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From the Rector

The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams

Dear Friends,

As I go on sabbatical, I am very excited to tell you about some people who will be joining our program staff in the near future.

Gretchen Jordan will become our Christian education director in July. She brings a great deal of energy and experience to this important ministry, including the last 12 years on the staff of Binkley Baptist, where her husband, Sam, will continue as a parishioner. Thanks to all of you who supported the supplemental canvass and made the reinstating of this position possible, starting in mid-July.

I have called the Rev. Lisa G. Fischbeck, assistant at Holy Family, to be Orange County missioner. Her charge, when she returns in mid-September from sabbatical, will be to lead the formation of a new congregation, gathering interested parishioners from the Chapel of the Cross, Holy Family, and St. Matthew's in Hillsborough, as well as those who do not yet have a church home. She will spend the first year or two getting to know and becoming known by people in our congregations and in our community. At the appropriate time, a new congregation will begin to worship in temporary quarters, eventually moving to a more permanent location. Canonically it will begin as a parochial mission of the Chapel of the Cross, and Lisa will be considered a part of our staff supervised by me. This effort, however, will be a joint effort of all three parishes. She will have her office at St. Matthew's, for example, with computer and telephone space available to her in the two other parishes as well.

Mary Agnes Rawlings will take over the reins of the Johnson Intern Program in July, replacing Elizabeth Shows, who begins the Episcopal ordination process at General Seminary in New York this fall. Mary Agnes brings considerable experience in supervision, spiritual direction, social ministry, and grant writing. Her husband, Jim, begins as head of the Pastoral Care Department at UNC Hospitals in mid-June, and they are returning to the area after a stint in Birmingham. They have raised five children.

I could not be happier with the addition of these exceptionally capable and dedicated people to our staff. One of the joys of coming back from sabbatical will be to begin working with them. I am grateful to those who served on the various search committees for their wisdom and discernment, to all of you for your help and support, and to God, "from whom all blessings flow."

-- Stephen

© 2002: Chapel of the Cross