2021 Annual Report
St. David’s Episcopal Church
Clergy & Staff The Rev. W. Frank Allen Rector Bufff Barnes Spiritual Direction
Margaret Biester Head of School, SDEDS
Steve Boyes Groundskeeper
Geoff Chamberlain Broadcast Manager
Amy Darst Director of Academic Support, SDEDS
Amy Dolan Spiritual Direction
Diane Dowlin Office Manager/ Calendar Coordinator
Roe DeRitis Parish Receptionist
Jo-Ann Funkhouser Finance Manager
Shannon Garland Communications Assistant
Emily Given Director of Christian Formation
Nereida Gordon Director, The Gift Shop & Art Gallery
Matt Grove Grounds Supervisor
Natalee Hill Director of Communications
Chris King Parish Custodian
Maria Leal Director of Children’s Formation
Eileen Myers Wedding Coordinator
Josiah Pizzo Groundskeeper
Leslie Robertshaw Parish Administrator
Dr. Clair Rozier Director of Music
Heather Sill Parish Receptionist
Paul Smith Parish Custodian
Dr. Elaine Sonnenberg Whitelock Associate Director of Music
Holly Vicki Music Administrator/ Librarian
Kurt Zampitella Groundskeeper
The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton Associate Rector
The Rev. Maurice A. Dyer, II Associate Rector
The Rev. Emily Zimbrick-Rogers Associate Rector
The Rev. Ken McCaslin Deacon
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From the Rector
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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. —Ephesians 2:8
Greetings in the name of the Risen One, Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior, Friend, and Companion in this life of faith God offers to all. I pray that you and yours are safe and well at this time of our Annual Meeting. I pray, too, that in the midst of another challenging and perplexing year that you are experiencing the presence of God in your life. I pray that you are feeling God’s encouragement and love for you. For by faith we believe that God is working God’s purposes out in our lives, and in the life of the world, even when there are very apparent shadows and trials all around us. This is a the life of faith that Christ calls us to live: the life of trusting in God; the life of being open to God’s movement in our lives; the life of accepting and using the gifts God has given us to love God and to love our neighbors; the life of hope and a peace that passes our understanding. It is a life like no other and reminds us that we are not alone because God is always with us and empowering our lives. Over this past year we have been focused on Faith Matters as a community. We have been preaching on the life of faith and on God’s love and presence in our lives. We have been teaching about what Christians believe. We have been practicing living by faith. We have been sharing our faith with others. Even though we are not fully together physically week by week, God continues to inspire us and work through us to help bring about God’s vision for our lives, for St. David’s, and for God’s world. Faith Matters is really at the heart of the Christian life, and our focus this year has allowed us to grow in faith together and to continue to live into our mission to know God in Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to others. We continue to worship God in person and on livestream. We are welcoming new members to St. David’s every week. Our Family Service at 9:45am on Sundays is drawing new young families. The Outreach
Ministries have grown even stronger, including our support of the people of Ukraine. Learning, spiritual direction groups, and confirmation are helping to deepen the faith of persons of all ages. Our financial stewardship is strong and we continue to take good care of our beautiful buildings and grounds. St. David’s Episcopal Day School is doing very well, and we give thanks for their stability and growth. Yet, in the midst of many great signs of life and new life, we are challenged in many areas of our common life. Some of us are tentative about joining or rejoining in-person ministries, from fellowship groups, to ushering and acolyting, to singing in choirs and welcoming new members. As we come out of this time of pandemic, I want to encourage you to take up your role as part of the Body of Christ, because we need everyone to share their gifts to be St. David’s Church. Still, we are a blessed people and continue to be a blessing to others. As you read through this Annual Report you will see just how powerfully God is working in our lives. In my 25th year as your rector, I continue to be blessed and challenged and loved by you and through the worship and ministries we share together. I continue to give thanks to God each day to be part of our community and thank you for sharing in this life together. May God’s peace reign in our hearts today and all through the year as we move forward in the mission God has called us to live. May we all lead our lives in the knowledge and power that Faith Matters.
Grace and Peace, The Rev. W. Frank Allen 3
Vestry
From the Rector’s Warden As you know, the theme for this church year has been “Faith Matters,” and the people of St. David’s have continued to bring our theme to life as the pandemic, and associated restrictions on our ability to gather as a community, have ebbed and flowed.
