2019 Annual Address

50 years ago The Church of the Mediator began her outreach ministry.  We grilled burgers and hot dogs in a booth at the county fair.  We made a little money, ministered to the traveling fair workers, fed people, and got our young name out there.  It was a good ministry. It did what one would hope.  But, it didn’t do it all.  It couldn’t. It required people who weren’t working a 9 to 5 job to be on the fair grounds. And even then, only a few people could man the booth at a time.  This ministry was run the way most ministries are run, off the hard-working backs of a select few.  The youthful Mediator realized that for the long run, it would not be sustainable.  Scripted in the vestry minutes, they stated a challenge, the need for an event that required the hard work of, not just a select few, but the entirety of the parish.
And with that, the BBQ was born.  I am beyond excited that this year we will be celebrating the 50thyear of our outreach.  And your vestry, BBQ chairs, and many others have already begun talking about how to make this year’s BBQ memorable.  However, it’s not the BBQ that I want to talk about today, but more the mentality that sparked its creation.  The belief that we can only exceed as a parish if we are all in it together.
It seems to be in your DNA.  This year we have been working on compiling a history of the Episcopal Church of the Mediator.  And it’s been interesting to see how the Mediator has developed since its creation, or perhaps its second creation in 1952… Here’s a little history.  Mediator was born out of necessity.  In the 1950’s throughout the country the Episcopal Church was exploding. These times have been referred to as the golden years for our denomination, and churches were being planted left and right.  It was Bishop Gray, Sr. (or “THE BISHOP GRAY” as he would be called in the aftermaths of Jr. and III) who gathered a group of people from St. Paul’s and challenged them with opening a second church in Meridian. Church planting is not in my repertoire, so I have thought a lot about what it must have meant for those who accepted the Bishop’s challenge. 
It meant leaving behind the security of the established.  We had just a few parishioners, no assets, a repurposed military barrack that we would eventually move across town and place on this piece of property.  There was no financial cushion to fall upon.  The budget was tight and the needs were endless.  I’ve been listening to the soundtrack from the musical Hamilton, and there’s a refrain that echoes throughout the musical, it’s sung by Alexander Hamilton, “I’m just like my country: I’m young, scrappy, and hungry, and I’m not throwing away my shot!” 
That was your origin.  Faced with no money, a single multifunctional building, few parishioners, but hunger that was unmatched, you built this church.  You built this community that challenged what a parish our size could accomplish.  Your hard and work and creativity allowed you to develop ministries that others deemed improbable.  This appetite for community led you to venture into the deep, welcoming those that often struggle to find religious communities.  At the Mediator people don’t just find a “church” they find a family.
I am convinced, it is this young, scrappy, and hungry mentality that, more than anything else, has led us to become the community that we are, that embraces its mission to share God’s unconditional love.  But the thing about being young, scrappy, and hungry… is that one can’t be young scrappy, and hungry forever.  It’s difficult. It requires creativity. It requires honest, hard work, and I mean hard work. I have helped load the trucks with wood for the BBQ. It is hard work.  I have made Wednesday night supper on various occasions. It is taxing. 
All on top of our already jam packed lives;  full of work, school, family, sports, hobbies, friends, relaxation and vacation whenever we can find it, being young, scrappy, and hungry doesn’t easily fit into our schedule.  I get it! I have a life too! I have a wonderful wife and two young children! I have needs at the house! (…I wouldn’t mind playing a round or two of golf). Church can get on the back burner, especially one as involved as this one.  But I want to tell you this, it is worth the commitment.
In a world that is becoming more insular, it is worth seeking diverse community.  In a society where blame is thrown more often than responsibility taken, it is worth confessing our sins.  At a time when so many are ostracized, forsaken, left on their own for the actions of their past, it is worth telling the good news of grace.  When the message we hear is, “it’s either us or them,” it is worth spreading that message of God’s unconditional love for ALL! This community, its worship, its formation, its education, its outreach, its welcoming of others, and care-taking of our own… all these aspects of our parish instill fundamental Christian ideals that are so visibly lacking in our society.
I know many of you were raised in this church.  Sitting in those same pews that your mother and father used to pinch you in when you were acting up in church.  Others have come to this church as adults, when you were able to choose a place of worship for yourself.  We all have found this parish in many different ways, but the one common thread between us is that this place has transformed us.  I have been told story after story of how you have wept when you truly realized the acceptance that this church and our God offer.  The embrace that this church so freely, so warmly, so generously gives is worth the commitment. 
