A MESSAGE FROM OUR  WARDEN

THE CROSS, April 2020

I knew when I took the reins of Senior Warden in February St Andrew’s was facing some tough    days ahead: would we have coverage on Sundays until we get a new rector? Could we afford to move services back to the church? Could we afford not to? Oh, how I long for those days!

As I write this, I am just receiving word from Bishop Gates that all churches in the diocese will be closed through Holy Week and Easter! By the time you read these words it may be even longer. I honestly don’t know what I can say to you that you haven’t already heard; stay home, practice social distancing, wash your hands…

So, what I will do, in the interest of transparency, is share with you the thoughts and concerns of   the wardens and our financial committee.  Even though our doors are locked we still have bills to pay.  No, we are not paying for clergy but we still have salaries and other bills to pay.  Christina and Holly are doing a wonderful job cleaning and disinfecting every nook and cranny of the church and parish house and beginning some larger cleaning projects. Our secretary Michelle is still managing the office either in person or remotely (if you are reading this then you need to thank Michelle). And like so many other businesses that are paying their employees even if they cannot work, we believe it is only right to continue to pay our organist.  With all that said, the one thing that has changed is our weekly gatherings which brings our weekly pledges. 

In November we turned in our pledge cards and committed to giving a certain amount to the church.  Most of us give the money in our weekly envelopes on Sunday and if we miss a Sunday, we give two envelopes the next Sunday.  Unfortunately, no one knows when that “next Sunday” will be but I can guarantee it will be after our next electric bill is due!  So, what I am asking you is to continue to honor your pledge every week.  Please feel free to mail it to the church (169 Belleville Rd, New Bedford, MA 02745) so it can get counted and deposited in a timely manner.  Now, I recognize that some of us are going through tough financial times during this pandemic and I respect and understand if you are not able to honor your pledge at this time.  But if you can, I ask that you do!

On behalf of the wardens and the financial committee I thank you!

Rachelle,

Senior Warden