Jim Dolan Rector’s Warden, Finance, Property
Tom Johantgen Finance Warden, Finance, Stewardship
Mona Kirby Junior Warden, Fellowship
Edie Lewis Secretary, Adult Formation
Jay Baldwin Outreach, Stewardship
Alison Hastings Family Ministries, Fellowship
Rod Kellett Property, SDEDS
Leslie Lewis Family Ministries, Outreach
Tim Roach Finance, Property
Sarah Schoettle Outreach, Pastoral Care
Betsy Spiegel Family Ministries, SDEDS, Worship
Mike Tredinnick Fellowship, Stewardship, Worship
Julia Urwin Adult Formation, 4 Outreach
Liza Whelan Outreach, Pastoral Care
Ian B. Wilcox Adult Formation, Worship
It is exciting that attendance at worship each week is roughly on par with that before the pandemic, and our ability to make worship, formation, and other parish gatherings available remotely via a livestream has broadened our reach as a parish even further. It brings us great joy that we now serve people beyond our geographic footprint, and those whose circumstances prevent them from being with us in-person. Continued thanks to Geoff Chamberlain, John Lewis, and their staff of volunteers for making this possible. We will continue to take advantage of all we learned during the pandemic to bring worship and formation opportunities to our growing community – both members of our parish and the wider community. You have continued to show that your faith matters by helping us to meet our pledge goal for the coming year, some of you by increasing your pledge, and some of you by making a pledge for the first time. Thank you for your material support for the mission of our parish. Your generous contributions empower our outreach partners at home and abroad to preach the Gospel in a physical, tangible sense by providing food, shelter, and opportunity to those less fortunate than ourselves. In 2022, St. David’s parishioners awarded $131,795 to outreach partners at home and abroad, including feeding ministries, shelter for the homeless, and school programs for the youngest among us. I am proud to be part of a community whose generosity brings such meaningful change in the lives of others. Our new family service, designed to acquaint young children and their families with the liturgy
by bringing them closer to God’s table and serving directly in the worship, has been a great success! We have not only seen consistent attendance throughout the year, but have been pleased to welcome new families to the parish as a result of this innovative, familyfriendly program. St. David’s Episcopal Day School (SDEDS) has had another terrific year, navigating the pandemic and adapting instruction as necessary. The school had minimal disruptions this year, and the quality of the SDEDS program has become well-known in the wider community. The school has full enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year, maintains a waiting list, and is on track to have an operating budget surplus for the first time this year. Many thanks and congratulations to Head of School, Margaret Biester, and her team for this great achievement. The vestry is proud of and grateful to the faculty and staff of SDEDS for the tremendous success they have made the school. Our recent move to mask-optional at our worship services has led to steadily-increasing in-person attendance at our worship services, formation offerings, and fellowship events and we look forward to continuing to find our way to a new normal – a vibrant in-person schedule of events supplemented by hybrid and virtual options. We have seen a return to in-person Men’s Breakfasts, Newcomers’ Dinners, and other loved fellowship traditions, and I look forward to being with you at the Fairgrounds on the first Saturday of October enjoying the fare at McDavid’s, chili, and other delicious treats at the 171st Annual Country Fair. Lastly, the Vestry would like to thank our colleagues, Mona Kirby, Tom Johantgen, and Rod Kellett for their years of service to the people of St. David’s as members of the Vestry. We will miss their enthusiasm and good counsel. Jim Dolan, Rector’s Warden
St. David’s in the News
Ashes to Go picked up by Episcopal News Service (March 2, 2022)
Cover image and inclusion in the Parish Ministry Issue of The Living Church Magazine (September 5, 2021)
Visit to the Diocesan Media Center featured in their 2021 Annual Report (March 31, 2022)
Worship Worship is at the heart of all that we do at St. David’s Church. Over the past year, we have continued to adapt and create new ways for us to worship in-person and via livestream. The pandemic may have altered the ways we worship, but it has also opened up new ways for us to be drawn into the worship of God and welcome others into the Christian life. We’ve been chuckling over these past two years that God has finally caught us up to other Christians who have been using media in effective ways. Even going forward, when it is safe for all of us to worship together, we will still offer livestream options. Our worship participation overall has been consistent with prepandemic participation, due to our ability to hold both in-person and livestream offerings. We now have five services of worship on Sundays, as well as special opportunities mid-week and on special days to worship God together. In the fall of 2021, we started a family service for young children and their families that starts at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays. It is a shorter, child-friendly and child-involved service that has welcomed many families into the richness of our worship life. We also have a weekly chapel for each age group in our Day School that is helping our children know God and be drawn into the life with God. Throughout the year, we have been baptizing children and adults, holding graveside services and funerals, and hosting weddings in the church and the chapel. The livestreaming allowed family and friends from all over the world to participate in theses celebrations of life. Thankfully, we were able to return to a live pageant, in the chapel in December and it was a marvelous offering for 6
St. David’s and the wider community. The ministries that support our worship involve hundreds of parishioners as flower arrangers, altar guild ministers, ushers, vergers, acolytes, choir members, readers, chalicists, prayers of the people writers, and “sound and light engineers” who oversee our fabulous livestream offerings. Thanks to all of you who have offered your time and service over the past year to make our worship of God so beautiful and meaningful. Everyone is invited to join in these ministries. We believe that you will find serving in support of our worship a way for God to deepen your faith and make a difference in some very tangible ways.
