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22 An n
et l Me a u
Order of Business January 30, 2022 Welcome & Prayer Declaration of a Quorum & Minutes
The Very Reverend Richard Lawson, Dean Leigh Grinstead, Senior Warden
Vestry Elections Hymn 603 Canon Pastor’s Report Canon Precentor’s Report Youth Minister’s Report Saint Francis Apartment Update
Dr. Michael Boney, Director of Music The Reverend Canon Katie Pearson The Reverend Canon Broderick Greer Christina Rutland with Elizabeth Williams Fran Trujillo (fltrujillo6964@gmail.com)
HVAC Recognition
The Very Reverend Richard Lawson, Dean & Audrey Chapman, Director of Operations
Treasurer’s Report
Tom Barbour
Senior Warden’s Report Q&A
Leigh Grinstead The Very Reverend Richard Lawson, Dean
* The Dean’s Sermon will serve as the Dean’s Report. It will be available at sjcathedral.org/sermons.
Department/Ministry/Activity
Primary Staff Contact
STAFF CONTACT GUIDE
20s & 30s Broderick Greer All Souls’ Walk Emily Smith Baptisms Emily Smith Catechumenate Tina Clark Cathedral Calendar Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Cathedral Events, Liturgical Broderick Greer, Emily Smith Cathedral Events, Non-Liturgical Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Cathedral Room Reservations Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Choirs (Adults and Choristers) Michael Boney Communications Evans Ousley Concerts Joseph O’Berry Dean Richard Lawson* Richard Lawson Facilities Department Supervisor Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Finance Committee Audrey Chapman Formation Tina Clark Funerals Emily Smith Funerals, Caterers and Receptions Georgie Brooks- Myrtle Human Resources Audrey Chapman Investment/Endowment Committee Audrey Chapman Membership Emily Smith Nursery Tina Clark Pastoral Care Katie Pearson Prayer List Emily Smith Retreats Tina Clark Reverend Canon Broderick Greer* Broderick Greer Reverend Canon Katie Pearson* Katie Pearson Security Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Stewardship and Pledging Audrey Chapman Vestry Audrey Chapman Website Evans Ousley Weddings, Caterers and Receptions Georgie Brooks-Myrtle Weddings, Intake and Reservations Emily Smith Welcome Center Georgie Brooks-Myrtle
*(calendar, calls, appointments, etc.) Updated January 2022
Hymn 603
When Christ was lifted from the earth
Stefan Burris In the words of my father Neil Burris, I have been going to Saint John’s Cathedral “since before I can remember it.” I am a Denver native and Saint John’s has been an integral part of my life. When I lived elsewhere, I always compared congregations to mine at home in Denver, none came close. I went through Catechumenate as a teenager and was confirmed at the cathedral many years ago. I have enjoyed volunteering and being involved at Saint John’s through the years. I have served on the Education Committee, enjoyed spending time with the 20s & 30s group, and will be an acolyte again now that we are back in the cathedral. I also served as President of Abrahamic Initiative for two years, a non-profit started at Saint John’s that brings the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Faiths together for meaningful dialogue. Working with Abrahamic Initiative gave me a deeper understanding of my own faith and how it relates to many other world religions and cultures.
VESTRY NOMINEES
Saint John’s Cathedral has been inclusive and helped build community in more ways than one. I want to see the Episcopal Church thrive and be resilient in a time where fewer members of younger generations are affiliated with organized religion. I want to help Saint John’s Cathedral continue to enjoy strong membership and remain a place where people can gather, enjoy community, and build lifelong relationships. The cathedral has always been involved locally and continues to be a gathering place for the community; it is a foundation for many. I have my undergrad degree from Colorado State University in Marketing and an International MBA from the University of Denver. I have been a realtor since 2014 and maintain that Denver is one of the best cities in the world. I will use the skills learned over the years to encourage thinking outside the box and challenge the status quo all while keeping the community at large in mind. I can read a balance sheet, understand financials, and know the power of marketing. I feel my experience in sales and marketing has given me the skills to see and acknowledge diverse personalities. Operating on a consensus basis is something I do every day for clients and it would come in handy on Saint John’s Vestry. I look forward to serving on Saint John’s Cathedral vestry with an understanding of the needs of this parish to look forward as an integral part of the Denver faith community.
