Every year, on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, the story of the Transfiguration is read from one of the gospels. And even though I am not preaching today, I can’t resist referring to this magnificent tale and what it might mean to our life together as a parish family. Certainly, first and foremost it is a story of God’s tremendous power in the life of Jesus. The Lord is transfigured before the disciples, his face and his clothes become dazzling, and they see him in a different light. But perhaps today—for us, the importance of the Gospel story is not so much that Jesus was transfigured, but that through the experience, the disciples were transformed. They came to realize that the Messiah was not exactly what they had planned for. They perceived their ministry and mission in a new way. They had to alter their expectations and strengthen their level of commitment. They had to come down from the mountaintop and join the others as Jesus led them toward Jerusalem. They had to travel by a new way, a different road, and in their transforming experience, they needed to realize how important it was to honor one another’s hopes and dreams and realities…no matter how different they were from their own.
It seems that’s a good teaching as we reflect on our last year together and as we look to what lies ahead. 2007 was a transformative time for Trinity. We learned much about what it means to be a downtown church and to be the Cathedral Church of the Diocese. We hosted more diocesan and ecumenical events than we have seen in a long time. Parishioners have gotten involved over the last year in hands-on outreach and in educational endeavors that have deepened their spiritual lives in ways that few could have anticipated. Many have offered their wisdom and talent and thoughtfulness and money and presence and time and prayer simply because they believed that this “jewel in the crown” of Miami must survive. There is not a night that I don’t thank God for the diverse and varied gifts that all of you give so generously as we seek to discern God’s will for us in this 21st century.
Last year, in this address, I mentioned four ways that I hoped we would live into our vision and mission of being a community of healing, inclusion, challenge and compassion. Let me comment on them now.
First, and perhaps most significantly, I think the reorganization of the Chapter into six ministry areas has strengthened the leadership of the Cathedral by assigning responsibility and accountability to the ministry areas. The Committees on Outreach, Christian Education, Worship and Music, Parish Life, Buildings and Grounds, and Finance and Administration now function with the input and dedication of a number of parishioners. This shift has not been without conflict. We are still in the throes of growing pains. We are learning to listen to one another and to see that we all share a part of the entire mission of the Cathedral. And I am confident that this division of labor and delegation of authority will enable our parish to address the many challenges that lie ahead as we attempt to fulfill our call.
Secondly, I talked last year about stewardship, and you will hear a little later about individual commitments to the life of our church. But many people over the last year have put in many hours to review our financial management systems, accounting and investment practices, grant opportunities and budgeting plans to ensure that we are on firm ground with regard to the fiduciary responsibility we have to you and to the Church-at-large. This has included changes in how we handle money, how we invest, how we review expenses, and how we use the resources available to us.
Third, the issue of staffing has been in the forefront for many people. The Cathedral Chapter since I arrived said that it would support the hiring of an assistant. I have been blessed by a number of assisting clergy, particularly Deacon Andy Taylor and our new deacon, Elaine Jessup, and have delayed in looking for a curate because I felt that there were other pressing needs that were far greater. Last year, a facilities manager was hired, a clerk-of the-works, in church jargon, to oversee the tremendous number of projects that we have before us. Jim Nolan has been an unbelievable asset as we negotiate the Byzantine process of renovation and restoration. His commitment and competence have enabled us to make progress on a host of delayed projects, and his diligence has made possible the monitoring of construction and the facelift to the Cathedral Close that was so badly needed. After a very successful year and a half, due to the extraordinary efforts of Bill Carney, our interim choral director, we added another staff position last year. Matthew Steynor came aboard in November, and his selection as director of music proved to be well worth waiting for. His competence and style, his youth and vitality, his ability to draw from an extraordinary range of musical genres have inspired us to hear the beauty of our liturgy both in organ and song.