Music Music at St. David’s continued to thrive and enhance the spiritual beauty of our worship during the 2021-2022 program year. Under the leadership of Music Director, Dr. Clair Rozier, and Associate Music Director, Dr. Elaine Sonnenberg Whitelock, all choirs resumed rehearsals in person after almost one and a half years of meeting on Zoom. While Elaine was on maternity leave in the late fall, Kathy Wagner directed the youth and primary choirs, John Reid directed the bell choirs, and Stan Orr accompanied our adult choir. Special musical offerings included a Lessons and Carols service led by our Primary, Children’s, Youth, and Adult Chamber choirs in December, a Messiah concert presented by our Adult choir in December, and a Lenten Evensong for Peace led by our Adult choir in March. During Lent, St. David’s was again host to mid-day organ recitals presented by the American Guild of Organists. In April all of our vocal choirs sang for Easter, and in May we will recognize all of our musicians at All Choirs Sunday. In May, our vocal choirs will have the opportunity to sing the national anthem at a
Phillies game, and the youth and children’s choirs will present a Musical Revue under the direction of Kathy Wagner. In addition to our choirs, St. David’s is blessed by professional staff singers Kim Robson, Kathy Wagner, Ryan Colbert, Stephen Christner, and Meredith Reid, as well as the Fairmount Brass Quartet and timpanist William Wozniak, who have performed for worship throughout this program year. The music department is also supported by our staff music assistant, Holly Vicki, children’s choir accompanist Jane Baumgardner, and The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton and Maria Leal who help lead the Christian education portion of our children’s and primary choirs every week.
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Adult Formation Christian Discipleship is all about forming our faith through teaching, learning, and everyday practices. At its core, Christianity calls us to be learners, to be open to how the Spirit is at work in our lives. St. David’s was blessed with a rich complement of formation through the 2021-2022 theme, “Faith Matters,” and was anchored by the Sunday Adult Forum and seven weekly Bible studies – with over 100 people participating. Education, Small Group, and Spiritual Practice As part of the Episcopal Church’s focus on truth-telling and racial reconciliation, we introduced the Sacred Ground program, a 10-part series which combines film and readings on history, race, and faith. Eighty-five people from St. David’s and St. Peter’s in the Great Valley participated in this journey. The Adult Forum was offered for the first time by livestream and in-person with great success. The Theologian-in-Residence, the Rev. Jenifer Gamber, engaged Faith Matters with a weekend full of intergenerational, interactive offerings. Other programs throughout the year were conducted in every way imaginable – in person, hybrid, and virtually – including a popular Advent Zoom series titled Close to Home and a small group on C.S. Lewis. The Center for Spiritual Growth The Center continues to support the community in forming and deepening spiritual practices. Technology has enabled us to extend our community well beyond the walls of St. David’s. In addition to our long-time offerings of individual- and group-spiritual direction, centering prayer groups, mindfulness classes, Exercise in Faith, and participation in St. David’s Adult Forum programming (specifically our well-attended Advent series on Henri Nouwen), we have returned to offering special programs such as our Lenten Enneagram course, a summer Labyrinth experience, and a new weekly Compline. Our History: The St. David’s Archives Summer 2021 featured in-person lectures on “Revolutionary War Legends” by Michael Merrick, the “Renovation of the Old Church” by Brognard Okie given by Cynthia Curley, and a group presentation on the history of St. 8
David’s international outreach. The archives continue many new projects in 2021-2022 such as the history of the Old Chapel and the history of enslaved peoples at St. David’s. Creating a Space for Prayer and Reflection: Revitalizing the Arboretum and Good News Garden In March 2020 we started with a workday to revitalize the Arboretum. A group of volunteers helped clean up and uncover the paths. Benches were donated, and parishioner Digger Higgins created a cross for the space, which has turned into a gem for meditation, walking, and gathering. The Good News Garden continues to also be revitalized and enlivened.
