St. Paul's 2021

  Safe Church is a vital principle for us Fr. Dale C. Hathaway In the Episcopal church a Rector or priest in charge has complete authority over the worship of that Parish. The legal expression of this is found in the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and of the Diocese of North Carolina. Sec. 3 . Unless it conflicts with the law as aforesaid, the Rector, or such other member of the Vestry designated by the Rector, shall preside in all the meetings of the Vestry. (EC) The Rector or Priest-in-Charge shall have full authority and responsibility for the conduct of the worship and the spiritual jurisdiction of the Parish, subject to the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, the Constitution and Canons of this Church, and the pastoral direction of the Bishop. (EC) For the purposes of the office and for the full and free discharge of all functions and duties pertaining thereto, the Rector or Priest-in-Charge shall at all times be entitled to the use and control of...

  Tasks at St. Paul's Fr. Dale I've been trying to keep up with a list I began several months ago. It was apparent that there was more around St. Paul's that needed doing than there were people to accomplish them. But I figured we needed to get in front of us a comprehensive list of the things that needed to be tended to. I am submitting this list now at the beginning of a calendar year, a time when some corners have been turned, a time when we want some of the burdens of the past several years to be lifted, a time when the pandemic is dragging on and on, and a time when most of us are just tired. You are probably familiar with the "Eisenhower matrix" for prioritizing and moving towards getting things done. I mentioned it in a sermon last fall. You can read up on it here . Here is a graphic to illustrate it, taken from another website . As a part of our planning process and moving towards getting done what is important, it seems to me that we can at least pla...

  Message to Parish Fr. Dale Jan. 13, 2022 From the Diocese As you may be aware every week the Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina meets with clergy and other leaders over Zoom. I have said before that I am enormously impressed by the ability to stay connected with the bishop and the clergy of the diocese. It is one of those unintended and surprising consequences to our response to COVID-19. Last week was the first week since Christmas that we met. The bishop expressed some regret at the disruption that we have felt with the eruption of the Omicron variant among us. At that time, and again when he was with us for his visitation on Sunday, he emphasized that the diocese intends to support each local community as it makes decisions about how to respond with compassion and wisdom to the effects of the current spike resulting from the Omicron variant. In response to my inquiry, he reported that some parts of the diocese have continued to have in-person worship while other part...

  Rector's report I hardly know where to begin in writing a report on my place at Saint Paul's during the pandemic. The narrative doesn’t begin in any sense at all with the signing of a letter of agreement to be your interim part-time Rector in July of this year. My history with you as a congregation goes back for years now. I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my time spent with you during critical times over the last few years. In my own experience it has been primarily with St Paul’s that I have tried to figure out how to be church in the midst of pandemic. In March 20 20 I returned from Dayton Ohio expecting to continue as the recent past had been. As if overnight my teaching and my supply work at churches changed dramatically. Your lives all changed just as abruptly. My experience mirrors and is comparable to what all of us have experienced over the last few years. The highlights of my time since August with you would include the following: Making a decision...