Kate Gojkovich What an honor it is to be nominated for Saint John’s Cathedral Class of 2025 Vestry. With my deep love for the Episcopal Church and my career in fundraising, I feel uniquely positioned to work with our clergy, staff, and vestry members. I am a cradle Episcopalian and Sewanee graduate (C’09), so it is no surprise that I feel at home at Saint John’s Cathedral. We are called to Come Home in 2022, and I’m grateful Saint John’s truly welcomes everyone into this home. Printed in our leaflets, stated in our liturgy, messaged on our website, and broadcast on the street with a colorful banner on Washington & 14th Avenue: “welcoming and inclusive to all.” We say it and we mean it, and that is a blessing! I felt I had a place at Saint John’s when my job as a fundraising consultant placed me in Denver for a three-month project at the end of 2019. The clergy recognized me week after week and parishioners warmly welcomed me. What a joy it was to find a congregation bursting with lively conversation, thoughtfully curated liturgy, and so many Sewanee connections! It was a true comfort for me while living in hotels away from home. I moved to Denver full-time in January 2020 to become Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer at Mullen High School. I have ten years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit administration primarily in the religious and education sectors. I served as Executive Director for Christ Church in Bronxville, NY (Episcopal). I have an extensive background in annual stewardship, capital campaigns, and what it takes to make “church happen.” Currently, I lead all fundraising and operational efforts for Mullen High School. By focusing on best practices like relationship-based fundraising, my team has raised more money than the school has ever raised before. Saint John’s has been integral in connecting me to Denver. I thank the cathedral staff for being engaging and inclusive in the pandemic, giving me the opportunity to dabble in Centering Prayer and Women’s Bible Study, and to spend time on Zoom with parishioners of all walks of life. I’m an active member of the 20s & 30s group, and my fiancé, Scott Dykstra, and I are youth group volunteers. Perhaps my favorite way to volunteer at Saint John’s is at the altar. I look forward to continuing to find ways to volunteer with you. I hope you will introduce yourself and tell me how you found a home at Saint John’s. Thank you for letting me share my story.
Bradley Jackson I first came to Saint John’s Cathedral because I was invited by a parishioner. After confiding in a friend about the challenges of finding a welcoming church community, I was encouraged to seek out a home in Saint John’s. I first walked through the doors of the cathedral in January 2015, and I was stunned by
the grandeur of the building’s architecture, the light that filtered through the stained-glass windows, and the congregation’s reverence for life’s great mystery. As a gay, Black male, I had become weary of previous experiences in church, and in many ways, I longed for a place I could call my spiritual home. One of my favorite stories is the one in which two disciples, bereaved by Christ’s death, found themselves wandering to the town of Emmaus. Upon welcoming a stranger into their home to break bread, they witnessed Christ made flesh yet again before their eyes. In some ways, this story hints at what Saint John’s became to me: a place that welcomed a new person to the table to break bread and to reckon with the mystery of Christ. When I saw many of my own identities reflected in Saint John’s clergy and staff and when I was greeted with warmth by members of the congregation, I couldn’t help but feel my heart burning. I’ve come to know Saint John’s more fully by participating in Catechumenate, singing in the Cathedral Choir, serving as an acolyte, attending bible studies and evening prayer, and joining the 20s & 30s group for fellowship. My heart now longs to serve the cathedral in the capacity of a vestry member, one who is ever so yearning to welcome new people into this beloved community. To me, Saint John’s services, ministries, and congregants represent what love incarnate means. I share this cathedral’s desire to make Christ known beyond these walls, and I am very interested in finding ways to continue fostering the spiritual growth of its people while also inviting the Denver community to a table in which anyone can experience the grace of exploring life’s mysteries in community. As a clinical social worker and high school educator, I am passionate about fostering spaces of healing and about nurturing curiosity in our youth. I would be so honored to serve the entire Saint John’s community as a vestry member, and I welcome the invitation to promote the endurance of this spiritual home for generations to come.
Jenipher Jones Deeply drawn to its commitment of service, I joined Saint John’s during the pandemic with my family to both cultivate a family church home and faithfully answer the call to serve. Since then, I have been an active member of the Faith in Action Commission (FIA). As a civil and human rights attorney, the practice of service and love, is the foundation of my personal and professional life. Though I was raised in the Baptist denomination, while living in Post-Katrina New Orleans, I joined Saint Anna’s Episcopal Church to integrate my commitments more fully to faith, peace, justice, and the Jesus Movement. After spending my first year of law school living in public housing, it was there I learned to live out prayer, as Saint Francis’ Prayer intreats and a kind of servant leadership that both informs and permeates my worldview. I began my career in civil and human rights as a Fellow at the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Harvard University at the Southern Poverty Law Center. And continued to work on civil rights issues at the municipal and federal levels, including the City of New Orleans Office of the Independent Police Monitor and the U.S. Postal Service National Employment Litigation Unit. During that time, I advocated before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the U.N. Association of the USA, and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. My passion for civil rights led me to academia where I now work as an administrator and teach at a local law school. I also serve as a Co-Chair of the National Lawyers Guild Mass Incarceration Committee, the Executive Committee of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS), Balance Section and Scholarship Committee, and the Blue Bench of Colorado. In my view, my commitment to service foremost required broadening my perspective, learning ways to see and be with other people. To that end, I was accepted to the Center for Action and Contemplation’s Living School, from which I have recently graduated. I am thankful for Saint John’s and will continue to faithfully serve Saint John’s Cathedral, whether elected to the vestry or not, and will do so prayerfully, with hopeful action, to live out the Jesus Way.
