinary generosity, along with the commitment of former BGT chairs and past capital campaign leaders, is the reason for these successes. A key objective of the Capital Campaign was to raise $3 million to address long-term capital needs (which are separate from the operating budget). We are pleased to report that this goal has been achieved. A total of $3.18 million has so-far been secured: $1.97 million has been transferred to the Endowment Infrastructure Fund (managed by the Endowment), with $1.2 million remaining in the Capital Campaign restricted account.

In closing, BGT and I wish to express our deepest gratitude to Bracken Reece, Director of Operations. His expertise, talent, and tireless dedication are absolutely essential to the successful management of all our projects and the smooth operation of our church. We are truly blessed to have him and his staff.

BGT completed other critical projects in 2026, too: modernizing the childcare wing, backlighting the transept stained glass, and retrofitting the new chandeliers for easier maintenance. We oversaw maintenance of the exterior of church buildings, including roof repairs, painting, and weatherproofing, as well as stained-glass window repair and preservation. Church security was enhanced with a new, innovative digital surveillance and door system. And we approved some new perimeter security, requested and funded by Parish Episcopal School: a retractable gate at Hillcrest Road and new exterior fencing along the north side of our parking lot.

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Mission, Ministry, and Connections Committee by Alyson Thompson The Mission, Ministry and Connections Committee (MMC) exists to enrich parish member engagement by strengthening our ministries, supporting outreach and fellowship efforts in our community, and integrating newcomers into the life of the parish. This past year, we were dedicated to the Vestry’s overarching goal to grow our church, and we embraced the invitation to expand our witness beyond our walls and strengthen the ways we connect newcomers to our mission and ministries.

Much appreciation is extended to Bill Edwards and Jan Waller in their warm welcome of newcomers. Thanks to Lynn Walters, we supported all ministries in rewriting their purpose statements and publishing them in Realm, along with updated ministry leader contact information. We volunteered and helped plan for several parish-wide events, including the Church Dedication Reception in March, the Walkabout for the Bishop Coadjutor Election in April, the Pride Festival and Parade in June, several newcomer gatherings, a multi-week Ministry Open House in August, and Fig Fest in October. Special thanks to Christy Jump for her service at these

events. In November, Julian Garza led the firstever “Sharing our Faith Dinners” in partnership with our sister churches, St. Thomas the Apostle and Ascension. We hope this will become a new tradition. During the year, we also explored the creation of a Pride ministry and a holiday bazaar to support outreach.

In the fall, under the leadership of Sara Ivey, we collaborated to create several new Sharing our Stories videos featuring interviews with our beloved “sages,” Frs. Roper, Godwin, and Merriman. This was an effort to capture important stories about the first ordinations of women in our diocese, Transfiguration’s history as an inclusive and affirming church, and the revisions of The Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal. These videos debuted in an adult formation series in January to great acclaim.

MMC extends tremendous gratitude to Gabby Guion, our staff liaison and Minister for Congregational Life, for her joy, creativity, dedication, and wisdom. Thanks also to our new MMC leaders and members who will help keep everything going in 2026 and beyond!

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Financial Reports

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Endowment Fund

by Board of Trustees, Transfiguration Endowment Bill Keslar, Chair 2024-2025 The Transfiguration Endowment Fund receives and manages gifts and legacies for the longterm benefit of the Church and to further its ministries. It is managed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Vestry. The Endowment is divided into six sub-funds. Outreach, Youth, and Music support respective ministries; the Rodgers Seminarian Fund supports Transfiguration members at seminary; the Infrastructure Capital Fund invests capital campaign receipts for long-term infrastructure needs; the Legacy Fund supports diverse Church projects and ministries that cannot be supported within the constraints of our annual operating budget.

During 2025, funds under management increased from $3,622,665 to $4,496,863. The increase was due to a good year for investment growth and contributions, especially significant to the Infrastructure Capital sub-fund and the Seminarian support sub-fund.

Eleven grants totaling $68,320 were approved in 2025. These grants helped to fund completion of the bell tower space, kitchen storage, installation of ADA-compliant doors, table replacement, music ministry support, three outreach ministries recommended by the Outreach committee, upgrades to the Youth center, and tuition support for a seminarian.

Some of this work is still in progress.

Every parishioner family is invited to donate at any time and/or let the Endowment know of your intention to give in the future to support future generations of this parish, as those who preceded us have. This can be done by becoming a member of the Legacy Society, which only asks for a commitment to include the Transfiguration Endowment in your estate plans. Speak with any of the trustees or the church office for more information.

The Endowment Fund retains the Episcopal Church Foundation as the Investment Advisor, which advises many Episcopal dioceses, parishes, and schools. Investments advised by ECF are transacted by State Street Global Advisors, with diversified investments providing a balanced portfolio of 60% to equities and 40% to fixed income. An investment committee of the Board of Trustees monitors investment performance.

I’m grateful to the volunteers who serve on the Board of Trustees. We extend special thanks to retiring Trustees John Caldwell for two terms of service and Travis Adamek. We extend our regret for the recent loss of Trustee Tony de Bruyn.

Annual spending aims to retain the corpus of the Funds while satisfying as many of the church’s special needs as possible. Thus, the ability of Endowment to provide this help more fully requires generous contributions that can seriously impact asset value, thereby increasing the amount available to grant. We express our appreciation for all who have generously contributed to Endowment Funds this past year and added to our ability to extend our mission and ministry.

