“Now there are diversities of Gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” – l Corinthians 12:4-6 |
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“As a priest, . . . you are to love and serve the people among whom you work, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor.” – Book of Common Prayer, “Ordination of a Priest”
We all are still preparing for the birth of the Christ Child, still praying our way through Advent. It is not yet time for the arrival of the Magi, but Trinity Cathedral already has unwrapped the most wonderful gift: The Reverend – soon to be The Very Reverend – Dane E. Boston accepted the call to be Dean of the Cathedral!
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Earlier this month, three Trinity Foundation representatives who draft many of The Cornerstone articles had a most delightful and informative conversation with Reverend Boston. The purpose of this discussion was to welcome the new Dean and his family and to familiarize him with the work and goals of the Foundation. Susie VanHuss, President of the Foundation, offered Dean-Elect Boston the full support of the organization. |
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The Reverend Boston and his wife Debby are thrilled to be returning to Columbia and are excited to have found a house that will be home to them and their four young children. When asked what influenced him to come back to Trinity, our Dean-Elect cited the “extraordinary people at the Cathedral.” It will be a positive transition because they already have friends here, and they already love Columbia. He also noted that his four years away, serving as the lead clergy person of another parish, learning how to manage different responsibilities, prepared him for even more responsibilities at a larger parish. |
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In his recent letter to the Parish, The Reverend Boston emphasized the phrase “I know you.” That acknowledgment can be both comforting and a little scary. It implies that someone really knows who and what we are, but still truly loves us, which is comforting. However, it also indicates that knowing us means being confident that we can be better, that we can be challenged. He said that “I know, too, some of Trinity’s growing edges – those intersections of hope, fear, and promise where God is calling us to deeper devotion, sacrificial commitment, and higher service.” There is a hint here that, perhaps, the new Dean is calling the Parish to use this Advent time of preparation to be ready for change, to put away fear and to hope for the promise of becoming our better selves.
So, what do you do with this gift now that you’ve unwrapped it? You give thanks; you cherish and care for it; and you pray that it will be part of your life for a nice, long time. Welcome back to Trinity, Dane and Debby, Eleanor, Myles, Fritz, and Ruth!
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Rita Bragg Caughman. Rita joined Trinity in 2012. She is an attorney specializing in estate planning and probate law. Rita has extensive non-profit Foundation experience, participates in our Foundation events, and shares her legal expertise willingly, including writing educational material for the Cornerstone. Please welcome Rita, our newest Legacy Builder.
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Fourth Annual Foundation Celebration - Please Save the Date! |
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The Fourth Annual Foundation Celebration will be on February 9, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Dean-Elect Boston will be our Keynote Speaker. The Celebration will be another great event, regardless of how it may need to be staged. |
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Vestry Approved Candidates for Foundation Board Membership |
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Thank you to our Ex Officio members and elected Commissioners who have completed their terms with the Foundation, and welcome to our new members. We appreciate the excellent service the departing members have provided and look forward to working with our recommended new members after approval at the Annual Meeting.
- Acting Dean, Canon Andrew Grosso, will be replaced by our new Dean, The Reverend Dane E. Boston
- Senior Warden Wade Stinnette will be replaced by Junior Warden Gus Chapman
- Commissioner Mark James will be replaced by Commissioner Mary Weston
- Commissioner Dave Sojourner will be replaced by Commissioner Rita Caughman
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Did you know?
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As a student, Dane Boston graduated from the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University. At graduation, Dane was awarded the E. William Muehl Prize for Preaching, given annually by the faculty of Berkeley Divinity School to “the most eloquent preacher in the graduating class”?
- Dane, a native of FL, was ordained a Deacon at R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA. in 2011 and a priest at Christ Church Greenwich, CT in 2012?
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Speaking of Gifts...
Youth - Future of Trinity and Trinity Foundation
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Favour Ekechukwu. Favour is an amazing 16-year-old member of Trinity Cathedral. The moment you meet her, you are struck by her poise, her maturity, and her warm, contagious smile. As part of a series of articles highlighting Trinity Legacy Builders of all ages, Cornerstone felt that it was important to feature one of our Youth – a young person who already is a vibrant part of the Church right now, with the potential to lead our parish into the future.