Helen Richards My late husband and I joined Saint John’s in 2015 when we returned to Denver after living for a time in New York State. I currently serve on the vestry, as a welcome desk volunteer, a member of the care advisory committee, the preparedness committee, and as a StarGazer member. In the Denver community, I am a member of the Colorado Symphony Guild, currently serving as Immediate Past President of the Guild. I am also a member of the board of my HOA. I think that listening is one of the most important things for a vestry member to do – to listen to their fellow Saint John’s parishioners, to staff and clergy, to other vestry members – and reflect upon what one has learned as a member of the vestry. I hope that describes what I have done in my first term as a vestry member. If re-elected, that certainly will be my continued effort. These are both exciting and challenging times for Saint John’s Cathedral as we maneuver through the pandemic, changes in the physical structure of the cathedral building itself, changes in the needs of those we serve, and therefore changes in our responsibilities as members of the Capitol Hill neighborhood and greater Denver community. To be a vestry member is to address each of these areas thoughtfully and prayerfully. I hope to be able to use my background as a school psychologist and special education administrator, my active participation in the life of Saint John’s, and my faith in continuing to do so.
Sacramental Report In 2021 we were honored to have a special hand in administering sacraments to so many individuals from cradle to grave. From walking with families through the cheer of baptisms and weddings to the grief of losing a loved one at funerals and burials, we celebrated life in Christ. By God’s grace and a remarkable sign of God’s presence in our community, we baptized the same number of people we held funerals or burials for. Due to the pandemic, all but the 12 baptisms on All Saints’ Sunday were held privately, one service at a time, either in Saint Martin’s Chapel or the White Garth to avoid exposure for young children and babies who were not qualified for vaccines. It was a joy to continue offering such important and grounding services in the midst of an unusual year.
Baptisms
FROM THE SACRISTAN
William Kevin Anderson Mary Schlecht Indira Allfree Erik John Helland James Weston Williamson Alexander Julian Basulto Jayden Nichoas Basulto Peter James Zorrilla Caroline Muriel Treaster Emily Grace Hughes Juliette Elizabeth Ward Anthony Jr. Albanese Sloan Albanese
Eva DeMars Miller Elizabeth Ann Barker Robert Lee Moore Beecherl Jr. Logan Oliver Suplicy Ramsbottom Lydia Katherine Hurley Maximilian Gabriel Castro Moffett Luciana Josephine Hyatt London Jane Roberts Hollin Samuel Phillips James Yoshio McFarland Elin June Howard Grady Michael Duncan Indira Benn
Margot Josephine Daley Meiliana Charlotte deBree Ezekiel lee Alexander Gonzalez-Najera Isla Bailey Linn Adam Robertson Shia Fills The Pipe-Bass Wilson Naca Fills The Pipe-Bass Wilson Cassandra Fills The Pipe-Bass Wilson Casara Everly Fills The Pipe-Bass Wilson Cyrus Wilson Clark Joseph Alexander Grilliot Elane Swanick
Confirmations
Elane Swanick
Chadd Spencer
Jon Sharkey
Receptions
Christine Parry Conor Kruger
Damion Pechota Elizabeth Caswell Dyer
Jennifer Calderone
Weddings Jono Bach and Katie Springer
Doris Milow Patrica Lee Jones Mollie Purdy Cook Dorothy Shaw Wilfred William “Bill” Lindsay III Kimberly Ann Webb Taylor Diana Charlton Lyford Jennifer Rudolph Robert M Kriewald Katherine “Marcy” Marcy Pierson Laurence Nathaniel Rickards Jr. Marjorie E. Wells Diane Row
Alex Rodgers and Jessica Krall
Funerals & Burials Stephanie Gwynn Row Thomas Fredrick Pagel Gene Culwell James Wallace Culwell Jean Neef Bill Humphrey Sue M. Skripko Robert Guthrie McNaul Phyllis Selby Tremmel Betty Lou Timm Kulish Michael William Lacey Alice Lorena Flick Mary “Mimi” Andrews Chenoweth
Renee Charmaine Sianko Carol Tierney Griesemer Robert Carpio Blackman Ruth Ellen Richter Cheryl Marie Patton Allison Reynolds Ordway Nancy Kay Welch Carol Lofft Ruth Angeline Garrett Jim Booth Dan Sweeney Janet Thompson
Formation Report
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF FORMATION
What is Christian Formation? Many of you have asked me this question over the four years since I arrived at Saint John’s. The practical answer is that Christian Formation involves all that we used to call Christian Education: Sunday School,Youth Group, Adult “Ed” and the like. But the deeper and more important answer is that Christian Formation entails all of the connections, learning, engagement, and exploration that creates and sustains us as followers of Jesus Christ. Worship is formative. Small groups and lay ministries that connect us in faith and learning and fellowship are formative. And, of course, my call is to create and implement programs for all ages that nurture, engage, and challenge us – as individuals, families, and a community – in how we walk in the world as followers of Christ. Looking back over the past two years, I’m stunned thinking about all we’ve passed through together, and I’m so deeply grateful to have been through this journey with the clergy, staff, and people of Saint John’s Cathedral. Not surprisingly, this time of pandemic has formed, and re-formed, our community and our life in Christ together in ways we may not have thought possible. While there is more than enough to grieve in all that happened in 2021, I’d like to focus on some of the grace that the year brought to our parish in terms of formative experiences.