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Stewardship

$2.258 million

2026 Stewardship Pledges (85% of $2.67M goal) “The Power of We . . . Grace in Action” was our 2026 stewardship theme. This was a campaign not only about raising money, but remembering the transforming power of God’s grace, personally and communally. Throughout the fall we reflected on God’s unearned love for us, and God’s desire that we love like that, too. Grace should flow out from us, blessing the world around us with the goodness of God. The main visual symbol of our campaign was a huge “Boast It Note Wall” around the curved perimeter of the Gathering Space. There we invited everyone to share ways they’ve witnessed grace in action in our community. Hundreds of notes were created, featuring brief accounts of the power of grace in our midst: worship, outreach, fellowship, pastoral care. Those who took time to peruse the wall were blessed by all these examples of God’s love flowing through our community.

The campaign was also an invitation to financially support all that grace in action through financial generosity. The cost of operating our church has grown rapidly in recent years, with year-over-year expenses increasing annually by 5% simply to maintain the same operation. After several years of bridging budget gaps with restricted accounts, the Vestry set a big goal for our campaign: to properly fund our church with pledges, we would need to grow them by 25%. It was a bold, but honest, goal.

The response has been encouraging! As of January 25, we have heard from 433 households who have pledged $2,258,257, up from $2.13M in 2025 and $2.04M in 2024. 58 pledging households are new, and 236 pledges were increases from last year, including 119 that increased their pledge by 20% or more! The mean 2026 pledge is $5,215 (versus $4,983 in 2025 and $4,706 in 2024) and the median pledge is $3,000 (versus $3,300 in 2025 and $3,000 in 2024). Overall, this is a great show of support, and we should celebrate all the acts of sacrificial generosity made by our parish.

We didn’t get to our goal, but we made a positive stride, and if we can make another bigger stride next year, we’ll stay on track.

Pledging is a discipline of discipleship. It helps us commit ourselves to the kind of giving that can grow our faith. The message of Jesus is clear: the more we give away, the closer to God we move.

Pledging is also how our church plans its life. We can only budget on what we have been told we’ll receive, so we depend on these commitments of support. If you have not yet pledged, please call our office or go to our website to do so. To reach our goal for 2026 and ensure we have the funds we need to fulfill our mission it will take everyone who calls our church home.

Many thanks this year to committee members Lupe Ancira, Janet Ballard, Courtney Barrow, Julian Garza, Derek Gerow, Allen Myers, Don Nichols, and Joey Shivers.

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Ministry Reports Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

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Altar Guild

Altar Ministries

by Diana Rawlins 2025 was a year of gratitude for the Altar Guild, as we thank God for our new sacristy and renovated church. It was delightful to serve in the new spacious sacristy with its great lighting, excellent HVAC, hot water, and beautiful counters and cabinetry! 2025 was a busy year for Altar Guild members working and growing together.

We moved all our holy objects – Eucharistic vessels, candles, linens, communion supplies, and vestments – back from the temporary sacristy in a childcare classroom into the new sacristy. We also continued to support Transfiguration’s rich array of worship services – setting up and cleaning up, tending, mending, and preserving. We are grateful to perform our duties in such beautiful spaces, and we look forward to continuing to help our church worship in the beauty of holiness.

2025 Altar Guild Expenses Candles Cleaning Supplies Communion Supplies Holy Water Font Supplies Linens Miscellaneous Vessels Vestment Maintenance 2025 YTD Expenses

$4,433.92 $200.77 $1,546.52 $40.32 $2,986.90 $1,047.15 $691.33 $1,684.00 $12,630.91

Transfiguration Altar Ministries assist clergy with the ceremonial requirements of each kind of church service, ensuring the smooth operation thereof, and facilitating a meaningful worship experience for parishioners.

Eucharistic Ministers (EM) assist with the administration of the chalice during Communion. This ministry is open to all baptized adults. Those interested should please contact Lynn Walters via Realm for more information and training.

Minister of Ceremony (MC) The MC assists the clergy in set up for each service, as well as during the liturgy. Participation in this ministry is at the invitation of the Rector. We now have an older youth MC and have filled several vacancies due to life changes. Anyone interested in serving in this way should have experience as both an adult acolyte and an EM. Please contact either Chip Brownlee or Mtr. Maddie Hill for more information.

The Thurifer carries and swings the thurible in which incense is burned during the Eucharist and other liturgies. Mat Thekkil oversees this ministry, in which three adults were active and two new youth thurifers completed their training.

Adult Acolytes Adult acolytes served at Sunday 11:15 am services as well as holidays and other special services. Notable this year were resuming services in the main church with some minor changes to acolyte duties, and moving into the new sacristy. We especially appreciate the expanded storage for vestments, and a private dressing room. Many thanks to the vestry, building committee, and donors who made the new sacristy possible.

There are currently eighteen acolytes on the active roster, with each serving at about one service per month. Another five are available as substitutes. We lost a few this year due to their moving out of town, and can always use more.

Please contact Mike Rawlins or John Glass at to learn more about this important ministry.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Austin Street Ministry

Daughters of the King

by Matt Harms

by Peggy Kwoka

In 2025, our ministry provided consistent nourishment and fellowship at Austin Street Center every third Wednesday (Jan–Oct and Dec).

We prepared meals for 444 clients, regularly serving nearly 400 individuals each month with a dedicated team of 15–25 volunteers.

The Mary and Martha Chapter of the Daughters of the King had a wonderful year. We continue to live our mission of prayer, service, and evangelism. The Daughters meet monthly, both in person and on Zoom, and meetings include prayer and formation.