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The Ekechukwu’s have been at Trinity since 2012. Joel and Mildred have four children: Kingsley (20), Victoria (18), Favour (16), and David (12). The three oldest children were baptized at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Nnewichi Nnewi in Nigeria. David was baptized at Trinity in 2012. Favour remembers being invited to join the Trinity choir as an eight-year-old, and her eyes still sparkle when she talks about it. The choir’s warm family environment had a key role on her involvement in the choir and later on in the church. As a current Chorister, Favour says that “coming to choir practice and singing on Sundays” is a “huge” part of her very being. Honoring her memories of being mentored by the older girls when she first joined, she now mentors and welcomes the younger members of the choir. |
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Favour already sees herself as a leader. She serves on Trinity’s Youth Committee and occasionally leads the Youth Group. When asked how she would describe the role of her age group in sustaining the future of not only Trinity Cathedral, but the worldwide Episcopal Church, Favour said that “it is important to be engaged; to try to include ourselves as much as possible.” For her, that involvement “starts with inviting others to join you in church activities,” just as she was “invited.” She offers three suggestions for how young people can have a larger voice in decision making for the Parish: 1) Find your cause; 2) Find your group; and 3) Test the waters.
Even at her age, Favour’s faith is strong enough for her to participate in tithing to the Church. Dr. Jared Johnson, Canon Organist and Choirmaster, says that all Choristers are given the opportunity to tithe, and almost all do so, helping to support a Chorister Scholarship. Favour says she believes that “even though it may seem like you just cannot fulfill your pledge, you dig down deeper and you make it happen.”
Obviously, Trinity Cathedral is a very important, God-filled part of Favour’s life. Introduce yourself to her and experience her wisdom, her contagious enthusiasm, her delightful personality. Engage in conversation with her and feel joy in knowing that she is influencing the young people around her in such a positive way. Listen to her sing and know how important choir and other activities are to shaping the spiritual development of Trinity’s young people.
Thank you, Favour, for sharing your thoughts with the Foundation and giving us hope for the future.
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The Past, Present and Future of Trinity Foundation |
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The timeframe for the bar charts below was selected because effective January 1, 2013, management reclassified the net assets of the Foundation into broad categories and later transferred the funds to Vanguard to manage all Foundation investments. The first chart below reflects the value of the General Endowment compared to the Foundation Funds as of year-end from 2013 through 2019. This chart was created from final year-end audits of Foundation financials. |
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Present—2020
The 2020 chart below includes the monthly value of the General Endowment Fund compared to the Total Foundation Funds. It was created from the monthly financials which are not audited. Note the volatility of the market caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this year—especially between March and August.
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The $4.27 million Williamson Foundation bequest is the largest gift in Trinity and the Foundation’s history. The bequest included the property and IHOP building located at 1023 and 1031 Assembly Street. The Assembly Restaurant, LLC now owns the business and leases the property from us.
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Future—2021
We cannot predict the future, but we strongly believe we will accomplish our major goals in 2021:
- Work closely with Dean Dane Boston to determine how the Foundation can help to support his goals for Trinity.
- Increase the number of Trinity Legacy Builders of all ages and regardless of the size of the planned gift.
- Manage all assets (including the Williamson bequest) entrusted to the Foundation efficiently and effectively.
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A Farewell Tribute to Dave Sojourner and Mark James |
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Dave and Mark both were elected as Commissioners in 2013 and were elected for a second four-year term which expires in January 2021. They had very similar backgrounds having participated in numerous Trinity ministries and served on the Vestry and as Junior and Senior Wardens, and as President of the Foundation. |
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Both were excellent mentors to new Commissioners and brought extensive knowledge, experience, leadership, and a sense of humor to the Foundation. |
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Dave Sojourner
Dave has degrees in Economics, Law, and Taxation Law and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law, Taxation Law and has consistently been ranked as Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers in SC. He also served on and chaired numerous community boards including Heathwood Hall, Central Carolina Community Foundation, Columbia Estate Planning Council and the Providence Hospital Board.
Dave has been extremely generous in sharing his legal expertise with the Foundation over the past eight years. He also takes pride in the great chocolate chip cookies he makes for the Foundation Annual Celebration.
Dave’s family has also been a key part of Trinity and the Foundation. He keeps Julianne busy every time we need beautiful flowers for an event. His son and daughter were also heavily involved in Trinity. The picture below is of Walker and Alex’s wedding at Trinity last year.
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Dave, Julianne, Walker, Alex, and Ellis |
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Mark James
Mark is a graduate of Wofford College. He focused his career on the commercial real estate and development industry for more than 25 years. Mark is co-founder of Cypress Real Estate Partners, LLC and Cypress Development Partners. Mark played a major role in preparing the IHOP lease and preparation for the sale of the property, which is a key part of the Williamson Trust bequest.
Very active in our community, Mark is currently a member of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Board; Shine A Light Foundation; and Vice-Chair of the Still Hopes Board. Formerly, he served as a member of the Girl Scouts of SC Board; the Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital Board; and chaired the Columbia Planning Commission.
Mark and his wife, Mills--a Heathwood teacher--enjoy the outdoors and travel with their delightful children.
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Mattie Mills, Mark, Francis, Mills, and Mac |
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