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My dear Saint Markans,
You will have seen by now that this year we are hoping to increase our operating income by $250,000. Although that money represents several different categories, the largest chunk of it would be directed toward fuller and more equitable staffing. Our hopes for staffing the Cathedral fall into two areas: calling a second full-time priest and adjusting staff compensation to more reasonable levels.
Through my presence with you one-on-one and in small groups, I believe we have begun to build a foundation of love and respect. I have also gotten a better sense of exactly how enormous the needs of our Cathedral community are. I am but one person. As much as I would love to be available to you when you need your priest, while also tending to the strategic vision of our community, while also ensuring proper administration and smooth governance, while also empowering us to feed and clothe our neighbors, I cannot do this work alone, even supported by our amazing staff and parishioner volunteers.
For our common ministry to be sustainable, we need to call a second full-time priest. My hope is that this person would be a partner to me in priestly ministry, sharing in the pastoral care of our community, and guiding the development of our family and outreach ministries.
I have heard your longing for more robust care for our families and children and also for those in need around us. These are the two themes you have addressed with me more than any other. The difficult reality is that, short of calling another priest to guide and support these ministries, we will not be able to grow our capacity to nurture the next generation of faithful Christians or to answer the gospel mandate to serve Jesus in our neighbor. The best way we can answer our longing to grow in these areas–a longing God has planted within us–is to invest in a second priest.
Calling a new priest will cost about $110,000 per year, which includes salary, health insurance, and pension. This is the single largest chunk of the $250,000 target increase in pledging. If you long for a more robust investment in our families or our outreach efforts, increasing your pledge is the most tangible way to bring that longing to birth.
In addition to calling a second priest, we also need to continue to address the equity issues facing our staff. Without an annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), we essentially cut our staff’s pay each year. This year, the federal COLA is likely to be 3.5%. We will need to add $25,000 to our budget to offer a COLA in 2027, but that does not address the ongoing salary deficit we have created by not giving regular COLAs over the last decade. Realistically, we need to add an additional $40,000 beyond the COLA to meaningfully address staff salary deficits. Taken together, we need to raise $175,000 to expand and support our staffing structure.
I ask you to prayerfully consider how God is inviting you to invest concretely in helping to build the Kingdom in our little corner of the Twin Cities.
Your brother in Christ,
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