Family Ministries The 2021-2022 Family Ministries program year saw the return of in-person meeting for both Sunday Formation and Youth Group. While these events were masked until very recently, staff, volunteers, and youth were all grateful to be back together in-person. We began a new curriculum for youth formation, started a Family Service, and welcomed two new staff members to the team: Emily Given, director of Christian formation and Camryn Corbin, youth minister. Confirmation classes restarted after a yearlong hiatus. Due to the shifting nature of COVID-19 and the uncertainty while planning, our classes were online, meeting about once a month and offering synchronous and
asynchronous options. Parents of confirmands were encouraged to attend classes with their child, making the family involvement elevated from prior years, and adding a new layer of richness to the experience. Perhaps the brightest spot in our program year was the creation and success of our Family Service, a hands-on, interactive service designed to be appropriate for our youngest members. The joy is visible as our littlest friends take part in the service, experience a safe and open space to learn, and have no expectations to sit still or be quiet! The attendance at this service is consistently robust and we have gained additions to our church family through this innovative and inclusive service, presided over by The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton and Emily Given. Our youth groups, The Edge (4-5th grade), middle school, and high school have all been meeting throughout this program year. Camryn Corbin began regular Wednesday and Sunday night meetings, with the middle school and high school groups respectively, through January when she was called to a church in Nashville. Before leaving us, Camryn was able to revitalize the student Sunday morning feeding, formerly known as Hip-Hop-Hippo, now served at St. John’s Church in Norristown. Emily Given and The Rev. Maurice A. Dyer, II have since taken over the middle and high school youth groups and combined them for a joint Sunday night meeting. Maria Leal continues to lead the Edge group, making field trips and hosting movie nights enjoyed by all! While COVID-19 restrictions prevented Family Ministries from hosting several of our usual parish-wide events, in February we hosted our FIRST in-person Shrove Tuesday pancake supper in 2 years. Assisted by the Men’s Fellowship, who did the cooking, we hosted over 100 diners for a festive evening of fun before Lent. Plans for other spring and summer events are underway and, at the time of writing, we are planning the Easter Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School and Music summer camps, and a Youth Mission Trip to Kentucky.
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Outreach In living out our faith to know God in Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to others, the Outreach Commission is dedicated to supporting and developing partnerships with those in need. The 2022 St. David’s Outreach Grant Program awarded $131,795 to more than 20 ministry partners. The funds were the direct result of money from the St. David’s Fair, the Gift Shop & Art Gallery, and the World Gifts program. Grants addressed an array of needs, including feeding, clothing, emotional support, and fellowship programs. Many of our partners continue to feel the effects of COVID-19 and are working hard to bring back a sense of normal. The support from St. David’s has brought this closer to a reality for hundreds of people. The grants are awarded after much prayerful discussion, analysis, and parishioner support. As the pandemic continued through 2021, we were careful to listen to our partners’ needs. We worked hard to give money, time, support, clothing, Days for Girls (menstrual care) kits, masks, and other necessities as often as possible. In addition to the grant program, we were fortunate in being able to help our partners to purchase food, materials for building, farming animals, and clothing. As in 2020, many parishioners helped to contribute to the COVID-19 Outreach Fund which helped us to support our partners. We could not have helped nearly as many people without this support. As the year progressed, and more and more partners were able to welcome volunteers and visitors, we were able to get back to helping, strengthening our connections, and becoming more involved with our partners once again. We continue to be active, and invite all of you to help us support our community both locally and internationally.
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Pastoral Care With another year of COVID-19 and its variants, many of our Pastoral Care Commission’s ministries continue to be paused or are slowly returning this spring. Our Stephen Ministers have continued to provide one-on-one support to parishioners facing difficulties. Prayer Companions continue to pray for those seeking God’s help. Career Transition Ministry provides advice on matters of finance and resume-building from a Christian perspective. Bereavement Group, which is a faith-based group that meets online, explores God’s role in our grief, and Journeying Forward is for young adults and meets online. Caring Meals and Monday Morning Flowers continue to deliver a home-cooked meals and altar flowers to parishioners seeking comfort or support. Holiday Flowers has continued as well, with drivers delivering poinsettia plants at Christmas, and Easter flower deliveries took place in April. Seeking Hope is a support group comprised of parents who gather monthly, or as needed, to share their children’s experiences with drug and/or alcohol addiction. Our Needlework Guild are knitting prayer shawls and prayer squares. Baptismal Gifts and Birthday Cards are two ministries that have continued throughout the past year. Walking the Mourner’s Path was suspended this year and will resume after Easter. Eucharistic Visitors has recently resumed. Meanwhile, Driving Angels, St. David’s Friends, Churchyard Neighbors, and Caregivers Ministries all continue to be paused due to COVID-19 restrictions. Through our Pastoral Care ministries, we strive to fulfill God’s command to love one another as God loves us. There are many different ministries, each with its own unique form of pastoral care. If you aren’t already part of one of these ministries, please consider giving your time and talent to help others.