Children’s Formation For Saint John’s children, we’ve created a hybrid menu of opportunities to stay connected and to grow in faith, with weekly compline, special worship services, Children’s Chapel and Godly Play lessons, and more, all offered online for those families who were not ready to join us in person. Starting in May, we began to regather our children and youth outdoors for chapel and more, and in the fall we brought back all children’s in-person formation classes. We also hired four wonderful young people and reopened the nursery. We continue to offer in person, online, and at-home options in order to meet the needs of our youngest parishioners. I’m delighted to say that we have welcomed many new families to our parish during this past year.
Youth Formation Christina Rutland has been a wonder of creativity, wisdom, and dedication throughout this time, not only keeping our youth connected and supported, but even continuing to grow the program.You can hear more in her conversation with Elizabeth Williams, one of this year’s graduating seniors, during the Annual Meeting.
Adult Formation In adult formation, the wonders of technology allowed us, again, to create a hybrid of ways to connect, learn, and engage. From clergy-led Bible studies and Catechumenate to Sacred Ground Anti-Racism dialogue circles, Education for Ministry, and a wide array of talented Dean’s Forum speakers, both online and in person, we’ve explored art and poetry and neuroscience and what it means to be the church in this historic moment. We look forward to welcoming nearly all of this year’s Dean’s Forum speakers in person at the cathedral, but we are so grateful for the technology that allows us to reach beyond our walls. Finally, we were incredibly blessed by two opportunities to gather in community at Cathedral Ridge, for Family Camp in the summer, and for the All Parish Retreat in November. We have a full schedule of retreats planned for 2022, and with safety protocols, vaccination requirements, and some flexibility, we’re excited for these opportunities for connection, beauty, friendship, and learning. Whether in the mountains, in a classroom, or in the seats of the cathedral, as a community we have and will continue to wonder about the mysteries of faith together. Thanks be to God.
Ways to Connect and Engage with the Cathedral Community 20s & 30s is gathering of young adults at Saint John’s Cathedral and beyond who gather a few times a month for brunch and theological reflection. Anam Cara, “soul friend” in Gaelic, is a contemplative group for women of all ages and at all stages in their spiritual journey. The AV Ministry is a team of volunteers who run our service and formation live-streams on Sunday mornings.
Centering Prayer is a gathering on Mondays at 5:30 pm for Taizé chant, prayer, and 20 minutes of silence. All are welcome. The Daughters of the King is a worldwide group of women who commit themselves to prayer and service. Dean’s Forum Hosts are a team of parishioners is integral to supporting the Dean’s Forum and other formational offerings throughout the program year. The Faith in Action Commission (FIA) provides leadership for Saint John’s Cathedral in the three areas of service, education, and advocacy. The Green Team explores and advocates for the most environmentally friendly congregational practices and building maintenance at Saint John’s. The Knitters gather to knit in community each week. All skill levels are welcome, and we have several skilled people who enjoy teaching others.
SMALL GROUPS & MINISTRIES
The Imitation of Christ Book Group meets weekly to study books on topics relating to social justice, advocacy, theology, and welcome.
