August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 8 The Prayer List is found on a notebook CHURCH OF THE ADVENT marked “Prayer Lists” found on the table in the vestibule of the church. Names may be added at any time by writing them in the notebook or Advent Advisor calling the church office. The Prayer List is read weekly at Sunday services. Periodically, August 2012 names are removed from the list. Contact the Church of the Advent church office if you wish to have a name added, Episcopal re-listed, or taken off the list. This newsletter is printed on 35% recycled paper. Prayer List The Reverend James R. Horton, rector Al Chesson, senior warden Howard Mann vice for the Ending of a Pastoral Relationship Joyce Ward Doug Chesson, junior warden August brings special and Leave-taking from a Congregation from Keathley Malone 124 West Church Street the Book of Occasional Services and conclude Milton James P. O. Box 463 services with the celebration of Holy Eucharist. John Allen Williamston, NC 27892 Choir practice A luncheon will follow this service, Margaret Downing Telephone 252.792.2244 resumes on Sunday, Au- providing an opportunity for parishioners and Abby Cameron Fax 252.792.2244 gust 5 at 11 a. m. fol- Jim and his family to visit and reminisce. Hope Robinson Palmer Car Phone 252.802.0216 lowing the morning ser- Ezra E-mail [email protected] vice. Jimmy Cherry www.williamstonepiscopalchurch.com The choir will In September Chuck Manning be preparing for Rever- Sunday services will Nurse Nancy Diocese of East Carolina end Jim Horton’s last return to 11:00 a. m. with a Lillian Martin The Right Reverend Clifton Daniel, 3rd Sunday service as well supply priest celebrating Paul Harrell Bishop as other special Sunday services during August. Holy Eucharist. Benjamin The Right Reverend Santosh Marray Jim has chosen some of his favorite Julie Westervelt Bishop Assisting hymns for use during August. Patti Malone Ganis Diocesan House Jim’s last three sermons will be inspired September 9 Weaver Mann 705 Doctors Drive by a particular favorite Bible verse Mica 6:8. Reverend Matthew Stockard Alice Jay P. O. Box 1336 Jim’s retirement party will be on Sun- September 16 Birthdays in August Kinston, NC 28503 day afternoon of August 12. Reverend Don Weisner 4, Christopher Bosso Telephone 888.622.4778 The baptism of Madelyn Mi- September 23 7, Ken Bucher Fax 252.523.5272 chel will be celebrated on Sunday, Reverend William Smyth www.diocese-eastcarolina.org 8, Ryan Stancill August 19. September 30 12, Jess Miller Trinity Center The Sunday morning service Reverend George Feldman 14, Milton James P. O. Drawer 380 on August 29 will begin with A Ser- 15, Collins Crowe Salter Path, NC 28575 15, John Roney Telephone 888.874.6287 Volume 34, Issue 8 23, Jane Allen Fax 252.247.3290 Kit Reddick, editor 26, Janice Greene E-mail [email protected] 792.1158 26, Tom Slade www.trinityctr.com [email protected] August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 2 August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 7 (Continued from page 6) August outreach honors It’s a girl! Transitions Congratula- Kit had requested that I offer some of these musings as we as a parish family will be embark- children tions to Grant and ing on another transition beginning September 1st.I have every confidence in the leadership of our August outreach honors the work Lucy Kim Michel on the parish family as they, with the diocesan staff, will lead this wonderful parish into new areas of life and Jim Horton for their concern and care for birth of Madelyn and ministry. children through their work in Smart Start and Claire on June 22 at I have often said to those outside our parish who find a forty year pastorate an anomaly that Martin County Department of Social Services. Martin General Hos- I really have served three parishes during our time together. We have had moments when new per- For years, Jim pital. sons arrive in our parish and bring new gifts to enhance those already offered by the folks in our worked on a local and Maddy came parish. Three different times we enjoyed growth spurts and sadly within a few years several of those state level to provide into the world at 9:39 a.m. weighing 6 pounds families would leave Williamston. early education opportu- and 9ounces and measuring 19 inches. The most difficult time was between 2001 and 2003 when forty five adults and children nities for children All day big brother Will repeated, “This within our parish family moved out of Martin County. Our youth group over the years was comprised through Smart Start. is the best day of my life.” for one year of two teenagers and within recent years a youth group of fifteen members. Lucy now ser- Kim and Grant express gratitude for all When I arrived in 1972 every Sunday school classroom upstairs was in use. Sadly, vices on the board of the food, cards, and gift cards that they have that is no longer true. I am grateful for the persons who served as teachers up to and including last Martin County Depart- received from their parish family. year. ment of Social Services “We could not have done this without I was delighted when we had a Junior Choir and the EYC Band and the adults who com- as well as on the Depart- your help.” prised The Adventitious Brass. ment’s