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Fellowship The Fellowship Commission’s goal is to provide opportunities for belonging and inclusion to all parishioners through demographic and social groups, while growing together in the love of Christ. With the recent lessening of COVID-19 restrictions, we are reactivating gatherings and looking ahead to re-igniting fellowship activities. The St. David’s Country Fair falls under both the Fellowship and Outreach Commissions. After the 2020 three-part, hybrid “UnFair!”, we were thrilled to hold the 170th Annual St. David’s Fair in-person in 2021. Adjustments to accommodate the lingering pandemic were made, and happily, God provided a beautiful sunny October day. Thousands were once again drawn to the fun, fellowship, and community of the Fair, enabling us to net $71,618.85 for distribution to our Outreach partners. Men’s and Women’s Fellowship have historically met regularly to build friendships and grow spiritually. The Men have resumed monthly in-person breakfasts and special events such as retreats, cookouts, fishing, and a Gettysburg trip. Women’s Fellowship has resumed in-person gatherings, started a monthly cooking ministry, and held an April retreat. Both groups also offer weekly Bible studies. During 2021-2022, a dedicated group of young adults began meeting for fellowship, Bible and book study, and community. Additionally, a group of mothers met during choir practices for fellowship and support. Welcome & Connect is a reinvigorated ministry, welcoming visitors and newcomers on Sunday mornings and connecting newcomers with longtime parishioners. In 2021-22, Welcome & Connect offered two classes. The Welcome & Connect Newcomers Dinner was an eagerly anticipated opportunity to welcome newcomers to an in-person dinner at the Rectory for the first time in two-and-a-half years. Emerging from the pandemic is an appropriate time to take a fresh look at Fellowship groups that have historically met, so, this spring, Fellowship gathered to discuss how groups can be strengthened or adapted to 12
increase their value and participation and determine needs for additional groups. Fellowship at St. David’s looks forward to renewing and reimagining fellowship for all St. David’s parishioners, always keeping the mission to foster a welcoming and inclusive parish, committed to spreading the love of Christ.
Property The Property Commission of St. David’s oversees the operation of our buildings and grounds, including an array of activities, maintenance, and support services. With just under 40 acres, there is a little bit of everything to be done somewhere. The key areas on our campus include the historic church and modern chapel, St. David’s Episcopal Day School, the graveyard, an arboretum, gardens, beehives, parking lots and roadways, and all of the underlying systems and utilities that keep our campus humming. Leslie Robertshaw, Parish Administrator, and her staff, manage the ongoing maintenance and care of this beautiful gift from our Creator. Our beautiful campus hosts everything from worship and meetings to the country’s longestrunning country fair. The past couple of years have given us the opportunity to create new ways to use the property for worship and reflection. The arboretum has seen significant transformation, including the development of a new outdoor worship space with seating and a beautifully-crafted cross. The commission has also overseen the
purchase of two Zoom Rooms to facilitate continued hybrid worship and learning. During the past year, this vibrant property commission has managed two large capital projects; the re-paving of all driveways, parking lots, and roads throughout the campus and the connection of the St. David’s Episcopal Day School building to the municipal sewer system. The commission donated the bus to the very grateful auto body shop at The Devereux Foundation and is currently in the process of purchasing a 1/3 acre lot which abuts the graveyard. A new chiller system will be installed this fall and there are continued efforts for the development of a master plan to care for the health of the campus trees as well as the Julip Run stream and its banks. The property team staff works hard to keep our campus looking beautiful. They have painted youth lounges, built shelves, purchased lawnmowers, and set up tents for church events. Please thank them for helping to provide us with a beautiful property! 13
Finance The Church fiscal year ended on December 31, 2021 and we realized a small surplus for 2021 which has been designated to cover anticipated higher costs in 2022. Thank you to Leslie Robertshaw and Jo-Ann Funkhouser for their efforts in managing our expenditures during the past two very difficult years. BB&D, an independent accounting firm, completed their audit of the Church 2021 financials in February 2022 and presented the Financial Statements at the April 19th Finance Meeting. All recordings were in compliance.
the budget is based on the pledge number. In 2022, the pledge number is $2,200,000. Other sources of revenue include draws from the Endowment Funds. Specifically, the budget includes a 4% draw from the Newlin Trust Endowment and a 3.5% draw from both the General Endowment and Graveyard Endowment. An additional .5% from each of the General and Graveyard Endowments are deposited into the Capital Reserve account to fund projects.