The year’s highlight was our Thanksgiving outreach. With the church kitchen renovation complete, we were able to resume our piemaking session with the Figs with Kids group the Saturday before the holiday. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 35 volunteers served an elaborate feast that received extraordinary feedback; several clients remarked it was the “best meal they’d ever had” at ASC.

The order supports clergy and the laity through prayer and service. Within the parish, we began a soup dinner ministry to provide meals to cover pastoral needs identified by the clergy.

We provided the Fig Food Pantry with toilet paper monthly and gave books to the children.

We made palm crosses for Palm Sunday and provided a rosary workshop.

I am deeply grateful to Louise for her vital work coordinating our volunteers, and to Xin-Min and Bart for their consistent leadership, especially during the Thanksgiving meal. Thank you to everyone who served; your presence made a profound difference in the lives of the clients.

Centering Prayer

by Susan Witten Centering Prayer is a daily practice of sitting in silence in the Presence of God. This silence deepens our relationship with God. As Thomas Merton said, “In silence God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience…”

We hope you will join us!

Centering Prayer meets weekly: Thursdays at 11:00am in the Parlor or online and at 4:00pm online.

Our ministry to the wider community included serving dinners to New Friends New Life and St. Jude Center, as well as contributing to the New Friends clothes’ closet.

Daughters of the King bylaws prohibit fundraising, but our members generously provided over $3,766 through meetings and online donations. These funds helped provide for the toilet paper for the Food Pantry, donations to the Clergy Ministry Fund, donations to disaster relief in central Texas (St. Peter’s Texas Flood Assistance), the sponsorship of a new chair in the church, membership scholarships, and annual dues.

This year, our chapter commissioned six new daughters after a three-month discernment class.

We give thanks to outgoing President, Barbara DeLizza, for her dedication to the chapter which provided for significant chapter growth and increased our service to the parish and community.

Special thanks to our officers – Vice President Anne Witte, Secretary Pat Kriska, and Treasurer Olga Ruff – for their hard work and support.

We also thank our chaplain, Mother Rebecca, for her help and support.

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Episcopal Men’s Fellowship

Episcopal Peace Fellowship

by Scott Daniels

by Ron Damholt

The Episcopal Men’s Fellowship is open to all men of the parish. We gather several times a year for dinners and programs, headlined by outstanding speakers. Other activities include the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper, a Wednesday soup supper in Lent, golf tournament, Frisco Rough Riders baseball game, and cooking for the annual Fig Fest. The EMF Silent Auction and Fish Fry in June is the group’s annual highlight.

The 2025 event raised a record amount, $95,420 after expenses, which were given away to a variety of worthy recipients and ministries:

In our baptismal covenant, we have promised to “strive for justice and peace among all people.”

Just as we - the body of Christ - are given many different gifts, this pursuit of justice and peace takes many forms.

Capital Campaign Youth Ministries Children’s Ministries Pride Participation St Peter’s Flood Relief Dallas Hope Charities Special Olympics Parish Events Food Pantry Altar Guild Happy Homes South Africa Genesis Women’s Shelter Roper Hall Kitchen Kirking of Tartans Tartan Storage Box

$50,000 $10,050 $10,050 $1,500 $500 $2,000 $1,000 $2,000 $2,000 $3,000 $2,000 $4,057 $945 $1,714 $300

The EMF Board meets monthly and is always looking for new volunteers who want to help develop its activities and fellowship.

Peace Post provides one avenue for this important task. We meet every month (generally on its first Sunday) to write notes to elected and appointed officials, aiming to influence their positions on justice-related issues. During 2025 we have addressed a wide range of topics including (but surely not limited to) alleviating suffering in war-torn places like Sudan and Palestine, advocating for the humane and supportive treatment of youth in the Texas Criminal Justice System, and supporting the National Wildlife Protection Act. As Shane Claiborne has written, “The peace, according to the prophets, doesn’t begin with the politicians. It begins with the people, who lead the politicians toward that peace.” We invite you to join in this work on behalf of the restorative justice and the peace which we, as followers of Jesus, are called to embody and to enact.

Figs with Kids

by Molly Reid This was our first year as leaders of FWK and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We learned that reaching out to people personally and providing low cost, convenient events was the best means to get participation from families. We hosted a pool party, a shrimp boil, met for lunch once a month at Hillcrest Village, had a mom’s night out and a dad’s night out, visited the Heard Museum, putt-putted, made pies for Austin Street, and hosted a Christmas cookie exchange. At Fig Fest we provided face painting, crafting, guess the amount of candy in the jar, and helped with general set up and tear down.

Robert Kent deserves special recognition for pushing things along and encouraging new strategies. Ryan Reid deserves special

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

recognition, as well, for creating and leading our fall formation class. Using the book Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, we discussed the epidemic of loneliness in the modern world and how the Church can build community. We had around 20-30 participants each of the seven Sundays of the study.

This past year we celebrated the births of many Figlets!

Everett, son of Andy Moore & Lauren Niculescu Eva, daughter of Julio & Allegra Nieto Quinn, daughter of Ben & Marcy Ohl William, son of Rachel & Robert Kent Connell, son of Adam Hinshaw & Ann Montgomery With six more couples expecting babies in 2026, this ministry is growing! We look forward to another great year of nurturing the faith of our families and helping Transfiguration welcome and connect new families with children!

FigTech Ministry

by Michael Durrance Your FigTech Masters of Realm pivoted our strategy in 2025 to provide more live technical support than formal instruction, and we will continue that strategy in 2026. We are excited for the new A/V system in the Parlor and for the listening system for our worship services.