Loving and Caring for Saint John’s is a group of people who frequently come together for a Cathedral Work Day to clean and take care of our beautiful building. The Men’s Bible Study is lead by Dean Richard and includes a short teaching on a scripture passage, followed by discussion and time to connect. The Women’s Bible Study is a group lead by Canon Katie in an exploration of scripture with a focus on the role of women in the Bible. The Sacred Ground Anti-Racism Dialogue Circles offer small groups safe, brave space to explore the history and current realities of racism in a film and literature-based dialogue series grounded in faith. The Sparkle Events Committee decorates our cathedral building during the holidays and keeps our grounds looking beautiful and inviting for special events. Stargazers is a support group for women who have lost their spouse or significant other through death. The Sunday Book Group has met for many years and covers a wide range of books, including Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People, The Road to Grantchester, and The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. Our Worship Ministries offer numerous ways to find your ministry within your prayer time, whether that is serving on the Altar Guild or Verging at our Sunday morning services. __________________________ For more information about any of these ways to engage and connect at with our cathedral community, please visit sjcathedral.org/small-groups or sjcathedral.org/ministries __________________________ Saint John’s parishioners lead an additional 50 to 60 ministries, committees, and task forces to support worship, formation, and cathedral operations, and to foster connection, growth, and mutual support. These small groups and lay-led ministries are vital to the life of this parish, and their leaders give generously of their time, talent, and dedication. In October over 40 of these leaders came together for a summit designed to nurture their leadership and empower them as critical players in the life of Saint John’s. Cathedral staff and clergy are deeply grateful for and blessed by all of our lay leaders, and the creation of a new position, Parish Life Coordinator, will further elevate their impact on every aspect of our life together.
2021 Annual Report The Grants Committee awarded 20 organizations a total of $96,500 in December 2021 after faithfully reviewing 34 applications requesting a total of $261,000. Each year, the vestry charges the Grants Committee to give 5% of plate and pledge revenue to local organizations. This sum increased significantly in 2021 thanks to the congregation’s generosity.
FROM THE GRANTS COMMITTEE
Giving priorities are set by the Faith in Action Commission (FIA). Those priorities are reflected in the grants we made this year and the percentage of funds granted to each priority area: Homelessness & Housing – 45% Hunger & Food Insecurity – 35% Mental Health – 30% Refugees & Immigrants – 20% Criminal Justice Reform 10%
Some agencies represent more than one funding priority which is why we exceed 100% in meeting our funding priorities. All recipients are required to meet the cathedral’s non-discrimination requirements and are required to be welcoming and inclusive of all with respect to client services, employment, and leadership. Saint John’s Cathedral can be proud of its financial support of the most vulnerable in our communities. Throughout 2021 our community also supported some of these organizations in other ways with FIA’s leadserhip. This included our annual Loaves & Fishes campaign for Metro Caring, our continued relationship with St. Francis Center through the St. Francis Apartments at Cathedral Square, and the Christmas tree fundraiser in partnership with the Sevier family farm to support the Delores Project. Please consider volunteering with one of these worthy organizations in 2022. The organizations that were awarded grants are listed on the following page.
Saint John’s Cathedral Grants Committee 2021 Kathy Graveley, Chair Whitney Morse Anderson Joan Barker Carolyn Daniels Laura Kirk
Anne Enderby Gregory Movesian Rebecca Parnell Rebecca Richardson Susan Ritter
Casa de Paz
$ 5,000
Housing, Refugees, Criminal Justice Reform
Support for recently released detainees in ICE facilities; funds for clothing, food, shelter, transportation
Center on Colfax
$4,000
Mental Health
Expansion of peer-led mental health support groups for transgender and gender-diverse individuals
Centus Counseling
$ 3,000
Mental Health
In-person and virtual counseling services to low-income adults and youth, including immigrants and people of color
CHARG Resource Center
$ 4,000
Mental Health
General operating support for mental health services for people with multiple needs
Colorado Episcopal Service Corps
$ 1,000
Homelessness, Hunger, Refugees
General operating support for youth corps
Colorado Safe Parking Initiative
$ 3,000
Homelessness
Provide safe, parking to individuals living in their cars; provide connections to housing and services
Delores Project
$ 8,000
Homelessness
Support 24/7 safe, inclusive shelter programming; provide path to stability for guests
EarthLinks
$5,000
Mental Health, Hunger, Housing
General operating support to meet basic needs of the homeless: case management, mental health, and food insecurity
Heart and Hand
$ 2,500
Homelessness
Out of school time programming for youth; mental health support; address food insecurity and hunger
Metro Caring
$ 5,000
Hunger
Certification training program for community leaders to leverage their stories and speak on behalf of Metro Caring
National Alliance on Mental Health
$ 1,000
Mental Health
General operating support to provide advocacy for communities impacted by health disparities; develop partnerships
Network Ministies
$ 5,000
Hunger, Homelessness
Salary for new position: Director of Operations/ Assistant to the Director or for purchase of new boiler/heating system
Project Angel Heart
$ 3,000
Hunger
Support provision of medically-tailored meals to food-insecure, critically ill residents
Project Worthmore
$10,000
Hunger, Criminal Justice Reform
Supports refugees and imigrants (especially for Afghanistan) with comprehensive services
Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network $2,500
Refugees & Immigrants
General operating expenses for free immigration legal services
St. Clare’s Ministries (Episcopal Non-Profit)
$5,000
Hunger
Food costs; funds for clothing, toiletries, blankets, sleeping bags; overhead costs
St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Brighton
$2,500
Homelessness
Funds for laundry baskets and essential supplies for families moving from shelter or temporary housing to permanent homes and apartments
St. Francis Center (Episcopal Non-Profit)
$7,500
Homelessness
Support related to health and wellness, employment and housing
Village Exchange Center
$9,500
Hunger, Immigrants & Refugees
Food, hygiene supplies, transportation costs, program materials, and supplemental program staff salaries
Report on the 2021 Calling Campaign Pastoral Care has continued through this pandemic time with all of our pastoral ministries remaining vibrantly active: Cards and Letters, Care Advisory Board, Daughters of the King, Eucharistic Visitors, Pastoral Visitors, Spiritual Directors, and the Stargazers Widows’ Group.
