St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

A few weeks ago, The Rev. Fr. Cutie, the most famous Latino Roman Catholic priest in the world, was received as an Episcopalian. In a year, he will be consecrated as a presbyter in the Church of God, Anglican division. Apparently, he’d been thinking about the switchover for about two years. About the time he met his fiancée.

Dear Gawain:

I am so glad I made it back to White Plains and be at St. Bart’s for Easter. Since I get news of the church weekly through email, I had of course taken note of the changes to the configuration of the altar and pews as well as the article in the Journal News back last fall. It looked lovely and tasteful and I was very curious to see it.

The New York Times

February 1, 2009
To Add Members, Church Subtracts Pews
By NICOLE NEROULIAS

WHITE PLAINS

WHEN the Rev. Gawain F. de Leeuw stands before his flock at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church here on Sunday mornings, he sees the pews as a quarter full, not three-quarters empty.

Five months after removing more than a dozen of the long, red oak pews — more than a third of those in the church — to bring the shrinking congregation closer together physically and spiritually, he is open to any other cost-effective ideas to make St. Bart’s a more welcoming place.

Like the two million people who went to the inauguration, I'm captivated by the change in administration.

Although my personal politics are non-partisan, I think that Obama has demonstrated - even apart from his political slant - sophisticated and agile leadership. The most important evidence is his ability to stay connected to people who think differently. He is motivated by curiosity and a sense that everyone has a view worth sharing.

This Sunday we will have elections to the vestry and for our Jr. Warden.

Aside from keeping the clergy incarcerated, the wardens are primarily responsible for helping ensure unity and good relations between the priest and the vestry and church. In some places they help organize the property by keeping lists of equipment and hiring contractors to maintain the property. The only place the wardens do not have authority is in liturgy and music. If there is no priest, the wardens find supply clergy and work with the bishop to organize the search for a rector.

The last few months have hit our endowment hard.

In 1980, during the tenure of the Rev. Norman Hall, St. Barts was the fortunate recipient of a fund donated by Ada Jewett. It was a 1.5 million dollar blessing that allowed the church to remain stable for nearly 30 years. We used the investment income to pay for staff, some operating expenses and our ministry in difficult times. We have recently learned that we have $5,500 in cash from that original amount. This investment fund also included other donations of stock and cash.

Titusonenine mentions Ephraim Radner's piece. I like Professor Radner because he takes the long view. I think he is wrong about a few things, but right about many things.

The diocese passed a resolution that supported the Earth Charter. I didn’t oppose it, because, of course, I did support it. Because I support an end to evil.

But it does raise a few issues.

I’m not sure who is going to enforce or bring such a charter about. I think the only way we can create a perfect world, right here, right now, is through tyranny. Only in a world perfectly ordered, where people are micromanaged, will original sin disappear from the planet. I look forward to such a world. If I were in charge. Or if I were like God, and had God's mind.

Over the last eight years, the work of caring has usually fallen upon the shoulders of the priest or the ECW. A growing church, however, will have a team of people who care for each other.

Fortunately, two new members have stepped up to the plate. We're compiling a list of people who might benefit from such a ministry. Down the road, an intercessory prayer group and a prayer phone tree.

Last Sunday more than 12 people volunteered to donate a short amount of time for those who needed a little help.

Every now and again we have people who have suffered a

MSNBC picks up the story.