The Finance Commission works in conjunction with various other commissions, notably the Property Commission and the Stewardship Commission, as well as the Investment Committee. A budget is created each year that anticipates revenues and expenses. The budget is then presented to the Vestry for approval.
The Investment Committee oversees the Church endowments (the General Endowment, Graveyard Endowment, Outreach Endowment, Newlin Trust Endowment, and Rector’s Housing) with The Vanguard Group. These endowment accounts performed 11% above benchmark standards in 2021. The current asset allocations in each endowment are 65% Equities, 30% Fixed Income, and 5% Real Estate.
This year, the Vestry unanimously approved the $3,138,243 budget for 2022. The 2022 budget estimates a 6% to 9% increase in goods and services, most specifically, expenses tied to utilities and office supplies. The Finance commission works closely with the Stewardship Commission to ensure that the pledge numbers are realized, as approximately 70% of the revenue of
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We are blessed to have a beautiful campus, sacred worship spaces, talented staff, and inspirational clergy. All of these blessings are due to the grace of God and your generous gifts and pledges. Thank you for sharing of your time, talent, and treasure.
Stewardship The Stewardship commission would like to say “thank you”. Thank you to the parish for all your contributions to our church community! Our ministries are growing and making a difference in so many lives, including our own. We see it. We feel it. We inspire one another by using our time, energy, enthusiasm, talents, spiritual gifts, and treasure, the gifts God has given us, to do His work. Your generosity and willingness to participate as fully as possible is what makes St. David’s such a special place!
beginning to discuss the reintroduction of the 1715 Society, the legacy giving ministry of St. David’s. Stay tuned for updates! The Stewardship Commission hopes you will enjoy the All Parish breakfast after the Annual Meeting on May 1st as a way to say “Thank you!” Faith really does matter, and it is uplifting to be part of a community where the Holy Spirit is truly at work.
In the fall of each year we run our financial campaign, although the campaign lasts all year as new pledges come in and we follow up with folks who pledged the previous year but haven’t yet pledged in the current year. In 2022, the theme was, “I’m INvested, I’m INcluded, I’m INdebted” and the hope was that everyone would answer the campaign call to say “I’m IN!” We set the pledge at $2,200,000 and asked that parishioners consider a 10% increase to cover the operational costs of the church and ministries in response to an anticipated post COVID-19 inflation increase. The Stewardship Commission is very happy to share with you at this time some updates! At this writing: •
We have 73 new households pledging to St. David’s. (This is very exciting news!)
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There are 277 households that have increased their giving, totaling an additional $187,350.
•
To date, 511 households have pledged $2,138,130. We are almost there! At this same time in 2021 we had 491 pledges totaling $1,844,211. At year end in 2021 we had 531 households pledging $2,055,698.