FROM THE CANON PASTOR
This past fall, we held our third Stewardship of Relationship Calling Campaign in the past 22 months, and, once again, it went extremely well. Some of the details are: 44 volunteer callers were tasked with calling about 500 pledging households from 2021; this calling campaign was not about pledging. 383 points of contact were documented – some conversations, some messages left, some email exchanges. Callers were tasked with: • Inviting people back to worship in the nave on All Saints’ Day • Asking how they are doing: “Would you like a member of clergy or staff to call you?” • Checking to see if they are staying connected to Saint John’s • Confirming any changes to contact info in Realm database • Answering additional questions about chairs/pews, leaflets, masks, pledging Trends in calls: • 147 direct conversations were had • 236 messages were left; many emails also sent, which received many responses • 37 contact updates to Realm • 13 asked for contact from staff or clergy; all have been contacted • 151 said “yes!” they are staying connected to the cathedral • 9 said “no” they are not connected for a variety of reasons: moves, COVID-caution, and personal health • Overwhelmingly positive feedback and grateful for the cathedral’s efforts over the past 22 months • Many of those who recieved calls expressed deep gratitude for our streamed services • A few expressed upset over the chairs (2), masks (4), and leaflets (1)
A huge thank you to Christina Rutland for her assistance in this project and, of course, to all of the callers who have our deepest gratitude for their time and faithfulness to the Saint John’s community.
__________________________ Operating Budget The operating budget is a key marker of the cathedral’s financial health. When the Kimberly Apartments revenues began eroding due to aging issues in the building, many people jumped into action. In addition to working with the building management company, this ignited a major effort to assess the building in addition to looking across the entire campus with outside experts. While the lost revenue was a challenge to the budget, it renewed urgency in planning with a major asset of the cathedral. On the expenses side of the ledger, our largest expense by far is the people employed by Saint John’s. The Dean and his staff have masterfully designed and designated operational roles and time management within to intentionally operate as lean as possible. While this has helped budgetarily, the long-term health of the organization and its employees will demand more investment in personnel. In the case of both revenues and expenses, the congregation has intentionally contributed in major ways. Our 2021 pledge and plate revenues combined to exceed our budgetary planning; our heartfelt thanks to everyone for your generous financial support of the cathedral in 2021. Furthermore, the generous contribution of time through volunteerism supports the staff on a regular basis. Endowment and Gifts Perhaps one of the greatest examples of intentionality at Saint John’s is the endowment management policy and regular rebalancing toward a targeted mix of assets. This practice, along with fortuitous timing, has helped the funds to grow by nearly ten percent or three million dollars in 2021. While 2021 saw major gains in markets, the investment practices and rebalancing at Saint John’s is intentionally designed to capture market growth at the same time as managing risk when markets turn.
In addition to major gifts to the cathedral in 2021 such as the HVAC renovation and gift of cathedral seating, the endowment received nearly eighty thousand dollars of donations. After nearly three quarters of a century, Saint John’s decided in 2021 to sell valuable minerals bequeathed in 1948. The proceeds from this pending sale will both honor the donor’s original intentions, as well as serve the highest and best use for the cathedral. Capital Expenditures Maintaining our beautiful buildings and grounds is a never-ending project. In 2021, Saint John’s leveraged savings to finance projects such as tree removal, roof leak evaluation, security system upgrade, AV optimizations, and stained glass evaluations, to name a few. Our emergency reserves remain healthy with the vestry-approved emergency fund, in addition to a minimum of three months of payroll and operating expenses in our checking account at all times, following small business best practice. 2020 Audit
FROM THE TREASURER
Being intentional means acting with a purpose in mind and making regular, conscious decisions toward a desired outcome. The year 2021 gave Saint John’s the opportunity to act intentionally in many ways as challenges and opportunities provoked actions requiring careful consideration, collaboration, and clear communication. Some noteworthy examples include the erosion of revenues from the Kimberly, the regular rebalancing of our endowment, an offer to buy long held minerals assets, and management around major construction projects and use of the cathedral. Through these and many more circumstances, Saint John’s worked across the leadership teams to guide the organization intentionally.
