...Now I encounter abandoned clothes, suitcases too worn to roll another day, empty liquor bottles, food wrappers and personal items, and an occasional hypodermic needle--all of which are carefully disposed of. If there's a big mess I may feel annoyed with the people who left it, but that diminishes when I get rid of their leavings. After all, it's not an insult, it's just a mess. 

From time to I encounter people on the grounds. One night a fellow was shoving weeds into a metal strap around a downspout, thinking he was fixing it. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "Trying to survive." Another night I met Jeff, a dumpster diver who lives in a camp off of Wheeler, going through our trash. He told me he was respectful and simply wanted to salvage useful items. I let him carry on and the next day the area was tidy. 

And then there are people I see on the street who are obviously out of control. Of course I give them plenty of leeway. In each case they seem to be getting by as best they can, but I can't help wondering what had happened to them. Very likely combinations of bad luck, misjudgments, illnesses mental or physical, or any number of other misfortunes may have befallen them. In effect they have run out of wiggle room, which brings me back to one of my favorite duties at St. John's. 

As I mentioned last month, each Wednesday I change the candle in the sanctuary (pictured above). Though we replace it every seven days, it will actually burn for eight. In effect it is a day of grace, and although I haven't needed it, who couldn't use a little more grace in their lives? Imagine a grace period as cushion against errors, omissions, and bad luck. Some of us have had to use it--perhaps we have even taken it a bit for granted. 

But not everyone enjoys such benefits. Many in the larger community have exhausted their resources and find themselves living on the fringe of society.  Given the recent economic wreckage we may be seeing more of it. Alas, I don't have a solution for that, but I refuse to give up hope, seeing evidence of it all around me, particularly in the work of the good souls who serve in so many ways, casting a light of their own. 

It's one of the reasons I continue to love working at St. John's--it challenges me to think and feel in new ways--but I don't spend my evenings in the church philosophizing. That happens on my own time. Instead I go about my business, cleaning up such messes as I may encounter and striving to see the light in others. 

In the time since the last edition of The Chronicle came out, it feels like the world is a different place. We haven’t had public worship in our sanctuary since March 8. As of today, we’ve held 23 services online, either streaming directly to our website or by Zoom. Our Vestry has met three times by Zoom, and is really getting the hang of it. We’ve even started having coffee hour by Zoom following the morning service (which it turns out is more fun than you’d think!) Things are decidedly different, and there’s no telling when they’ll get back to the way they were before March started. 

I’m particularly proud of our staff, and how they’ve all gone out of their way to make things work in this trying time. Our sexton, Dan Kapsner, comes in late at night whenever he knows others have been in the building to sanitize everything he can. Our bookkeeper Cynthia Knapp has been working remotely to do most of our books but comes in every Thursday to cut checks and make sure our deposits are made. Jim French has been working diligently to coordinate singers and instrumentalists for our liturgies, getting everything recorded in advance, so we can keep the building as empty as possible while still having beautiful music for worship. Evie Fagergren has been coordinating the office remotely, coming in once a week to bring the mail (and the pledges that so many of our members are mailing in- thank you!). Fr. Michael Beatón Oakley has had to get to know the congregation while not being able to actually see anyone in person- and has been doing a remarkable job at it! Isaura Fernandez has come in each week to record the music for our Sunday evening service; it sounds glorious (you should check out one of the services, which are all archived online).

We are incredibly fortunate to have gotten word this week that our application for a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan has been approved, and our funds have been reserved with the Small Business Administration (SBA). This will provide payroll funds for us for eight weeks, and as long as our spending meets the program guidelines, that loan will be forgiven at the completion of those eight weeks. This is truly a blessing for us; our bank stopped accepting applications within 24 hours of starting to accept them because they were overwhelmed. Thankfully, Cynthia Knapp used her connections to submit an application with Commencement Bank, who have been fabulous to work with, and got us the loan in the second round of funding. Thank you to Cynthia and our treasurer, Bob LeRoy, for their work in making this happen. 