Our biggest event last year was assuming support for Ministry Scheduler Pro, the scheduling system for the liturgical ministries.

We’ll be leaning hard into expanding usage of and expertise in MSP in 2026.

Transfiguration is fortunate to have lots of tech options to make your meetings and events better this year! Be sure to look out for our live support events!

Flower Guild

by Sarah Cox In 2025, the Flower Guild was pleased to welcome new members of a variety of ages and experience levels bringing our total membership to over 30. The group is divided into teams so that each week every person can produce their own arrangements. We create fresh designs throughout the year for Sunday services, funerals, weddings, and Transfigured Nights events. In addition, we are delighted to continue providing nosegays for homebound parishioners as part of the Eucharistic Visitor ministry. This year we were thrilled to return to decorating the Nave for our weekly services after our time in Roper Hall.

We experimented with non-floral decorations for a couple of Sundays, and ended the year on a high note beautifying the church for Christmas.

Food Pantry

by Jodi Dalton The Transfiguration Food Pantry continues to grow. We now serve 58 families, up from 53 last year. Those families comprise 247 individuals, 121 of whom are children. We distribute groceries on the third Monday of each month with the assistance of 25-30 volunteers.

We are proud to continue as a Community Distribution partner for Crossroads Community Services. This year we have also continued our partnership with the Community Garden at Temple Shalom. Each month they provide freshly picked vegetables. The Clothes Horse and the Daughters of the King generously provide clothing, toilet paper, and personal care items for our client families each month, providing valuable additional assistance.

The Food Pantry receives no funding from the church’s operating budget and relies entirely on separate donations. In 2025, we received donations totaling $8,000 from parishioners and others. Those donations enabled us to purchase additional food items as needed. We were also grateful for a grant from the Episcopal Men’s Fellowship that enabled us to purchase a freezer.

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Foyer Groups

Gardening Ministry

by Jerry Garner

by Lauren Bendiksen

Building a strong sense of belonging is a core aspect of life here at Transfiguration. With multiple services, multiple events and ministries, and ever-increasing busy lifestyles it can be difficult to build relationships with other church members. Through the Foyer Group Ministry, church members can connect across all aspects of our diverse congregation in small groups to share in food, faith, and fellowship.

In our second year, the Gardening Ministry continued to beautify our church grounds.

We expanded the size of the David Diggs Memorial Butterfly Garden, added walkways to the garden and a large stone for seating. The ministry redesigned and replanted the corner garden near the main entrance and expanded the gardens beneath the Bell Tower and along the Tower Cloister and Gathering Space. The Grona Garden’s azaleas were revived and to our delight and surprise bloomed throughout the fall. All new plantings feature native and Texas adapted species, chosen for their ability to provide food and shelter for local wildlife and help conserve resources, as they require less water and are better suited to Texas’ variable climate. Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue to care for and expand our efforts to make our church grounds beautiful spaces for parish use and enjoyment.

With two Foyer Group cycles each year, participants are randomly assigned to a new dinner group in February and again in August to help break down walls of habit and isolation and build connections between friends. Some participants have been active with this ministry for many years, and it continues to be among the most beloved organizations in the church. Participation is voluntary and includes individuals and couples that host dinners in homes or in restaurants over a period of several months.

In 2025, we saw the Foyer membership grow to over 120 members, making it an excellent way to connect with new church members and reconnect with old friends. All are invited to participate in the Foyer Group Ministry, to help us foster a strong sense of belonging and strive together to seek and serve Christ in all people.

Funeral Reception Ministry

by Tish Maedche The Funeral Reception Guild provides a simple reception consisting of cookies and nonalcoholic beverages following burial services, as requested by the family. Depending on the number of attendees and the weather, the receptions are held in Roper Hall, the Parlor, Tower Cloister, or on the Bell Tower patio. We provided 14 receptions in 2025.

Kitchen Ministry

by Alyson Thompson and Mike Mignardi The Kitchen Ministry is a newly formed ministry with its primary purpose to support fellowship and hospitality at communal meals and celebrations and uphold our parish commitment to environmental sustainability.

Our recently renovated Roper Hall kitchen is used for many parish and outreach events. The Kitchen Ministry provides guidance to its users to ensure the kitchen is always clean, all items are stored correctly, and proper kitchenware is acquired and maintained. This ministry also works closely with the Director of Operations to ensure all supplies are stocked and all appliances are in working order.

Each is a privilege, as we serve grieving families and friends and provide a space for comfort and consolation. Maintaining this ministry depends on many volunteers, and we are happy to welcome anyone to join us.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Labyrinth Ministry

MacMaster Library

by Nancy Jagmin and Lynn Walters

by Carol Miller

The Labyrinth Ministry encourages the use of our labyrinth as a tool for prayer, while providing information on the history of these sacred designs and how they can be used as spiritual tools. During 2025, Lynn Walters was trained and licensed as a facilitator through Veriditas, a worldwide organization supporting labyrinths. Lynn and Nancy Jagmin respond to requests from people, including groups outside our church, who want an introduction before walking the labyrinth.

The MacMaster Library contains over 2600 books for adults and children. The focus is on spiritually enriching material that explores the Christian faith and encourages us in our journey as disciples. Among the topics included in the collection are: Biblical history, theology, and interpretation; Church history; devotional literature and worship; prayer and meditation; biographies of saints and other religious figures; dealing with major life moments such as illness, divorce, and death; contemporary social and ethical issues; parenting; memoirs; and fiction.

