come to appreciate and respect him as vicar, but what changes would occur now that he was rector? The early years of the decade were years of change. Staff additions and subtractions, both lay and clerical, resulted in a new leadership. Several longtime staff members retired after 30 or more years of service, resulting in a certain loss of institutional history. Lois Waller retired after 33 years as bookkeeper and business manager. Howard Ross retired after 39 years as organist/choirmaster. New people coming on staff re-energized and stimulated the parish. New members of the parish office helped update and modernize parish activities. An online newsletter was created, and the Transfiguration website, in existence since the late 1990s, was renovated and made more user-friendly. Increasingly, visitors told of first discovering the Fig on the Internet; lay leadership took advantage of this shift. After a yearlong search process, Joel Martinson was hired in 2005 as organist/choirmaster. The choirs, which had been leaders in the growth and expansion of the liturgies of the parish, broke new ground in tapping into the talents of musically gifted parishioners. The organization Transfigured Nights was formed to bring a fine-arts touch to Sunday Compline services. Performances by parish choirs were supplemented by concerts given by professional groups both within and outside the parish. As in earlier eras, a time of transition became a time to focus on both internal parishional development and outreach. New wine seemed to demand new wineskins, and the parish responded. During the winter holidays in 2000, the youth choir, Jubilate Deo, toured for the first time. That same year, the Senior EYC traveled to a work camp in preparation for a pilgrimage to England, which was accomplished in 2004. Adult Sunday school was reorganized, including the addition of Disciples Bible courses. In the 2001 annual report, the Gay and Lesbian Ministry group appeared with its institution of a Maundy Thursday soup supper for the parish. The next year saw the debut of a Music, Art, and Drama Camp for children and teens dreamed up and organized by laity. Transfiguration was critical to the formation of Dallas Area Interfaith, a group that took seriously the baptismal vows to work for justice and peace in human society. The Rev. Joy Daley came on staff as a deacon in 2001 and was ordained to the priesthood the following year. She led a group of parishioners on our first mission trip to Honduras in 2003. A Future Ministries Commission delivered a report that assessed the strengths and weaknesses of Transfiguration, mapped out a plan for expansion of the physical space, and targeted needed new areas of service. neXtgen was organized to serve the needs of young professionals in the parish. Christian Zen meditation appeared on the parish campus as parishioners explored varied modes of spiritual development and enrichment. Reaching out to those beyond the parish boundaries remained a priority. Transfiguration youth hosted annual Halloween dances open to all parishes in the diocese, to bring the teenagers in the diocese together. The Labyrinth Project continued to feature programs Celebrating 60 Years
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