As of today, we still don’t have word on when we might be able to open the church for worship again, and we can’t even begin making preliminary plans until we get more guidance from both the governor’s office and our bishop. What I am sure of is that coming back will happen slowly, and in stages, and that social distancing will make communion a challenge for the foreseeable future. The Vestry, staff, and I are planning on making live-streaming part of our permanent plans for St. John | San Juan, because so many people will continue to be excluded due to health concerns even after we start slowly opening up again. We are developing plans for implementing live-streaming with all of our services, both Sunday and weekday services, in the church and in the chapel. We will have more to say in the next edition of The Chronicle, which will come out just after our next Vestry meeting, which is scheduled for May 21. 

We hope that you are staying home, and staying safe. If you need anything, please let us know. We have had folks volunteer to do grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions or other goods, and we have funds available in the Clergy Discretionary Fund to provide assistance if you’re having trouble paying your bills. All you need do is ask, and we’ll do everything we can to help.

Many blessings to each of you. This distancing is hard, but it’s worth it.

Many blessings,

R.C.+

This month’s update is brief due to the slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We’re nearing completion of the final design phase of Part I renovation, but Governor Inslee’s stay home order has delayed completing the scope definition and pricing of hazardous materials abatement, information that’s crucial to developing a final cost estimate. We now anticipate having that in May, as the state is expected to begin relaxing some of its stay home restrictions soon.

Even with this delay, there is still enough time for us to apply for a Part I building permit by mid-June. The City of Olympia has extended the new building code adoption date until November 1, which gives us some cushion if we need it, but at present we expect to apply for the permit as originally scheduled.

Much more to come next month. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully submitted,
Lou MacMillan
Renovation Committee Chair

I began my spiritual formation and vocation in the First Presbyterian Reformed Church of Havana, Cuba. There, I served doing youth leadership, teaching adult Bible study, and overseeing the missionary work for my local church. I was later approved by The Committee for Education and Christian Vocation of the Havana Presbytery to be a candidate for pastoral ministry and later that year I began my theological studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Matanzas, Cuba.

I received my degree in Theology in 2009 and in 2012 went on to received my Theology License from the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Matanzas, Cuba and was further ordained as minister of the word and sacraments in the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba after passing examinations in Pastoral Care, Liturgy, Church government, Bible, Theology, Sacraments, and Church history.

From 2006 to 2012 I spent my weekends attending to and performing the pastoral duties for seven Presbyterian Churches that were a part of three different Presbytery’s of the National Synod in Cuba. After graduation I accepted and served as Senior Pastor at the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Camajuaní. While serving as Senior Pastor I simultaneously took on the additional responsibilities of: working as moderator for the session of Presbyterian Churches in the cities Encrucijadas, Placetas, and Remedios, all located in Central part of Cuba; varied responsibilities in service of the National Synod and Presbytery of the Center; and was President of the Committees on Social Policy in the Synod, the National Center for Activities of the Presbyterian Church, in the Council of the Presbytery of the Center, Pastoral Relations Committee. I further served as Chair of the Committee on Education and Christian Vocation of the Presbytery and as Vice Moderator of the Presbytery of the Center in Cuba.

I have maintained an ecumenical position throughout my spiritual formation and pastoral ministry. Along with my pastoral work as described previously I have also worked as the general coordinator  for  Youth Programs sponsored by the National Council of Churches of Cuba (CIC) and the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) and maintained exchange and ecumenical relationships with  organizations including: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Memorial Center; The Community of Sant' Egidio; The Christian Center for Reflection and Dialog; The Kairos Ecumenical Center for the Arts, Liturgy and Social Service; The Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz; and the Evangelical Church of Anhalt (EKBO-EKD), and Berliner Missionswerk in Germany.

I have great passion for the Bible and its teachings, and the practice of community prayer.  I have always dreamt of participating in a church whose role in the society is one driven to serve, reconcile, and promote peace, while being accessible and welcoming to all without regard for race, color, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.  For me, the Church is called to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), to give meaning and flavor to the life of all and to enlighten the way God gives us in faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

I joined St. John/San Juan in 2016 and it has been an honor to serve and support the Hispanic community. With the support of St John’s Episcopal Church, I started the discernment process into the Episcopal Church some years ago and I was ordained to the transitional diaconate last December 2019. My ordination to the priesthood will be in June 2020.