During the 2020 fiscal year, JDS professional group conducted an audit of the cathedral’s consolidated financial statements and looked at the changes in our net assets and cash flows for the 2020 fiscal year. The audit stated that the 2020 fiscal year ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The only qualification is on the recording and depreciation of property and equipment; a difference that has been ongoing and is congruent with most churches. This highly successful audit is a testament to the professionalism of the administrative staff and the experience of the audit committee led by Chuck Thompson, Jay Swope, and Tom Barrett. __________________________ Looking back on the year 2021, Saint John’s acted with urgency to manage challenges such as the erosion of Kimberly revenues and carefully to manage opportunities such as the sale of mineral assets. In all cases, these intentional actions have moved us yet closer to a sustainable future. Looking forward to 2022, the congregation’s generous pledges have helped us balance the budget and augment our finite staff. It is the intentional generosity of all and God’s grace that fuels our future, thanks be to God.
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – The Collect for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Capital Projects & Operating Budgets: On the Continued Path to Sustainability 2021 Operating Budget For 2021 the Finance Committee and vestry designed an atypical operating budget which reduced both revenues and expenses proportionate to the anticipated effects of not worshiping in the cathedral for a significant portion of the year, and the continued effects of the reduction of in-person activities because of the pandemic. Like in 2020, the brightest spot in our 2021 operating revenues was pledging. Amazingly, preliminary end-of-year financials show pledge fulfillment in 2021 at almost 106%. In a year when some members moved away, some passed away, and some had to reduce their pledges, this means that those who could gave more than they pledged. We are thankful to all our pledgers; please be assured all of your pledges are incredibly meaningful to us, and we are always so grateful. The Kimberly Apartments are an important and needed source of revenue for the cathedral’s operating budget. 2021 brought continued deterioration of everything from showers and tubs to large and critical systems, including the building’s water heater. Additionally, the realities of the changes in Capitol Hill over the last few years have resulted in more broken windows and graffiti. All the needed repairs and maintenance were very costly; 2021 saw a continued downwards trend in net revenues coupled with an increased administrative workload for Saint John’s staff. The deterioration of revenues at the Kimberly was the most significant operating budget problem in 2021; net revenues for the Kimberly were down 41%, or $90,000. The operating budget in 2021 will end with a deficit that is commensurate with the erosion of the Kimberly revenues. Once the 2021 books are closed in February or March, the 2021 operating budget reports will be available on the website, here: sjcathedral.org/financial-reports. This summer, once the 2021 audit is completed, the full consolidated financial statements from the 2021 audit will also be available online, here: sjcathedral.org/governance. In fact, using those two links, you can view financial statements back to 2015, and audit reports back to 2014.
Capital Building Repairs and Property Management HVAC Project
The new HVAC system for the Cathedral Nave, St. Martin’s Chapel & Sacristy, Dagwell Hall, the Common Room, and the Nursery was the most urgent, exciting, consuming, interesting, inspiring, and important building repair and preservation project of 2021. Five years ago, qualified staff and consultants notified leadership that the boiler steam pipes that fed the radiators in the cathedral were at risk of imminent failure. Until the funding for this project was secured, we were at risk of having the heat in the cathedral fail us at any time during the winter. We are now free of that worry, which is an enormous burden lifted. The debt of gratitude we feel to the anonymous donor household that prayerfully and thoughtfully chose to fund the entire $4.3 million dollar project truly cannot be overstated. Our lay leadership, carefully chosen contractors, and staff rose to the opportunities and challenges of the HVAC project. Mike Baksa, a cathedral member, helped us to interview and select our architect, Tryba Architects; our Owner’s Representative, Paul Miles; and our General Contractor (GC), Fransen & Pittman. Mike was generous with his time and knowledge, and because of him we had the best Architects, Owner’s Representative and GC we could have asked for. The HVAC project was the smoothest construction project most of us have ever been involved with, and it is in large part because of Mike, the Tryba team, Paul, and the Fransen & Pittman team. Likewise, staff showed the same adaptability and teamwork they have displayed since the beginning of the pandemic. Like our members, our staff were disappointed to extend the time that we weren’t worshiping in our gorgeous and sacred cathedral, but they showed remarkable clarity in understanding the urgency and timing of the HVAC project, and dove right into the hours of work required to move out of the cathedral and convert Dagwell Hall into a stunning and sacred space for Sunday services. Our hope was to celebrate Christmas of 2021 back in the cathedral and, because of the commitment of our entire talented and hardworking team, Sunday worship in the cathedral began again on November 7. As we move into the final months of the HVAC project, we are looking forward to, once again, using our whole campus and all the unique and beautiful spaces in which we are so fortunate to worship and of which we are so fortunate to steward.