Mediator, we are about to have to make a choice.  And it might not seem like much, but believe me, it is going to be a big choice.  Our church is growing, our budget is growing, our foundation is strong.  We have beautiful buildings, magnificent grounds, we have wonderful assets… We are lucky that I am able to announce that our new endowment for the Mediator is already off to a great start of over $350,000. All statistics point to the truth that our church is strong.  And all this takes me back to our choice… Do we lean on our strengths built from the past, and use them as a crutch for our future?  Or do we empower the next generation with that same hunger that built from nothing, that which we now possess?  Imagine what it could do?
The focus I choose for this next year is just that, to be a part of that hunger that defines our church.  Because for me, it is worth raising my children to be strong agents of acceptance and progress, it is worth teaching them about the payoff of good hard work, it’s worth forming and molding them into Christian disciples that impact our community.  So we will focus on our children and our families, as many of you were raised in this church family some decades ago. 
Already this work has begun by the hiring of our Director of Christian Ed, Marc DeCoste.  As early as next month we will begin an Episcopal program with which many of you may already be familiar, Rite 13 and Journey to Adulthood (J2A).  I was actually raised on Rite 13 and J2A, and what I love about it is its ability to t involves the whole church in many ways. The children will have mentors from the congregation.  They will be lifted by the congregation through rites of passage in our Sunday morning worship.  We will be asking many of you to participate on various Sundays to share your knowledge, your faith, and your spiritual journey with our youth.  All this comes together to encourage cross generational community building. 
The greatest formation that Rite 13 and J2A did for me is that it gave me an opportunity to be seen as a member of the church in my own right.  I was able to develop independence, to be seen not just as Morris and Rebecca’s son but as Me.  As pilgrims in this program, responsibilities were placed upon us, and it was up to us to rise to the occasion with the help, not of our parents, but of our church community.  This helped me grow deeper into discipleship, so that inevitably when I went off to college and found my way to the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville, Mississippi, I was equipped with the maturity to engage that church.  That is my hope for our children.
The Mediator children and youth are our priority.  We need to form our next generation, and doing so requires your help, your support, your commitment and your prayers.  Because, you all have so much wisdom, experience, joy, and love to give. This church is special because we continue to remain a church family, not just a church social club.  So I know you will be up for the challenge of raising these kids.
Another aspect of our growth, not only for our kids, but as the Episcopal Church in Mississippi, is one many of you already know well, Camp Bratton Green and Gray Center.  Once again this is a place that has deeply formed me, and I know for a fact, that it is among the most meaningful places for many of our youth as well.  Through camp sessions, DOYs, Winter Solstices, Cursillo, retreats and conferences, many of you have experienced the holiness of those grounds, and have left transformed for God’s ministry.  You also know, if you have experienced those grounds, that they are in terrible need of improvement.
            A capital fund campaign began this past year to solicit gifts from both individuals and parishes to raise five million dollars to build new cabins and give a long overdue facelift to existing facilities. The bishop has requested each church pledge 10% of one year’s operating fund, to be paid over a 5 year period. My friends, for us that’s $40,000.
            When I approached the vestry with the bishop’s request, we were already facing a deficit budget.  Honestly, I did not expect that we would be able to pledge this year, perhaps putting it off for a year.  Clearly, I still have much to learn from you.  The vestry noted the deficit for the year, but noted that we have overcome much more.  Furthermore, they recognized the significance of this campaign not only for the diocese, but our church, and for our youth.  And they voted that we must affirm this campaign with a pledge worthy of its significance.  So, I am proud to say we have committed those $40,000.
            This brings our annual deficit to just over $19,000. But I can honestly say I’m not overly worried.  With the support and confidence of your vestry, I believe we will rise to the occasion. We have already begun kicking around ideas for how to creatively raise the money to support the Camp Bratton Green campaign.  In the wake of this decision we have even had a member make a generous donation of $1,000 towards this campaign.  This donation has encouraged Emily and I to contribute $100 a month on top of our pledge, because we believe in the ministries that this church, Camp Bratton Green, and Gray Center provide.
            Mediator, we are a church that always rises to the occasion, Haiti, Seeds of Faith, Neighborhood Ministries, Rainbow Connection, or even amongst ourselves, when we cook for one another, when we learn and share our stories together, when we pray together, have fellowship together, even to our last moment on this earth when we hold vigil and bury one another. We rise to the occasion.
            So, I guess what I am hoping to challenge you with this year is that same challenge that began the first BBQ.  Let’s get everybody involved.  Let’s work hard to invite new people into the church.  Let’s find ministries for members who have often sat at the periphery.  If you feel you haven’t been involved, let’s work diligently to get you involved.  Join an existing ministry.  Revive old ones that are in need of leadership, I’m talking about Seeds of Faith and our Labyrinth Ministry.  Let’s even start new ministries. Many of you have been interested in getting involved with our public schools.  We can do this.  Let’s not get complacent where we are… that’s not who you are.  Remember, you’re young, scrappy, and hungry!