I join you and look forward to being of service with my wife Louise, and my children, Samuel, Gabriel, Nile and Martin. I’m grateful for the continued support of my family throughout this journey. I enjoy swimming, hiking, time by the water and dancing salsa.

I look forward to learning more about you.

Peace and Good,
Michael    

The Monday after Easter I felt the need for a little more and lit a candle in the rear of the sanctuary. As I put a match to the candle I thought of those who had died from the virus, grateful that as far as I knew none of our own had been among them. May it remain so.  Our lives go on quietly, and quite differently, and yet the connection continues through the internet, Zoom, and the telephone. I am in the building at odd hours, trying to minimize contact with others, but I see our efforts on Facebook and Vimeo, and I know that bible study continues on Zoom and that members are reaching out to each other on the telephone. It's not the same, but it shows how we still care for one another, how we continue as best we can in adversity.

It's tricky at times. We have to stay a safe distance from each other and limit how many people are present. It requires planning and cooperation and discipline, along with considerable patience with the technical demands of sharing worship on the internet. Cables and cords snake out across the sanctuary floor, various connections have to be made, things have to be relocated to allow us to stay safely apart. Before Easter the altar was moved up two steps to make more space. Now I see it is back in its customary position. I helped move it up, but how it came back down is a mystery. 

Every day brings surprises. Just yesterday as I was blowing off the sidewalk along Capitol Way I noticed flowers at the base of the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. At first I thought they were artificial flowers, but upon closer inspection they turned out to be fresh, placed there recently. What secret visitor had put them there? I asked Michael, our new Curate, but he didn't know. It is yet another mystery, a private act of devotion by a member of Iglesia Episcopal de San Juan.  

This year's Easter Vigil brought surprises, too, combining Fr. RC's chanting in the darkened sanctuary with recorded readings. Our friend Fr. Evan was one of the readers; as he read his dog wandered in front of the camera, adding a grace note that confirmed my long held belief that God has a sense of humor.

And so we persevere, doing what we can. Of course I'd rather see things back to normal, the building packed with people and bustling with activity. I wouldn't mind cleaning up a big mess in the Parish Hall, or wiping up squashed cake from the floor and mopping it clean again. In fact I would be delighted to haul out buckets full of green waste and recycling and trash. I know it will happen, I just don't know when. For now I will continue to clean and disinfect, water the plants, and encounter the various mysteries that enrich my days. 

And each Wednesday I shall light a new ambry candle, knowing that one day it will welcome us home.  

...Singers were placed approximately 10 feet apart. Entrance into the building and movement about in the building was preplanned with restroom use and sanitation protocols preplanned. Music sheets were prepared carefully using email .pdf files for home rehearsal with backup sheets as needed. Hand washing and sanitizing are our constant vigilant protocol.  Singers that live in close proximity to the church and were confident in their health status risk factors as described by the diocese and the governor were approached to serve.

The music director, in conjunction with the rector, chose hymns, liturgical music, choral or solo anthems appropriate to the small forces allowed for Sunday morning services. These materials were preplanned, rehearsed, and recorded for use in live streaming performance and for our prerecorded services downloaded to our internet platforms by our team. Fr. R.C., does all the recording, though he is teaching the music director established protocols to ensure a consistent outcome, especially as we approach summer’s needs.

During this period of emergency reformatting and creation of new ways of meaningful worship, the music director has basically been on call 7 days a week to respond at a moments notice and create music as needed in any format that might present itself.  Being able to practice on the organ has been easy enough, both at the church and on my home studio large practice organ. Both organs are easily recorded for downloads to our website.   Office time has become more intense as our virtual choir product is being built while still doing normal planning, rehearsing, practicing, and recording. Mondays are usually quiet. Late mornings, afternoons, and some evenings get filled up. Scheduling is around team and performers availability. The attempt is to complete all Friday, but there is always something more!

