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Hearing the Call: Jane Beckwith on The Power of Our Community

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We’ve endured one of the most dramatic and difficult organizational changes when we lost our beloved Ministers – so significant was that loss that I decided that no matter what, I wanted to remain here … [and] we’ve flourished … we have held together by holding one another together.  Jane Beckwith


More than ten years ago, like so many others, we were “church–shopping” and came upon this church as one in a series of visits.  When we arrived and saw the sanctuary, witnessed everyone enjoying one another before the service started, watched as the service evolved, then heard the Choir sing, and then heard Reverend Merritt’s sermon, we knew this was to be our church.  As many have also said before me, I never knew there was a place like this, nor did I know that I was in search of such a place.  We joined the church two weeks later – that’s how sure we were, in our hearts if not yet in our heads.

In the past few years, I’ve understood better what’s so very special about our church.  We’ve endured one of the most dramatic and difficult organizational changes when we lost our beloved Ministers – so significant was that loss that I decided that no matter what, I wanted to remain here because of the friends I’d made here and to continue to sing in the choir.  But we’ve flourished.   

During the ministerial search process, I developed a better understanding of how we’ve managed so well and of the depth and power of our community.   We are, to be sure, a demanding and diverse group – we are a congregation with those formerly devout in many traditions as well as agnostics and atheists, but we all are asking questions that are spiritually evocative.  Our backgrounds differ, our views differ, our opinions differ, but all of those differences seem to add to our depth and broaden our spectrum.  We remain caring and respectful of one another no matter how many ways we may differ from one another.  And we have fun.

We have had wonderful interim ministers and they have helped keep us going forward.  But we have held together by holding one another together.   Our music and faith development functions haven’t skipped a beat, the church staff has kept up with us all, our lay leaders have kept everything going and have moved forward on all fronts; we are still active and healthy and we’re ready and looking forward to the next phase in the life of our church. 


I believe the next phase (with our newly called twelfth settled minister) will be wonderful.   This is a very special place packed with interesting and wonderful people and I am grateful to be here.  Whatever “time, talent and treasure” I’m able to give don’t come close to the value this church and its people (and the music!) hold for me.

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