Highlights this year included a special walk on May 3, World Labyrinth Day, which featured a live harpist. A total of 15 people attended.

During the fall, we welcomed a group from Flower Mount United Methodist Church, and a guided walk with the Transfiguration youth group. Also in the fall we re-launched monthly “open walks,” in which the labyrinth is reserved for anyone to walk on third Thursday at 6:30 pm. This ancient tool for prayer is a great blessing to our congregation, and you are warmly invited to use it to go deeper in your relationship with God.

The Library is centrally located next to the Gathering Space and is open whenever the church is open! Books are available for loan on the honor system for three weeks. To check out an item, please fill out the enclosed card inside the book’s cover with the date, your full name and phone number, and leave the card in the designated box next to the desk.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

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Nurturing Faith through Fiction

Open Door

by Ron Damholt

by Bill Warburton

We are a gathering of parishioners and friends who meet monthly either to discuss a noteworthy novel, or to screen and discuss a high-quality movie, enjoying conversation and refreshments along the way. Our goals include helping us to reflect on our faith and to deepen our commitment to Christ, in the light given us through authors, directors, and actors.

Open Door’s mission is to engage LGBTQ+ parishioners and allies in meaningful activities that foster belonging within the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and the broader community. We aim to create a safe and supportive environment while celebrating the unique contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.

As a taste of our various explorations, during the past year we’ve screened and discussed the films All the King’s Men (1949) and The Verdict (1988), and read and discussed Hannah Coulter (2009) and If Beale Street Could Talk (1974).

Last year, Open Door refocused its outreach locally through the Maundy Thursday Soup Supper fundraiser and donated its proceeds to Trans Pride Initiative, a charity that provides assistance and support to transgender and genderdiverse persons in need in the state of Texas.

We generally meet in Transfiguration’s parlor at 7:00 pm on the fourth Thursday evening of each month (with occasional variations). Please consider joining us to explore fine books and films and to engage in great conversation!

We extend our gratitude to Bill & Peggy Kwoka, David & Martha Cordell, Cassie & Gene Bledsoe, Mason McCamey and David Stanley, Jim & Tammy Kirkman, Fr. Ted Clarkson & Mikey Whitman, and David Call and Bryce Smith for hosting us for socials in 2025, the Open Door Leadership and Allen McReynolds for coordinating social outings, and Mark Ramsay for coordinating our participation in the Dallas Pride Festival & Parade. We look forward to more fellowship opportunities in 2026.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Outreach Committee

by Jacqui Neylon Outreach at Transfiguration continues to thrive as we explore new ways to seek and serve Christ in our neighbors. Last year, we started and continued to grow our relationships with St. Jude Center and Carolyn Bukhair Elementary school, while maintaining our partnerships with numerous other organizations.

We started the year by gathering over 400 bath towels and distributing them to Austin Street Center, St. Jude Center, Our Friends’ Place, and Genesis Women’s Shelter. We continued our tradition of supporting Now Forward (formerly North Dallas Shared Ministries), organizing blood drives for Carter Blood Center, building ramps with the Dallas Ramp Project, and gathering Easter baskets for Gateway of Grace. We continued to stock the Little Pantry at the church’s front door, and we are exploring expanding this ministry with a second location.

In August, we held our fourth annual “BakeOff,” where participants vied for the Golden Spatula, raising $2,400 for flood relief efforts in the Diocese of West Texas. In October, the entire congregation participated in our Ingathering Sunday project to create both full and travelsized toiletry kits that benefited St. Jude Center, Austin Street Center, Genesis, Family Gateway, New Friends New Life, and the Fig Food Pantry.

In 2025, the Outreach Committee distributed $5,000 to Now Forward, in keeping with our longstanding covenant partnership, as well as the following grants from funds provided by the church’s operating budget: Genesis Happy Homes New Friends New Life St. Philip’s Vogel Alcove St. Jude Family Gateway Youth with Faces

$2,200 $1,300 $2,500 $1,000 $2,500 $2,000 $2,500 $500

In addition, we provided grants of $5,000 to Gateway of Grace, $5,000 to Our Friends’ Place, and $578 to Dallas CASA from the church’s Outreach Endowment Fund. The Outreach Committee also recommended organizations to the Vestry for the loose-plate offering at Easter and Christmas, and the following gifts were given from the loose plate: Austin Street Center (Easter) Gateway of Grace (Easter) World Kitchen (Christmas) Vogel Alcove (Christmas)

$5,000 $5,000 $6,171 $6,171

Your Outreach Committee cannot carry out our work without the dedication of you, our members. We are thankful for your willingness to seek and serve Christ in our community.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

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Outreach Grant Recipients In 2025, the Outreach Committee oversaw the distribution of $55,300 to the following organizations.

$2,200

$1,300

$2,500

St. Jude Center

$1,000

$2,500

$2,000

$2,500

$500

$5,000

(Easter Loose Plate Offering)

(Easter Loose Plate Offering)

$5,000

$6,171

$6,171

(Easter Loose Plate Offering)

(Christmas Loose Plate Offering)

(Christmas Loose Plate Offering)

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Pastoral Ministries

Racial Justice Ministry

by the Rev. Rebecca Tankersley and the Rev. JoNell Lindh

by Lisa Magee

Caring for our members and their families is at the very heart of life at Transfiguration.

Pastoral care is truly a shared ministry, carried out with compassion and faith by a dedicated community of lay leaders in partnership with clergy. Eucharistic Visitors, Daughters of the King, Stephen Ministers, members of the Prayer Chain, and many others extend Christ’s love in countless quiet and meaningful ways, ensuring that no one walks alone.