This is indeed very encouraging news! In addition to the annual Giving Campaign, the Stewardship Commission is 15
St. David’s Episcopal Day School St. David’s Episcopal Day School (SDEDS) grew by leaps and bounds this year. After a quiet year in 2020-2021, with lower enrollment, we were happy to see our hallways full this year. Our students this past year ranged in age from 18 months through 6 years, bringing back our youngest learners. In total we have 90 students gracing our school grounds this year. Our leadership team, Margaret Biester, Head of School, and Amy Darst, Assistant Head of School, have returned for another successful year. The Reverend Elizabeth W. Colton remained as the school’s chaplain. This year we welcomed Sara Stolzfus (Kindergarten), Tina Wasilewski (Kindergarten Assistant), Shannon Huffman (Twos Assistant), and Anne Zabinski (Gym and Nature) to the SDEDS team. We also welcomed back Sarah Keely (Twos Assistant) and longtime subs, Jen Zebro and Patti Bauer, who have taken on their own classroom. We were thrilled to return to in-person specials this year and add back in afternoon enrichment classes in both Nature and Spanish. Our full-day Kindergarten program, in its second year, is proving to be a successful addition to our school’s program offerings. Parishioner Ashley Masha returned to lead the SDEDS Parent Group. She was joined by Ashley Zervalis, Emily Steinhauer, Jessica Guercio, Billy Ripley, and Ryan DePaul to lead the parent committee. They have organized several successful fundraisers and are looking forward to hosting an in-person spring event for the whole school on May 14th. The Day School’s 2021-2022 Advisory Commission included: Amy Darst, Margaret Biester, Sandy Arnold, Ashley Masha, Julie Lord, The Rev. W. Frank Allen, Amy Allen, Ginny Spofford, Joe Rollins, Jeff Waldron, Jane Fisher, Rod Kellett, The Rev. Elizabeth W. Colton, Libby Hipp, Deb Kurucz, Betsy Spiegel, Laney Vogt, and Susan Barber. Susan Barber led the tuition assistance committee 16
for a second year. This year, SDEDS was pleased to award tuition assistance to four families. Despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, SDEDS has provided a place joy and light for our families. We are looking forward to a spring full of events to invite parents in to see the amazing progress their children have made this year.
The Gift Shop & Art Gallery In 2021, The Gift Shop and Art Gallery raised over $22,000 for St. David’s international outreach partners in Uganda, Guatemala, and Cuba. Monies were dispersed to our mission partners through the grant process in support of these programs: •
Uganda - a daily lunch program for 1,200 students at Trinity Children’s Centre, including the creation of a mushroom farm
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Guatemala - scholarships, road repairs, painting, Christian education, phones, masks, and Days for Girls (menstrual care) kits
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Cuba - clean water systems maintenance supplies, food, and medicine
online Bookshop is always open; visit stdavidschurch.org/bookshop. Thank you for your support as we mark our 23rd year of helping St. David’s mission partners in Uganda, Guatemala, and Cuba.
Our global mission goes beyond the three countries we support. With one of the area’s best selections of handcrafted, fair-trade items, we provide economic opportunity for workers and small businesses in the U.S. and around the world including Kenya, India, Haiti, Thailand, Nepal, Peru, and Central Asia. In fall 2021, we expanded our reach beyond the shop’s walls with the opening of an online bookstore through the Bookshop platform, which sends 30% of all sales right back to the Gift Shop, and our first-ever online Art Auction in January 2022. Both ventures are now an important part of how we generate funds for international outreach. We also reinvigorated our World Gifts program, offering an option for people who wish to directly support international outreach with monetary donations, rather than through purchases. A dedicated, small group of volunteers are the engine behind the shop, happily serving customers, setting up beautiful art exhibitions, and working behind the scenes to keep shop operations running smoothly. We are always looking for new volunteers, so reach out if you feel called to get involved. The Gift Shop is open 6 days a week: Mondays-Thursdays 10 am-4 pm, Fridays till 1 pm, and Sundays following the 9:15 am worship. Our Art Gallery hallway is open during all church hours with new exhibits each month. Our 17
