Submitted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Drivers on Pine Hill Road this week got to see something no one has seen in more than 30 years: the exterior of the tongue-in-groove boards on the roof of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. After three decades of wear and tear, with three layers of replacement shingles in some places, this week St. Paul’s installed a brand-new roof on the sanctuary as part of its recently completed capital campaign. Replacement of the roof over the main classrooms at the church will take place later this month, along with other property work and a youth mission trip to rebuild homes in West Virginia—all funded by the recent campaign.
Earlier this spring, St. Paul’s completed the pledging phase of a capital campaign that raised more than $450,000 for the mission and ministry of the parish. These gifts and commitments, from nearly 100% of the parish community and other friends here in Bedford and beyond, will enable St. Paul’s to support new local and global mission projects, replace two roofs on the church’s property, make necessary upgrades to the church flooring and parking lot asphalt, and pay off the entirety of the parish debt, along with other smaller ministry projects.
“Our parish leadership and I are incredibly thankful for the generosity of our parish family and the wider Bedford community for their support,” said The Rev. Christopher Wendell, rector of St. Paul’s. “This campaign represents our best efforts at discerning how God is calling us to be a community of compassion, love, and peacemaking, both here in Bedford and beyond. The parish’s ability to raise such a significant amount of money in support of this mission demonstrates their commitment to living out these values as people of faith, both in their own lives and together as a faith community.”
The parish is tithing (giving away) 10% of the campaign exclusively for mission and ministry beyond the St. Paul’s community. A good portion of those funds will be spent through the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts to help build a hospital in Uganda, a job training center for young Palestinians in the West Bank, and to support socially transformative mission projects in the urban areas of Eastern Massachusetts. Funds will also be spent to support a summer youth mission from St. Paul’s in Bedford to West Virginia through Appalachia Service Project.
The parish also plans to use a portion of the funds raised for physical improvements to the church property. “Being good stewards of our church buildings—our spiritual headquarters for all our mission—is part of our faithfulness,” said longtime property chair, Paul Ciaccia. “These funds are enabling us to replace two roof structures, lay the final coat of asphalt on our driveway, and make other necessary repairs and upgrades to our physical plant. We are blessed to have a church building that is used seven days a week to serve our community, and with this campaign we will be able to maintain that resource for years to come.”
A special celebration of the gifts and commitments to the campaign was held on Sunday, April 7th, with Bishop Gayle Harris presiding. During the service, Bishop Harris blessed a bowl of apples representing the fruits that the gifts to the campaign will bring. During the final hymn, the entire congregation of 150 processed out to the parish hall where the Bishop offered a special blessing over the roof and the parking lot, where work will be done this summer. All told, the mission and ministry projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
The campaign is co-chaired by Emily Mitchell and Karin Baker, both former wardens of St. Paul’s Church. Said Baker, “In the past three years we’ve welcomed a new rector and seen substantial growth in the size of the parish, and so this was really the right time to address these priorities.” Mitchell added, “While we’re glad to have exceeded our financial target for the campaign, we’re especially proud of the fact that nearly 100% of our parish families contributed to this effort. Every gift, whether large or small, is a sign of generosity and of gratitude for the role St. Paul’s plays in the lives of our parish families.”
Betsey Anderson and Suzanne Johnson serve as the campaign’s treasurers. Anderson noted how the campaign’s successful completion will enable the parish to pay off its entire outstanding debt. “Our parish debt was incurred over the past decade largely to finance a necessary expansion of our classroom and parish hall space to accommodate the increased number of children and families in our community. By paying off this debt, we will have additional capacity in our operating budget to support the ongoing ministries of our parish each year.”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is a spiritually and socially active Christian community that celebrates an active faith and welcomes newcomers with enthusiasm and friendship. Founded in 1955 as a community without a building, St. Paul’s worshipped at the American Legion and eventually at Old Town Hall in Bedford. St. Paul’s current sanctuary on Pine Hill Road was built in 1958, and there have been several additions and expansions over the 55 years since it was first constructed. Its weekly community worship includes Holy Communion and is held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome.
Editor’s Note: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is located at 100 Pine Hill Road in Bedford. You can learn more at www.stpaulsbedford.org.
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