In 2025, our team of 20 Eucharistic Visitors brought Holy Eucharist to more than 40 parishioners who were unable to worship with us in person. These visits are deeply mutual experiences; many of our Eucharistic Visitors speak of being as richly blessed by the encounters as those they are sent to serve.

Our Daughters of the King offer tangible care through simple but powerful acts of kindness. Soup and bread are lovingly prepared and kept on hand to share with members and neighbors who are ill, recovering from surgery, welcoming new babies, or in need of extra tenderness and support. Along-side this ministry of presence, the Daughters partner with our Prayer Chain, and both groups pray faithfully for the needs and concerns of our congregation, staff, and wider community.

Our Stephen Ministers, trained to provide confidential, one-to-one care during seasons of spiritual struggle or life transition no longer meet regularly as a group, but they remain available and commit-ted to offering support whenever the need arises.

Together, these pastoral ministries reflect the deep care, faithfulness, and love that define our life together at Transfiguration.

In 2025, the Racial Justice Ministry (RJM) was active in fostering dialogue, education, and advocacy. In March we partnered with the Dialogue Institute to host an Iftar during Ramadan. In May we sponsored a “Together We Dine” event for parishioners and guests to foster racial awareness. In June, we hosted a memorable Juneteenth presentation focused on the White Rock Cemetery Garden of Memories, a nearby historic cemetery for Black citizens that is the resting place of many important local figures, but has often been under threat from developers and thoughtless city planning. In November we hosted a viewing of Sugar Cane, in honor of Native American history month.

In the latter half of the year, RJM concentrated on immigration issues. Deacon Debra Vela visited the parish during Spanish Heritage Month to share her firsthand experience with immigration enforcement and detention through an informative and impactful presentation. We distributed “Know Your Rights” and emergency preparedness materials to Food Pantry participants and Clothes Horse clients. In addition, RJM hosted training sessions on supporting migrants attending immigration check-in appointments, and this January (2026) we will help sponsor a Gala for Gateway of Grace.

RJM has helped our church renew its participation with Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI). Members attended several meetings to better understand their organizing model, and in November 55 parishioners joined nearly 1,000 others at a major DAI event at Temple Shalom to advocate for local solutions to immigration, affordable housing, and early childhood education.

RJM continues its work with the Participatory Defense Community of North Texas (PDC) to support families whose children are impacted by the justice system. Efforts included advocating for improved facility conditions and organizing a book drive to help establish the Henry Wade Library, a collection for incarcerated juveniles.

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

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Prayer Shawl Ministry

Second Half Lunch Bunch

by Sally Manning

by Pam Johnson

The Fig Prayer Shawl Ministry has had a very successful year, combining its members’ needlework skills with multiple new projects!

Second Half is a fellowship group for adults age 50 and up that meets on the third Sunday of each month at Café de France (17370 Preston Rd, Dallas) following the 11:15 service. The group includes both couples and singles who gather to share meaningful conversation, laughter, and companionship as they navigate the joys and challenges of the second half of life. Topics often include empty nesting, retirement, grandchildren, travel, and whatever is present in members’ hearts and minds. Attendance typically averages around 15 participants, though the group occasionally grows large enough to fill two long tables. Led

by Pam Johnson, Second Half Lunch Bunch offers a welcoming and supportive space and is always open to new participants.

Thanks to the inspiration of Billie Bennett, our crochet and knitting ministry created our Winter Hat ministry, producing hundreds of winter/beanie hats for distribution to the Fig’s Food Pantry ministry families and to St Jude’s Homeless Shelter for distribution during the year’s cold months. Also this year, our ministry accepted the challenge to cross-stitch and assemble the infant baptismal stoles, coordinated

by Lynn Lovell, who taught us how to crossstitch and led this new adjunct project.

Another new needlework and sewing effort was accepted from Jack Skelton: the creation of our own tartans for the Transfiguration Kirking of the Tartans in November! In conjunction with the new men’s woodworking group, over 25 Scottish and Irish tartans and wooden poles were made and assembled, thanks to Lynn Lovell’s sewing prowess.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry welcomes new members year-round. Shawls and yarn supplies are in the Gathering Space with a sign-out clipboard.

Parishioners and clergy can select a free shawl for anyone in need. All are welcome!

Sound Technician Ministry

by Shaun Manning and TJ McCoy The Sound Technician Ministry provides audio support for our in-person and livestream services, as well as for funerals and weddings.

In 2025, we returned to a new sound desk in the Nave, which has new features like Listen Technologies assisted-hearing devices and the ability to amplify sound in the Parlor Courtyard, Memorial Garden, and Belltower Patio.

St. Elizabeth’s Guild

by Michael Durrance We’ve had a great 2025 with St. Elizabeth’s Potluck Dinners! Every month, we’ve enjoyed greeting new members who are excited about the best way to get plugged in to the ministries of Transfiguration.

Our spotlight speakers brought us great insights into some of the behind-the-scenes ministries of the church. A few highlights of the year were Mary Brooke Matsumura’s engaging presentation with Godly Play, Joel Martinson’s fascinating exposé of the Godwin organ, and the ever-popular Fried Chicken and Tango Night (If you don’t see how those work together—see you in November!).

In the past few years, the Guild has become a very tight group of friends, the movers and shakers of the Fig! We hope everyone clears second Thursdays in 2026 for food, fun, and fellowship!

