Dear saints,

When it rains, it pours. Usually, though, that happens outdoors. Unfortunately, as I write my final block email to you before handing over for the summer to some of the lay leaders working hard on your behalf on the Egleston project, I need to share an update on a significant amount of water intrusion that happened this past week in Egleston with the heavy rain storms we all experienced. As the rain came in through the roof, and through cracks in the structure, six different office spaces on three different floors either saw water-soaked ceiling tiles give way and fall onto computers and furniture, or suffered other water intrusions, especially on the north-east portion of the building. Thankfully, no one was in the offices when the damage occurred and no one was hurt.

Due to the timely and decisive work of our facilities manager, Jeff Couch, and our music staff, Scott Lamlein and Justin Maxey, we were able to cover and safeguard the musical instruments and sheet music in the music suite before any lasting damage was done.  

Sadly, water damage did occur in Jenny McBride’s office on the third floor, as indeed it did in some of the office spaces on that floor and on the second floor below it.  

While we have been able to make some repairs to the roof, to prevent the amount of water now getting into the building during heavy rains in all the places water so tenaciously tends to go would require us either to replace a roof system that appears to be at the end of its useful life or make extensive roof repairs, and repair structural damage where water is intruding. We have, of course, been pursuing the goal of having a restored Egleston building on this block and had hoped to be able to stay in it until that project could be taken on. This week has shown us that we will not have that luxury of time.

Consequently, our conclusion is that the music program can no longer operate in the basement of Egleston and not at the same time risk damage to all that the music program houses there. Aside from church property you might be more familiar with, such as the robes the choir wears, and the four pianos we house there, the music suite is also home to a music collection built over the past 50+ years of something like 2000 titles, 77,000 individual pieces of music representing over $350,000 of replacement value. Needless to say, we are keen to take as good care as we can of those assets, and so over the next few weeks we will be moving the music program out of Egleston altogether for the next several years until we complete our work on the Egleston project. Additionally, we will be assessing the relocation of our staff in Egleston - music staff and others - so that they can have a workplace fit for the tremendous ministry they do here. As that is determined, we will keep you informed and seek to create as little disruption to the life of the parish as possible.  

If there is an image out of all of this that stays with me, it is of how much we are in it together as a parish. Our staff now are going to have to figure out how we will continue to work together in new spaces and configurations, and those who sing in the choir will have to grow accustomed to a new home. ‘In it together’ is always the value proposition that the church speaks into our lives. As we move through the months ahead, you will be invited into that hope as we come to a conclusion as to the future of the Egleston building. Our staff, the vestry and the small army of parishioners working hard in the background on that effort are in it together with you. I invite you to find one another in that spirit of togetherness as we build a future here for ourselves and for all the saints to come.  

Have a wonderful summer.