Rehearsing small ensembles, vocal soloists, and instrumentalists is far more intense than normal rehearsal of our choirs since the finished product doesn’t hide small mistakes hidden by other choristers singing the same part. The final musical offering must be of the highest possible quality each solo individual can deliver. Pre Recording performances help some since one can have a “do-over” or two, but since live streaming must be completely presentable, putting in the time with strong rehearsing becomes mandatory. 

Creating and practicing for small organ recitals in addition to normal service music occupies quite a bit of my time once the above priorities have been accomplished. 

The music director is presently creating a high quality virtual choir product that is hopefully better than what can be seen now on most websites. We believe our completion of this web based product will be quite soon.

The Second Sunday of the Month Compline Service has been enhanced with an organ recital immediately following the Compline Office. This will continue with the music director being the performer until other organists are available to move about. The overall interest in this offering is more valuable during the pandemic. 

In addition to Sunday services, the singing of a hymn at the Wednesday morning's 7 am service continues, but now my studio organ is heard on Zoom instead of our wonderful harmonium from the chapel.

Solo recitals and small ensembles is the plan for our concert season. Live streaming of these concerts will be offered with viewers being given the opportunity to contribute to our efforts in offering fine performances to the community. 

A strong brass ensemble presence is now emerging with a seven member ensemble participating for Festival Easter Services and during Christmas, as well as trumpets added to services from time to time just for fun!

Our 6^th annual Festival of Advent Lessons & Carols service, led by the Parish Choir, Compline Choir and Jubilate Choir confidently lead the congregation in traditional Anthems and Carols for the Season. 

Our Christina Beckman’s Nookta Rose Baroque concert was a hands down spectacular success, solidifying expectations for St. John’s Concert Series offerings to come. Christina’s choice of music from the Baroque reveals both the sensitive and the exciting sides of Baroque life. Hearing the fine reproductions of period instruments, violins, cello, baroque guitar, and the visually exciting archlute introduced many listeners for the first time to the world of early music.  Expert interpretation of this styled music along with pithy narrative was a hit.

It remains to be seen how St. John’s Concert Series will continue with its traditional procession of outstanding visiting choirs such as The Esoterics and Seattle Pro-Musica. St. John’s agreement with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra for their performing their annual season as a part of St. John’s Concert Season will be re-evaluated. We expect players will accompany St. John’s choirs and ensembles in various projects throughout the year. Many of you enjoyed OCO’s Concerts this past Fall and we look forward to more. 

We will reschedule Gabrieli and Friends, Music for Brass and Organ extravaganza with scholar Rebecca Edwards, and the Dedicatory Recital of our finished Schlicker Pipe Organ to be performed by Douglas Cleveland.  Again, we thank Bond Organ Builders of Portland, Oregon for stepping up as they work to complete the installation in time for the concert.

At least one jazz offering and one Celtic style offering are being worked on for this next season.

...Maybe some of them are still unfamiliar. Who would have thought we would be living through this pandemic? Our world has certainly be impacted in a dramatic fashion because of this devastating health crisis. Loved ones have been lost. Unemployment has soared. Lives have been forever changed.

Despite all the challenges and uncertainty we are facing, Fr. R.C. and your Vestry continue to try to meet the demands of keeping our St. John's family connected by providing opportunities to worship via Virtual Church technologies. While this effort has not gone as smoothly as we would have liked, it was another step in trying to keep our family engaged in this manner, and we are working on improving the delivery of services. We appreciate your patience as technological issues are being resolved and encourage you to keep checking the website for information and current updates. This past Sunday's service (April 26) ran quite smoothly. Please check it out, if you haven't already done so. I know you'll appreciate the service. A big Thank You! to all involved in the production of this.

We welcomed Fr. Michael Beaton Oakley to our St. John's Vestry family last night. We are blessed to have Fr. Michael join us in a part time capacity as he joins us a Curate. While at St. John’s, Fr. Michael will be learning the craft of ministry. Along with Fr. R.C., Fr. Michael is sharing the responsibility for both English and Spanish language services. Along with those responsibilities he will be working to build his knowledge of and familiarity with Episcopal Church polity, worship, leadership and customs.

