Letter from the Rector

Dear saints of James and Andrew,

This past Sunday you received a letter from our Missioner, Rev. Jimmy Pickett, sharing the bittersweet news that his time shared between our parish and St. John’s in Athol will be coming to an end this November. He has accepted a call to serve Grace, Great Barrington. 

We hired Rev. Jimmy to focus on formation and community building:

• To help our young families discern a sustainable and meaningful forum for formation and community. Children’s Chapel was born and is now being led by Coordinator Cara Hins and a team of volunteers. 

 

• To resurrect the Wednesday Chapel community in a sustainable way and it has come alive, bringing new members into our community. Mary and Becky Burleigh-Howe, along with a team of regulars, now manage the Wednesday service. I look forward to joining and continuing to foster this community in December. 

 

• To offer other experimental programming and see what stuck. Two such events that were particularly meaningful were retreats offered to members seeking spiritual nourishment, rest, and renewal.

During the time that remains, Rev. Jimmy will continue with the Wednesday Chapel community. He will also be with us in worship on September 21 to preside and November 23 to preach on his final Sunday with us. 

At the request of the Rector and Vestry, he is also preparing a special one time event focused on end of life planning that we anticipate featuring an estate attorney, nurse, funeral home director, and church leaders. The hope is for the event to be live-streamed and recorded as a resource that could be available on our website, and a supplemental booklet with other helpful information. The event is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 in the evening. 

During these last nearly two years, we as a parish have also had the honor and privilege of supporting a newly ordained clergy person as they begin their ministry - a gift to the wider Church. As a priest that served in a similar arrangement when I was newly ordained in Maine, I can attest to my continuing gratitude for the lessons the communities of Grace Church, Bath and St. Phillip’s, Wiscasset taught me. They loved me through each learning moment, and helped me to grow as a clergy person. You have done the same with Rev. Jimmy, and what a gift it is. Thank you. 

Some folks have inquired whether we’ll be hiring another assisting minister. We have been incredibly blessed by the part time clergy who have served our community since our community was born following the 2017 merger of James and Andrew.  We knew back then we would not be able to financially sustain two paid clergy persons for the long term but felt it was essential in those early years following our merger. After the Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm’s departure as our Associate Rector, we knew we needed a dedicated staff person to explore projects that were essential to our community’s efforts to grow in faith, and the Spirit led us into a holy experiment with Rev. Jimmy. 

Even as our community breathes new life through the joyful noise of children, the playful banter of our youth, and of marginalized community members taking comfort in our meals and worship services, we are not able to financially support two clergy persons. The Vestry is always holding in tension the places where we need to fan the flames of the Holy Spirit to keep growing the Jesus Movement here in Franklin County, and the challenging demand on our resources of maintaining our campus. We tolerate the ambiguity and trust in God, making the best next steps we can faithfully make, and see what unfolds. What we have seen again and again and again is that God always provides in abundance. 

As the calendar year shifts into 2026, we will need to remain nimble and creative with how we use the time, talent, and treasure of our community; continue to discern what responsibilities live with our paid staff, and what is handled by our volunteers; and remain ever faithful in our prayer and praise of God. Because all that truly matters is that God is with us, we have one another, and a wider community that needs the radical love of God we have to offer. Especially at this hour in our common life. 

In this and upcoming editions of our Newsletter, I would encourage you to consider some of the exciting programming we will be offering to help us continue to grow in faith, such as: Episcopal 101 & Newcomers Group; Children’s Chapel; Youth Group & Youth Confirmation Class; Wednesday Chapel community; St. Andrew’s Guild Skill-Share; Choir; Bell Choir, Coffee & Conversation, and much more. 

Ever yours in the peace, love, joy, and hope of Christ. 

Rev. Heather J. Blais,
Rector

---