Preparedness Committee The Preparedness Committee was formed in 2020 with the charge to develop a comprehensive, accessible, and truly functional document to help identify risks on our campus and in our community and guide the training of key staff and lay leadership so that we are always thinking of and improving our ability to be welcoming and prepared.Vestry member William McMechen generously and brilliantly leads the committee; their exhaustive and excellent Preparedness Plan was approved by the vestry in March. This year they are planning an Active Shooter Training and an Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED-BL Red Cross Training for slected staff and volunteers. The work of William and his team exemplifies the critical role lay leadership plays in supplementing the expertise and hours of work we don’t have available in our staffing model. Their remarkable work has made a genuine and important impact for our staff, volunteers, and members, and we are so grateful. Stained Glass Repairs Lay leadership and staff conscientiously maintained momentum researching what is needed to preserve and repair our precious stained glass. Rebecca Richardson, vestry and Arts & Architecture Committee member, and Michael CorriganLavallee, Arts & Architecture Committee member, have diligently spent many hours helping staff procure and review expert assessments which will be reviewed more in 2022 by the vestry. The goal for 2022 is to pick up the pace slightly: We are hopeful we will procure an entire-project estimate in the first half of 2022. And More Like a duck swimming, there is always much more work going on under the surface at Saint John’s than is obvious. From a building/capital projects standpoint, some quieter but still important projects that were completed in 2021 included re-tuckpointing exterior mortar on the southwest corner outside of the chancel, which was the source of a leak that occasionally caused water to find its way onto the floor near the organ console, and new security cameras and alarm systems, to replace the system we had, which was twenty years old.
2022 Forecast 2022 looks to be a year of growth, hope, and learning, balanced with continued frugality. As of this Annual Meeting, 2022 pledge dollars have grown by 13% over 2021. That is remarkable! On behalf of the staff, I want to say how thankful we are for your pledges, which are critical in our planning and implementation of all our programs and offerings. 173 households have increased their pledges by an average of $1,039 per household, or $177,000 total, and there are 87 households that are new to pledging at Saint John’s! Pledging is our largest and most important source of funding, so this is incredible news – we really are amazed and delighted to have such large growth in pledging form 2021 to 2022. Thank you all so much. Partially because pledging is going so well, and because it is critically needed, we are increasing staff in 2022. The time has come when not increasing our staff would be short sighted; there is more to do than can be well and reasonably distributed and managed in our current lean staffing structure. As our 87 new pledging households illustrate, a staff person that is dedicated to welcoming and integrating individuals and families into our community is greatly needed. Fittingly, when we hire them, the new Coordinator of Parish Life will also serve as the primary administrator for the more than 70 small groups that are part of Saint John’s and coordinate all non-liturgical celebrations such as Saint John’s Day, Pride, and Juneteenth. Then, a second full-time Communications staff person will focus on all the greatly increased digital offerings and work of that department and help generally to make the workload of the Communications Department more reasonable. The 2022 vestry-approved budget continues for the fourth year in a row the 5% allotment of Pledge and Offering Plate actual revenues to the Grants Committee. Combined with the 15% that goes to the Diocese, this means that 20% of your gifts to Saint John’s are provided to communities and neighbors in our city and state that greatly need our support. Finally, in keeping with the vestry’s and parish’s care for the long-term health of the endowment, the endowment draw in 2022 will be reduced ¼ of one percent, to 4¼%. 2022 is the third consecutive year of the ¼ of one-percent reduction of the endowment draw, on the path towards a 4% annual endowment draw. In the 2022 operating budget, this means that for the second year in a row, operating revenues from pledges are significantly higher than operating revenues from the endowment (52% of revenues will come from pledges income, while 33% will come from the endowment). Please email Audrey Chapman, Director of Operations, at audrey@sjcathedral.org with any questions about the following table and graphs, the audits, or other financial or pledging questions.
2022 Operating Revenues Budget $3,236,777
Earned Income (Retreats, Rental Fees, Interest, Other) – 12% $392,419 Pledges, Annual Giving, Contributions, & Bequests – 55% $1,780,322 Distributions from Endowment – 33% $1,064,036
2022 Operating Expenses Budget $3,236,777
Worship & Ministry – 27% $874,658 Buildings & Grounds – 12% $382,488 Music – 12% $397,557 Administration – 21% $690,593 Christian Formation – 7% $218,801 Communications – 7% $224,613 Stewardship – 1% $24,203 Outreach – 13 % $423,864