The sound team will hold several training sessions in 2026 to help new members get started and to show current technicians how to use the new features. We are grateful for the dedication of everyone who serves in this ministry.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

St. Hilda’s Guild

by Cassie Bledsoe St. Hilda’s Guild operates the Clothes Horse and Kay Andrews Bookstore. The Clothes Horse provides the church with a place to donate gently worn clothing, enabling us to sell reasonably priced, quality apparel to the community. The Bookstore provides religious books, cards, and other items. Overall, St. Hilda’s provides meaningful opportunities for service and fellowship, and offers important services to our church and wider community.

The number of volunteers is growing! This last year 40 people participated, up from 33 the year before. We are also excited by the growth of clothing donations, which we estimate at 30 tons in 2025, an increase of 25% over 2024. What we can’t sell in the Clothes Horse we proudly donate to several community partners. To offer a sense of the volume of these donations, consider that last June we donated 30 bags of clothes to Austin Street, 20 bags to our Food Pantry, 20 bags to New Friends, New Life, 80 bags to Network of Community Ministries, and 27 men’s suits to Hope Restored Mission.

The year 2026 brings many new objectives.

Some of the objectives are updated by-laws that address terms of service and succession plans, and better Board member job descriptions.

We are also excited to coordinate even more strongly with ministries in the church to create an even larger impact for the community.

Summary of St. Hilda’s Guild 2025 Financials: Income Bookstore Clothes Horse Costs Taxes & Expenses Grants & Donations Break the Fast Outreach Godly Play Tithes

$15,787 $31,774 $47,561 $12,611 $34,950 $250 $2,500 $5,000 $2,472 $10,222

The Clothes Horse returned to a four-day schedule in 2025 and implemented a digital credit card, reporting, and cash register system.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2023 Annual Report

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Gathering after The Table

by Marcy Mignardi This ministry seeks to foster a spirit of belonging and community among the regular congregation of The Table, our Saturday evening service. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our ten committee members, we hosted refreshments and fellowship for a baptism and six liturgical celebrations this past year. We are encouraged by the growing parishioner attendance at these events, particularly our annual spring picnic, and we look forward to our four scheduled gatherings for 2026.

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Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Transfigured Nights

by Joel Martinson, Artistic Director and Michael Whitman, Executive Director 2025 was a fantastic year for Transfigured Nights, with wonderful musical experiences, record attendance, and overwhelming patronage! We reached a total audience of 1,788 people over 12 events during the year.

This was 275 above our 2024 attendance, which consisted of 13 events. The total/average attendance figures for Transfigured Nights were 1387/173 and Art Music Mondays were 401/100. The Transfiguration Choir continued to show remarkable commitment throughout the year with an average of 50 in the choir for all the choral offerings. Since moving into our renovated nave, our own musicians and guest performers have been thrilled with making music in the enhanced acoustics. Our 2025-2026 series theme – Renewal and Resonance – was chosen to highlight the music we have programmed to exploit our new environs.

The patronage response to our fall brochure mailing has been extremely gratifying, and we will be able to fund the costs of the 2025-2026 series, our most ambitious season in our 22 years of existence. We were once again asked to underwrite most of the base salary of the assistant organist from our reserve to support of the church’s budget for 2025. The Transfigured Nights Executive Committee spent several meetings discussing the appropriateness of this request, the amount of funds we need to hold in reserve for future years’ programming, and our ability to regularly contribute to the Music Fund of the Endowment.

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SPRING 2025 (2024-2025 Season Events) Transfigured Nights • Wind Quintet Concert (in Performance Hall) – January 26 | Attendance: 92 • Solemn Evensong & Dedication – March 2 Attendance: 200 • Daryl Robinson, organist – May 4 Attendance 89 • Evensong for Trinity Sunday Attendance 140 Art Music Mondays • March 17 | Attendance: 88 • May 19 | Attendance: 69 FALL 2025 (2025-2026 Season Events) Transfigured Nights • Evensong for Holy Cross Day – September 14 Attendance: 175 • Katelyn Emerson, organist – October 12 Attendance: 88 • Fauré Requiem All Souls’ Day – November 2 Attendance: 272 • Advent Lessons and Carols – December 7 Attendance: 337 Art Music Mondays • September 29 | Attendance: 100 • November 17 | Attendance: 144

Transfigured Nights Financial Statement 2025

by Paula Tiffin, Treasurer

Beginning Cash Balance

$92,453.73

Income Patronage & Donations Total Cash & Income Expenses Performer Fees Art Music Mondays Printing & Postage Instrument Maintenance, Moving & Tuning Reception Expenses Marketing & Communications Administrative Assistant Music Purchases Homilists Grant to pay assistant organist and one section leader Total Expenses

$72,226.60 Up 16.3% from 2024 $164,680.33

$35,359.51 $10,300.00 $4,608.16 $180.00 $4,932.19 $408.30 $6,459.00 $2,044.47 $700.00 $23,219.43 $88,211.06

2025 Ending Cash Balance

$76,469.27

Less budgeted encumbrance for second half of 2025-2026 season*

$42,078.61

Unencumbered Cash

$34,390.66

*Transfigured Nights budget runs on a season basis from July 1 to June 30

Wedding Guild

Youth Acolytes

by Elizabeth Jenkins

by Brooke Grona-Robb

The Wedding Guild consists of a team of five volunteers. We help couples plan their wedding and assist with the wedding rehearsal. We coordinate with the clergy, staff, ushers, and Flower Guild, and we work with wedding photographers. On the wedding day, we assist the couple and the wedding party as they are getting ready and work to make the day as stress-free as possible for the couple, their families and friends. We also prepare the Transfiguration Bell so the couple can share in the beloved tradition of bellringing after the service. In 2025 there were four weddings at Transfiguration.