If you haven't had the opportunity to read the message from Vestry Clerk Sarah Clifthorne entitled "Being the Church During the Crisis," I would encourage you to do so. Sarah addresses financial Stewardship during this particularly trying time. I think you will find her words informative. To read her message, please click here. 

As I mentioned at the beginning of these thoughts, I included the term the "New Normal." We are all being forced to do things differently for an unknown amount of time. 

This "New Normal" has begun. You stay at least six feet away from friends. You visit with them through closed doors and windows or from the opposite side of the street while wearing a mask. Visits to the grocery store may cease or you go wearing that mask. You begin marking your calendar with times indicating when a food delivery will take place or you take advantage of curbside pickup or the next Zoom meeting. Travel has to be cancelled or postponed. You can't physically go to church. You can't . . .

But what you can do is take the time to offer thanks for all you have, and use this opportunity to help those who need it most, if you can. If you find yourself needing any kind of support, please do not hesitate to contact me at linmark_ku@hotmail.com.

I close with the same scripture from Isaiah 41:10 that I referenced in my last letter.

Do not fear, for I am with you, 
Do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, 
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Stay healthy,
Mark Hampton
Sr. Warden

St. John’s Episcopal Church
Treasurer’s Report for The Chronicle
April 27, 2020

Finance Committee

The first meeting of our new Finance Committee was held on April 16. In these challenging times, I think it is more important than ever to give R.C., our Vestry, and our congregation the benefit of a shared and balanced perspective on how best to manage our finances. Joining me as members are R.C., Gerry Apple (Vestry Member), Sarah Clifthorne (Vestry Secretary), Mark Hampton (Senior Warden), Ric Weatherman (Junior Warden), and Christian MacMillan (Lou’s son, a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Olympia). We plan to meet each month one week before the Vestry meeting to review our financial condition and offer recommendations to the Vestry as appropriate.

Our Current Financial Condition

Bank Balances as of April 22, 2020

• Operations = $10,426.06 (up from $4,630.67 on March 19, 2020)
• Designated = $6,990.19 (down from $29,649.97 on March 19, 2020) 
• Memorial = $7,718.66 (virtually unchanged since December 31, 2018)
• Capital Campaign = $13,246.91 (up from $13,246.79 on March 19, 2020)

Use of Endowment Funds

As of February 29, 2020, the balance in our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust (DIF) was $325,247.96. To-date, we have withdrawn $120,000.00 and applied these funds to our architects’, contractors’, and consultant’s fees and expenses to-date for their work to replace our sanctuary roof, undertake related structural repairs, and prepare for our upcoming capital campaign. Since January 1, 2018, those expenses total $207,599.37. At last Thursday’s meeting, the Vestry approved the withdrawal of an additional $60,000.00 from the DIF Account to pay the latest invoices from our architects, KMB. We intend to reimburse the DIF Account with interest from funds raised in our capital campaign.

Our Budget

Our Budget Report for the First Quarter of 2020 has been posted to the parish website. Please click on this link and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to access the report.  

As of March 31, our year-to-date operating deficit is -$78,788.91, which will be reduced by $60,000.00 upon receipt of the withdrawal from our DIF Account.

Although total pledges for 2020 have increased to $265,892.00—including $11,532.00 in supplemental pledges—pledges received through March 31 are below budget by -$17,029.77 (24%). Pledge payments have decreased each month since January.

We are currently raising only about ½ of what we need to cover our operating expenses.

Our projected Diocesan Assessment for 2020 is $56,346.00. The January, February, and March 2020 payments have been made. The April payment was made last week.

Commencement Bank has accepted and approved our application for a Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) grant in the amount of $74,000.00. We received word earlier today that the money has been reserved for us, and we may receive it within the next few days.

We have been approved for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the SBA and are awaiting receipt of $5,000.

If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding our budget or financial condition, please feel free to reach out to Cynthia Knapp, our Bookkeeper, at cynthia@stjohnsoly.org or me at bobleroy05@gmail.com.