Finally, last year I shared with you my commitment to develop a long-range strategic plan so that we can be clear about our mission and ministry. What is the role of an urban cathedral? How do we contribute to our civic life? Who are we serving? Where does our parish differ from others in the Diocese? How do we use the land on this entire Cathedral Close, and what opportunities does it hold for the future? These are questions that the Chapter and staff have only begun to address. The necessity of responding to immediate needs, the shifting of priorities, and the reality of constantly trying to keep rain from coming in and further damaging our beloved Cathedral have delayed the all-important task of looking ahead and planning for the future. But this cannot continue. Development of a long-range plan is not a luxury for us, it is a necessity if we are going to survive and thrive in the years to come. We have been entrusted with a precious legacy, and we are obliged to be wise stewards as we consider decisions that will affect the generations that will come after us into this sacred space.
So where do we go from here? Let me address the last one first. After the new Chapter is elected, we will hold a retreat to begin to tackle some of the hard questions of strategic planning. Of course, repair of the roof and restoration of the cathedral interior will be at the top of the list, not by choice, but by necessity. We will need to look at substantial fundraising, and prioritize the huge endeavors that include restoring the stained glass windows, repair of masonry and plaster, and preservation of the altar and sanctuary floor. It is a monumental undertaking. At the same time, I hope to rekindle the task force on “cathedral towers,” a group that will look at our property as well as the bishop’s offices and consider how best this can be utilized for mission and ministry. We need to look forward and dream about what Trinity can offer downtown Miami and members of our diocese. It is unacceptable to have a church that seats 1,000 people and to have 46 parking places to serve them.
As far as staffing, I will be going next week to several seminaries to interview graduating seniors in the hope that we will have a new clergy assistant on board by the summer. This person will share in the full range of pastoral and liturgical duties, and focus on new member ministry and growth.
Let me talk for a minute about the current cathedral staff. Put quite frankly, I could not survive without the day-in-day-out support of Cheryl Chapman, our cathedral administrator. Her competence and commitment have helped us immeasurably on a host of fronts, generating revenue and organizing projects and objectives so that we stay on track…and especially, so I stay on track. I owe her a tremendous amount of thanks. As I have already mentioned, Jim Nolan, who serves as facilities manager as well as treasurer, handles everyday operations and arduously labors with our computer and accounting systems to move our financial picture into a more usable form. He is ever-present and johnny-on-the-spot whenever a crisis arises. Monica Beniste, our office manager, ensures that Trinity has a hospitable, bilingual welcome to anyone who comes through our doors, coordinating cathedral activities…and soon we will be blessed in sharing with Jean and her the birth of their first child. It is an enormously busy place around here, nothing is ever quiet, something is always going on. But Matthew Steynor, with consummate British calm, makes us stop every day, pause for a moment, reflect on why we’re really here, and compels us to have tea at 3:30.
And then there are others. The volunteers who graciously give of their time to answer phones, fold bulletins, run errands and do countless other chores so that the office can run smoothly. The ministry chairs and the Cathedral Chapter as a whole have taken their responsibility seriously and use their limited time and considerable talent to advance the programs and projects that make this the lively place that it is. And the Chapter Officers, especially our churchwardens, Lucretia Allen and Laura Jamieson, have provided me their wisdom, guidance, advice and humor so that together the leadership team of the cathedral can face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Here let me give particular thanks to our outgoing Chapter members: Ruben Cao, Ted Eldredge, Fred Moffat and Ana Valerio.
We all have much to be thankful for. Those who have given of themselves and continue to offer their talent and treasure for the building up of God’s kingdom in this place are many. And at the top of that list, we all know, is the name of our Cathedral Verger, Meg Clements. Her passing, less than a month ago, left a huge hole in our common life. We will take a long time recovering from that loss and trying to accomplish the many tasks that she oversaw. But Meg, above all, would want us to move forward, face the challenges, not complain, do what needs to be done, and get on with our ministries as varied as they are.
I want to close by making an announcement. Rarely would a cathedral have this privilege. I am pleased to announce that on April 16, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts-Schori will visit Miami and celebrate the Eucharist here at Trinity. What an incredible honor for us as a congregation to host such an occasion. More information will be forthcoming, but I hope that as many of you as possible will be here as we welcome the spiritual leader of our church into this diverse and wonderful place.
The richness and variety of witness that is seen here is phenomenal, and I pray that we can share that with those who pass through our doors. We have a great and challenging year ahead. It is my privilege to serve with you.