Comings and goings 2021
Baptisms
Emily Jean Priem to Benjamin Jospeh Bevan
Riley Elizabeth Holmes
Rosie Quinn Crater
Julia Slauughter Pillion to Jacob Butler Jessup
Casey Michael Jannetta
Transfers into St. David’s
Madelaine Claire (Maddie) Johnson
Elena Catherine Kean Eva Freeman Chambers Henry Joseph Culley Hope Ophelia Berkery
Kimberly G. Pittman
Clara Ivy Makin
Julia Hoaglund & Anne Meiliu Hoagland
Leliah Grace Conner-Close
David Hain Jr, Anne Hain, Maximillian Hain, Victoria Hain & Alexandra Hain
Noah William Lockhart
Clayton Strong Karnavas Nicholas Allen (Nick) Kathol Elizabeth Grace Larsen Cassandra Ofelia (Cassie) Latoff Claire Elizabeth Martin Peyton Randall Masterson
Grace Elizabeth Ravenfeld
Ben Powley & Lynne Powley
Andrew Joseph Lee
Barbara Chimicles
Dillon Jeffrey McGroarty
Elliott William Fay
Meredith Rovine, Matthew Rovine, Jacob Rovine, Amelia Rovine & Emma Rovine
Henry Lewis Miller Emily Elizabeth (Libby) Nevins
Transfers out of St. David’s
Claire Williams Newhall
Colby Reeve Berkley Hamilton James Sanford Kelly Patrick Lincoln Russell Guelzo William Gray Hatcher Jr. Theodore Callahan Woodcock Max Pennock Brown
David Maroney Brett Hart, Mitos Hart & Miles Hart Herb McDonald & Mary Farrow McDonald
Casey Painter Ott Laura Francis Patterson Trevor James Pettibone Eliza Cutting Pilkington
Charlotte Whitaker Grecki
Josh Hirt & Katie Hirt
Charlotte Leland Hullings
Graduating Seniors
Spencer Chance Schenkel
Brett Hamilton Bassett
Liesl M. Scherrer
Colin Jon Cheshire
Eleanor Katherine (Katherine) Scott
Taylor Coffin Colket
William Wescott (Will) Semmer
Brooklyn Morgan Saunders
Catherine Elizabeth Deddens
Timothy Gbeolu Shodipe
Elizabeth Powell Gill
Reagan Murphy Dolan
Thomas Davenport Simpson
Thomas Shields Melvin
Emily W. Dougherty
Andrew Thorne Sloan
Hanna Abigale Fay
Ann Elizabeth (Annie) Strobeck
Adam Christopher Francis
Isabel Juliette Thornberg-Payne
Grace Noelle Frey
Avery Leigh Van Dusen
Peter Davis Gold
Gabe Vandevere
Daniel Christopher Gossow
Jakob Albert Voehringer
Samantha Barbara Guillaume
John B. (Johnny) Ward
Christopher Gunsalus
John Charles Weber III
Thatcher Riggs Hamill
Connor Michael Whitlow
Robert Baskervill Hobbs IV
Huntley Lynn (Hunny) Witthoeft
Duke Wellesley Zimmerman Theo Rome Chiappini Leo Shipman Forcine Leo James Rivard
Marriages Mary D. Connell to Peter Smith Zonino Lauren Elizabeth Weil to Michael Joseph Haas Marguerite Kraftson to William Fell Amanda Lombardo to Matthew Porter Madeline Faith Hassler to Andrew Maxwell Hunt Carley Kathryn Pugh to Matthew Perrino Abigal Sargent to Joseph Fabrizio Jr. Carole Ann Falkenberg to Robert John Glaser
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Meredith Nissen & Charlie Reinhardt
Christina Teresa (Tracy) Rosenberg
Peter C. Woodville
John Andrew Pillion
Espy Yates Zelov
Audrey Dvonch
Memorials and Burials
Robert Yates Twitmyer
Grace Russell Renner Jon Wells Fay Samuel C. Wasson, Jr. John Duncan Pitney Mary Louise Holgren Ronald Young, Jr. Ann Bishop Riney Charles Edward Rammel Elizabeth Zelia Watts Elise Morris Covey John H. Kerr, Md. Anne Clements Nancy Carol Tompkins Broll Fay Lucille Bechmann John Arthur Nyheim Marianne Wells William Butkiewicz Christopher C. Fallon, Jr. Lisa Christine Cummins George Boisbrun James Gerald Cunningham Frances Drexel Penrose Haythe William Mifflin Large, Jr. Norman W. Briggs
Staff Farewells
Harry Donlon Skerrett Marjorie Battles Baird Jacqueline Simms Joseph Birdsall Dallett Rev. Beatrice (Bee) Billups Albert Neilson Joan Alexandra Emery Turner Haines Emery
The Rev. Bill Wood, The Rev. Dr. Alexander McCurdy, III, and The Rev. Ed Shiley, Associate Rectors
Mary Anne Knewstub Ellen Francis (Lalla) DeRham John Steele Trickett Virginia Baily Elisabeth R. Chance Tom Yates Paul E. Macht Lillian Wistar Marjorie Starr Frazier Sandra Lynn Walker
Camryn Corbin Youth Minister
Lauren Machowski Director of Communications
Max Neumann Parish Custodian
& Staff Welcomes
Christopher Bradley White Katherine Zantzinger Okie Seymour Garland Clark Joan Smith Clark Steve Boyes Groundskeeper
Emily Given Director of Christian Formation
Natalee Hill Director of Communications
Kurt Zampitella Groundskeeper
Carl Cutler Anne Roy Sue Ellen Cummins Barbara Nelsen Dana Lewis Jelinek Joseph T. Ruyak Joseph Hullett
Margie Winters Director of the Gift Shop
St. David’s Episcopal Church 763 S. Valley Forge Rd. | Wayne, PA 19087 610-688-7947 | www.stdavidschurch.org