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December 19, 2022
Dear Parish Family,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. For members of our church who were out of town or unable to attend our worship service yesterday, I want to share with you the great good news about what God, through many channels and means, has brought about.
I and the Vestry are overjoyed to announce that we have completed the purchase of land for the purpose of one day building a new church for Christ Church Anglican. The purchase of this land, located in the heart of north Mt. Pleasant within the Carolina Park developmental footprint across from Costco on Faison Road, was made possible by what I am confident is the largest single gift in Christ Church’s history - $3.2 million - by a family in the congregation, who wish to remain anonymous. Wonderfully, the donors did not ask for any say in the site selection, but desired that the Vestry seek and select the land, under its own timetable and criteria, knowing that this gift was available to them whenever, in the short or long term, suitable land was eventually found (the decision to purchase this land was unanimous by the Vestry). In addition to the incredible generosity of this gift, I and the Vestry are humbled and inspired by the spiritual maturity and practical wisdom inherent in the manner in which this gift was given. We praise God!
I said “...through many channels and means,” and certainly that is so. Much credit goes to our Senior Warden Jeff Gum, who has effectively spearheaded the search over a several month period, always in close consultation with me and the Vestry. We partnered with an outstanding realtor whose hard work and professional knowledge has guided us at every step. During our due diligence we first gathered input from the clergy, the staff and the Vestry about our ministry needs and wants, and then engaged both a local engineering firm and an architecture firm (a local architect who specializes regionally in church design) to help us determine if this site could accommodate our needs. Our work has involved individuals in the congregation with specialized knowledge or expertise, as well as other professionals in the community and town administration who could help answer our questions about a myriad of issues from wetlands to soil analysis to parking codes and much more. Among the many hours dedicated to this project, perhaps the most important has been the time spent by the Vestry prayer team, lifting to God our need, our search, and our discernment. I am grateful for and give God praise for everyone who has worked to bring us to this moment.
And, we will not break ground tomorrow! We have taken a huge step (and, I would say, in record time - just a few months out from our departure from our old campus), but of course it is only one in a long series of other steps. We will need to form a Building Committee, and a Capital Campaign Committee, among other things, and consider many factors in determining a timetable for next steps - steps which will require creativity, hard work, time, money, et. al. God has brought us this far, and we have no reason not to trust that God will carry us through those next steps, too, and beyond.
And so I remind you of the old African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Hear again what I wrote to you in this fall’s Ministry of Annual Giving letter: “...ask yourself if you want to be part of a unique opportunity to continue building, in joyful anticipation of a new season of God’s guidance and grace, a community, a ministry, and a church, through which God intends to transform many lives for Jesus Christ…” In the days, weeks, months and years ahead, this will ever be our choice: to offer our time, talent and treasure to build a community, ministry and church in keeping with this season in the long, good life and journey of Christ Church.
Faithfully,
Fr. Ted
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