Respectfully submitted…

…Bob Le Roy, Treasurer

All of this is new to us. There are very few people alive today who can remember the Spanish influenza pandemic, and a combination of modern medicine and good fortune have spared us from the sorts of drastic measures that we've all been asked to take in the last few days and weeks. This is also new to all of us who are on staff at church. We're working hard to provide opportunities for worship, Christian formation, and fellowship for the entire St. John • San Juan community. It's been a steep learning curve, and we're still adjusting. As I write this on Tuesday, I don't have a clear picture of what Sunday will look like, for our parish community, or for our community here in the South Sound. Bishop Rickel has confirmed that the churches in our diocese will be closed at least through Easter Sunday, and our observance of Holy Week and Easter will have to move online. I spent time with priests around the church yesterday in a webinar presented by the Virginia Theological Seminary, brainstorming ways to provide meaningful, engaging experiences for individuals and families in your own homes, using the resources of the whole Episcopal Church. As we make plans for Holy Week and Easter, you'll see more about that in your email, or on our social media channels. Things are changing rapidly, and this Easter isn't going to look like one any of us have ever seen before.

Yet even as the building our church worships in at 20th and Capitol Way is closed, the church is still very much open, and thriving. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Willams says "the purpose of the church is to form people into the kinds of people who can receive the gifts that God wants to give." And St. John's • San Juan has formed many of us into the kinds of people who can receive the gifts God wants to give. God calls us into community with each other, and the caring that so many of you have shown to each other in this time of crisis, through calls, visits, reaching out to offer help with grocery shopping and prescription delivery, has been an inspiration. Our Christian formation continues, as we worship together online, reflect on the readings, and begin offering streaming Bible study online. We will be offering fellowship opportunities for everyone who wants to participate in the coming days (watch our Facebook page for more information). The building may be closed, but the church is open, and alive with the love of Jesus Christ.

Now, more than ever, I encourage you to follow our Facebook page (facebook.com/stjohnsolympia), because that will be the easiest way to hear about what is happening at St. John's • San Juan. Our new curate, The Rev. Michael Beaton, starts his work with us officially today, and we will both be posting updates online (on Facebook and our website) as the week continues. Let us know how you are doing. If you need anything, reach out to any of us on staff. We have resources to help individuals, and we can connect you to resources in the community as well. 

Many blessings to each of you as you settle into your homes for the next few weeks. Know that we are praying for you each day, we look forward to worshiping with you online, and we can't wait to celebrate together again in our sanctuary. In the meantime, we will be the church where we are, and we will continue to love and care for each other at a reasonable social distance, for the sake of everyone.

Faithfully,

R.C.+

After such a rich Concert Season thus far, all concerts at St. John’s had to be postponed or cancelled. All rehearsals were canceled, the Parish Choir, the Compline Choir, and the Jubilate Choir. Our OCO Brass Choir + preparing for the Gabrieli Brass and Organ Concert as well as for our Easter Celebrations had to be cancelled. 

Suddenly, there were no church services, no Eucharist or Compline. No gatherings. A maximum of nine were allowed to create an online Morning Prayer over streaming platforms such as our website, Facebook, and Youtube. Father R.C. and the vestry were forced suddenly into finding and creating the technological solutions needed to send out to our congregation meaningful worship experiences.

Thus, sung Morning Prayer, well known to R. C. from his days at seminary as cantor and celebrant, was created for last Sunday’s streamed service. We chose music that could be sung be a quartet with organ, hymns, anthems, psalms, and prayers. Remember, this service was to have no more than nine people at the church per order of the governor! We hope you found the service as satisfying as we did to participate.

Going forward, Easter is our focus, whenever that happens! I am choosing music that St. John’s Parish Choirs and congregants can sing with confidence and joy accompanied by brass and organ. That music is being prepared for email blast as pdf files with accompanying sound files. 

We will CELEBRATE EASTER!

Presently, we are experimenting with music videos and sound files to be shared with you all on our website and FB page, sooner than later!

Our concert series will be reconstituted as soon as we see our way clear to move forward safely.

All these experiences through which we now pass serve to make us stronger and more appreciative of all the blessings we enjoy, the Word, the music, the fellowship, our common musical experiences, and most of all one another.

Blessings to you all,

Jim