The mission of the acolytes is to serve and support the rich worship life of Transfiguration. Roles in this ministry include crucifer, torchbearer, first and second server, and wardens.

There were three graduating seniors this year: Libby Cone, Lilli Myers and Sarah Robb.

The youth acolytes re-learned their roles as we moved back into the church this year.

January 30: John David Palmer & Langford Keith III June 14: Jessica Farrell Wedge & Bryan Patrick Williams July 10: Sean Higdon Norton & Jerry Lynn Garner October 25: Taryn Devereaux DeBruyn & Alexander Jeffrey Kranek

Women’s Evening Book Club

by Cathy Anwyl and Carol Miller We meet the first Thursday evening of each month; book selections are made annually in May and titles include both fiction and nonfiction. We strive to provide a foundation to thoughtfully and respectfully discuss various themes and experiences allowing individuals to learn and grow with one another. We welcomed several new members this past year and look forward to welcoming additional voices and perspective to the discussions.

Our sincere thank you goes to Betsy Warren and Julie Evans for their tenured and steady leadership of the group for years. They transitioned from their role in 2025; Carol Miller and Cathy Anwyl have assumed their role.

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Staff Clergy The Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min. – Rector | cshobe@transfiguration.net The Rev. Rebecca Tankersley – Senior Associate Rector | rtankersley@transfiguration.net The Rev. Terry Roper – Rector Emeritus | troper@transfiguration.net The Rev. Ted Clarkson – Associate Rector | Left staff in November The Rev. JoNell Lindh – Pastoral Assistant | jlindh@transfiguration.net The Rev. Maddie Hill – Interim Associate Rector | mhill@transfiguration.net

Programs Allison Blalock – Director of Children’s Ministries | ablalock@transfiguration.net Delynda Moravec – Director of Youth Ministries | left staff in July Bailey Roberts– Director of Youth Ministries | broberts@transfiguration.net Gabby Guion – Minister for Congregational Life | gguion@transfiguration.net

Music Joel Martinson – Director of Music and Organist | jmartinson@transfiguration.net Chris Ahrens – Director of Youth Choir | cahrens@transfiguration.net Kimberley Ahrens – Director of Children’s Choirs | kahrens@transfiguration.net David Stanley – Music Director for The Table

Administration Cathleen Dolt – Parish Administrator | cdolt@transfiguration.net TJ McCoy – Director of Communications | tmccoy@transfiguration.net Al Blackwell – Digital Communications Specialist | ablackwell@transfiguration.net Darla Rupert - Parish Bookkeeper | drupert@transfiguration.net Shalu Abraham – Executive Assistant to the Rector | sabraham@transfiguration.net Fred Ellis – Administrative Assistant | fellis@transfiguration.net

Operations Bracken Reece – Director of Operations | breece@transfiguration.net Alex Alvarado - Sexton Erik Welch - Sexton

Vestry Mike Mignardi, Sr. Warden Elaine Sweet, Jr. Warden Courtney Barrow Michael Durrance Brian Ferrell

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Sara Ivey Christy Jump Nancy Korman Lindsey Murphy Olga Ruff Alyson Thompson Brett Vanderbrook

Jay Madrid Parish Chancellor Evan Williams Assistant Chancellor Bill Evans Treasurer Libby Nicodemus Clerk

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

Vestry-elect Barbara DeLizza Chris Dick Sam Jackson Jan Waller Robin Caldwell Treasurer-Elect

Photo Index Cover: Bishop Wayne Smith at the Dedication Ingathering Outreach project Guns to Gardens event Fr. Casey with his Daughters of the King friends Fr. Casey, Mtr. Rebecca, Fr. Merriman, Fr. Ted, and Dr. Mark Stamm 5. Fr. Casey baptizes William Kent 6. The Fig clergy joined by Dr. Mark Stamm and Deacon Michael Sturdy at Advent adult formation 7. Greg Robertson of Rock Steady Designs installing the new water feature in memory of Judy Drotman 8. First Informed Communion 9. Adelaide Barrow at Easter 10. Fr. Ted’s farewell sermon 11. Brittani Houghtlen-Smith at the EMF Fish Fry 12. Al Blackwell running the livestream 13. Fig Youth on a Sunday Funday 14. 2025 Vestry at their retreat 15. John Caldwell at the Great Vigil of Easter 16. Elaine Sweet, Olga Ruff, and Sally Manning 17. Before and after of our sacristy 18. One of many Sharing Faith dinners 19. Food Pantry volunteers preparing for a Monday distribution.

20. Dedication of the Belltower Courtyard and Gardens 21. Frs. Casey and Ted at the ordination to the diaconate of Mark Witte and Michael Sturdy 22. EMF members and HeROs grill at Genesis Women’s Shelter 23. Alan McReynolds and Darren Trizzino working in the church’s gardens 24. Marching at Dallas Pride Parade 25. Outreach Committee members setting up Christmas trees at Vogel 26. Children’s Chapel 27. Reception following The Table in November 28. Transfiguration Choir at Advent Lessons & Carols 29. A Transfiguration Youth Acolyte Back Cover: A magical Fig Fest 1.

2.

3.

4.

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | 2025 Annual Report

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Seeking and Serving Christ in All Persons

14115 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75254 972.233.1898 | www.transfiguration.net