Margie Baker's Time Was Short, Fulfilling

August 2018 | Issue No. 119 A presence Sacred in the center of Memphis Margie Baker’s Time was Short, Fulfilling By Margie Baker Photo by Cindy McMillion Margie Baker visits with Jim and Margaret Smith at the reception on July 29 to honor her contributions and say farewell. wrote in the June Communicator, at the beginning of my coercion or fear. A shepherd cares for every member of the Isummer internship, that I hoped to gain wisdom during my community and values each one. A shepherd prepares a safe time at Holy Communion. I wanted the kind of wisdom that place (the church) and sustenance (the sacraments) for the comes from living out my vocation in a parish. After ten weeks, community. I cannot claim to be wise, but I can say that I have learned so I had the opportunity to practice being a faithful teacher this much about what it means to be a priest in this parish, which summer as well. Prior to coming to Holy Communion, I had has informed what sort of priest I will be. You have formed me very little experience teaching adults. I taught high school for and I am so grateful. 12 years before going to seminary, and I was a camp counselor This internship has shaped the sort of priest I hope to throughout high school and college. I felt comfortable teaching be. All priests are supposed to be a “faithful pastor, a patient and leading large groups of children and adolescents, but teacher, and a wise councilor,” but each priest will live into adults? That was another matter. It turns out I love teaching that differently. I’ve thought a good deal this summer about adults. My high school teaching skills transferred nicely into the pastor and what it means: a shepherd. Priest as shepherd is a Rector’s Forum. I have also had ample opportunity to see wise compelling metaphor for me; a priest guides the community to councilors in action. Councilor, not counselor, has to do with fertile pastures. A shepherd acts in love and trust, not through the councils of the church. Priests promise to be guided by the (Margie continued on page 11) Church of the Holy Communion | 4645 Walnut Grove Road | Memphis, TN 38117 | (901) 767-6987 | www.holycommunion.org Part of the fun of planning the daily worship services central to General Convention is getting to work with high-profile people, including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Photo by Chris Sikkema Sandy Reflects on Years of Service to GC he General Convention of The Episcopal Church is one of worship and conduct business entirely in Spanish? Did you Tthe oldest and largest legislative assemblies in the world. know that our largest diocese by membership is Haiti, the (With well over 1,000 voting members, it is roughly twice the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere? Did you know that size of the United States Congress!) It has met every three years we have nine parishes in continental Europe? Did you know since 1785 to seek God’s guidance in the context of community that we have churchwide networks of African Americans, Asian and to make decisions for this part of God’s Church, this Americans and indigenous people, all of whom have unique branch of the Jesus Movement. customs and practices? While some churches ask clergy to make all of the decisions, Here at home, I too often let myself believe that the “average the Episcopal Church is inherently democratic. The House of Episcopalian” is a lot like me. General Convention reminds me Bishops and the House of Deputies, which includes both clergy that there is no such thing as an “average Episcopalian.” We are and laypeople, must both agree before any policy can take not Episcopalians because we look alike, speak alike or think effect. No one in our system has unchecked authority. alike. We are Episcopalians because we pray alike. The Book Holy Communion has been well represented at the General of Common Prayer offers us unity in the midst of our great Convention for many years. Parishioner Charles Crump served diversity. in the House of Deputies longer than any other layperson in The Book of Common Prayer itself was the subject of history. The Reverend Reynolds Cheney was also a “senior conversation at this year’s General Convention. The current deputy,” serving for more than seven conventions. Parishioners Prayer Book – which some still call the “new” Prayer Book, Jean Arehart and Andy Cobb were deputies this year, and I even though it is older than I am! – received final approval was also there, completing a 15-year run as one of the General from the General Convention in 1979. Some people would Convention’s worship coordinators. like to see it updated, while many others would not. As so While efficiency does not usually define the General often happens, the General Convention found a middle way: Convention, a body once famously described as a “beached They did not authorize comprehensive Prayer Book revision, whale,” there is something beautiful about watching God’s but they did allow the Episcopal Church to continue using people gather together for prayer and discernment. “For where and developing alternative liturgies that will help us all think two or three are gathered in my name,” Jesus says, “I am there and pray in new ways. I hope to create a study group later among them.” this fall that will look at the texts that have just been released. The wide variety of people who gathered in Austin last Holy Communion has used some of the older alternative texts, month reminded me just how diverse the Episcopal Church published under the title Enriching our Worship, at its 5:30 really is: Did you know that we have eight dioceses that service for many years. (Sandy continued on page 11) 2 | holycommunion.org Straton Stepping into Treasurer’s Seat ack Straton has spent most of his career in charge of the “We make the purchases and turn them over to Linkous so Jbottom line, including being CFO of Stratas Foods, the they can install them,” Straton said. Memphis-based company that sells oils and fats to much of While the opportunities to save money in this way are the food industry and this year projects revenue in excess of specific and limited, the process can be even more efficient $1.6 billion. if the church has safeguards in For the better part of a year, place to ensure it gets its money Straton has been the treasurer in worth. training for Church of the Holy The challenge is that most Communion. He will take over companies that routinely write officially in January when the checks for $1 million purchases new officers are installed. He have checks and balances and will be a member of the Vestry’s oversights that are too cumbersome executive committee, although for small businesses or a two- he will not have a vote in Vestry person church finance office. business. “I will be working with Holy Communion has a (director of administration) Teresa recent tradition of choosing (Boone) to make sure we keep a finance expert from the good records of the transactional congregation who attends activity so we have a good Vestry meetings, but does understanding of what we bought. not have the committee We want to make sure we paid responsibilities, to serve as the right amount and the vendor treasurer. didn’t charge us taxes when they David Visinsky is now shouldn’t have.” finishing his third year as With Straton’s help, the Vestry has treasurer. also set purchasing levels the church “Sandy and I thought Jack will allow its owner’s representative would do a great job and to make without Vestry approval. he graciously accepted our Anything more will require the proposal that he would work approval of a higher authority. as an associate for a year, start Straton, who has a degree in attending Vestry meetings and civil engineering from Vanderbilt contribute to our discussions University, has offered to set up an as it relates to financial electronic mechanism for tracking sustainability, budget analysis, the construction expenditures. construction financing, etc.,” Photo by Cindy McMillion “It’s important to be able to say, Visinsky said. Jack Straton is CFO of Stratas Foods, LLC. The Vestry voted to make ‘here’s how much we thought it was As CFO of a large, him assistant treasurer this winter. He has spent the intervening going to cost, have we paid or not, privately held firm, Straton months studying the church’s processes and helping create the controls have we received the goods or not,’” is well-acquainted with the it needs to make large construction purchases. he said. financial policies that ensure Straton, 60, is at a time in his life the efficacy of large purchases. He’s been working with Holy when he has more time to share. Communion to create protocols for the exceptionally large “Now that the kids are all out of college, I am finding that checks it will write during construction. my engagement is evolving. It’s less kid- and youth-group- “The focus I have had as it relates to the construction focused and more focused on how we can serve the community project is concentrating on the way we are going to issue and get involved in other things.” purchase orders,” Straton said. The decision to serve the Vestry was easy, he says. For instance, as a tax-exempt entity, the church can “I have been a CFO since 2010, and I understand the save money in the $7 million renovation of Blaisdell and work.

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