Vestry Corner ~ February 2024: Senior Warden's Address

A Farewell Address - Outgoing Senior Warden LESLIE JARRETT

Dear St. James Parish Family,

When you sit down to reflect on the past year, I wonder where your mind goes first. Often there are pivotal moments in a year, defined by intense emotions that come to mind first. It may be a moment of great joy or it could be sorrow of tragedy. As you step back from those big moments I hope you feel a sense of belonging, community and grace from our St. James Parish Family.

The Vestry at St. James is charged with furthering the mission and vision of our parish in addition to oversight and responsibility for the financial and property resources of our parish. For a parish of 1,350 members, encompassing an entire city block, this is no small task. We are grateful for the promise that ‘‘where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them” (Matt. 18:20). Our vestry meeting conversations and decisions always start with centering ourselves around the presence of God and being mindful of how our actions reflect the call to servant leadership.

When reflecting on 2023, there were many opportunities to welcome others to grow in love of God and neighbor through special speakers like Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston or the Diocese Jazz and Race Symposium, Wednesday evening suppers and Vacation Bible School. We continued to build community through ministries that strengthen our faith like the Orientation for Newcomers program, Community of Hope, Men on a Mission, St. Martha’s Guild and Outreach events. We gathered for celebrations on the lawn, our parish picnic at Mt. Lebanon chapel and the Trinity Center for the Parish Retreat. We came together with a new schedule on Sunday mornings which resulted in growth of both worship services offered (8am and 10:15am). We saw the beautiful before and after work of the Great Hall

Kitchen repairs in addition to the painting and refreshing of Day School, Sunday School and Children’s Chapel rooms. There are plans in place to replace the market street steps early this year. We ended the financial year 2023 positively due to generous giving along with careful attention by staff and volunteers to being good stewards of our resources.

Now here we are in 2024, a thriving parish that is 295 years old! While it may be tempting to keep things ‘the way it’s always been’, the reality is a parish thriving after 295 years shows that St. James has been evolving. Let’s continue to constantly reflect on and respond to the needs of our parish family and surrounding community. We need to remember our role as servant leaders to our neighbors in Wilmington and eastern North Carolina.

I am so excited to see what this next year holds for St. James Parish. We are blessed to have incredible servant-hearted clergy in addition to vestry leadership that remains focused on Jesus. It has been an honor to serve on Vestry over the past three years alongside fellow dedicated parishioners. An extra huge thank you to Junior Warden, Alex Murchison who brings gratitude, wisdom, and kindness to every meeting and project at St. James.

With Gratitude,

Leslie Jarrett