Child Protective Team. You are good and committed folks and I wish great blessings to each of you. With that in mind and working with the In closing, I thought you might be interested in a few statistics that have occurred over these Department of Social Services, Sue House and years. Beverly Mills, and Kit Reddick have posted Around the Church 113 baptisms 185 confirmations 60 marriages 102 burials requests in the church narthex for food and sup- Thanks to the hard work and caring James R. Horton, Rector plies for children. leadership of Senior Warden Al Chesson, a sup- Church of the Advent The offerings will be used by the De- ply priest will be present every Sunday to cele- 1972-2012 partment for those times when children are be- brate Holy Eucharist at the Church of the Ad- ing transferred into foster care and other times vent during September, October, November, of emergency. and December. The names of the priests will be Offerings may be left anytime in the included each month in the Advisor calendar. church narthex during the month of August. Anna Chesson traveled with other The collection also honors the newest youth from the First Christian Church to Irwin, member of the parish family — Madelyn Claire PA in June to help provide much needed home Michel. repairs for people in need. August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 6 August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 3 (Continued from page 5) look associated with our church. This playground has been used by children and families beyond Looking back... our parish family and serves as a welcoming spot for families In 1972 the Church of the Advent found itself without a rector and began the process of Church Bell One day while visiting with Francis Barnes in his home across from the procuring the next one. church, Francis said, “The church needs a bell.” I assured him that that was a great idea but it Senior Warden Pete Fowden was concerned about keeping the parish together and in- would be very expensive. He again stated, “The church needs a bell.” And then he stated, “Find out formed during the process and so the idea of a parish newsletter was born. how much it will cost.” I did so and told Francis it would cost around $10,000.00 but then we would The first issue of the Advent Advisor was published on June 15, 1972. Betty Reddick wrote have to pay to have it installed. He responded, “I told you to get the bell and I will pay to it up.” the copy while Sherrod Fountain produced it on the church mimeograph machine. Together Betty Our 1000 pound bell arrived and it is a wonderful instrument for the call to worship. and Sherrod mailed the newsletter out. Church Signage and planting in front yard This memorial was given in memory of Mark Parishioners were asked to subscribe voluntarily to help defray the cost of the mailing. Reddick, former senior warden by his family and friends and most certainly serves as a welcoming On September 17, 1972, the church attended the first Sunday service celebrated by its new point to our church. rector the Reverend Jim Horton. A traditional reception followed the service and that evening The Columbarium Garden and Lighting Bill Arnold, former junior warden, and his wife Bishop Hunley Elebash presided over the Service of Institution. Mabel, former organist, were very instrumental in wanting a columbarium for our church family. On the afternoon of Sunday, October 29, Jim and his family — including wife Lucy and The vestry agreed to establish a columbarium provided sufficient niches were purchased to offset the four-year-old son Jay and 14 month-old daughter Mary Elizabeth — held an Open House at the original cost of the columbarium. Sufficient niches were purchased. The garden plantings were re- newly renovated residence. ceived as a memorial to three families. The lighting was given in memory of Lucy’s mother, Marga- Jim and his family would continue to reside at the rectory for the next forty years until his ret Duncan. retirement on August 31, 2012. Handicap Ramp To ensure that there was an appropriate and up to code handicap ramp Technology would advance from a mimeograph machine to a copier and computer. Com- into the front of the church our vestry received a design from A.R. Chesson Company that renovated munication with Jim would move from telephoning him at the office to contact through answering the front entrance to the church. Among other things this renovation provided an outdoor resting machine, cell phone, and email. and meeting place for folks to gather before or after church and for those walkers in our community During those forty years, the leadership of women would grow as more women would be who simply like a quiet place to “sit a spell.” elected to the vestry and as diocesan convention delegates. It should be mentioned that two other benches found in the Columbarium Garden He would celebrate the sesquicentennial — 250 years — of the Church of the Advent with also provide places of respite. These benches were given in memory of Lurene Bridgen and us. Bill Courtney. And at the time of his retirement, he would be the longest serving priest present in the dio- I am also reminded that all of our church hangings and numerous items of worship within cese. our church came as a result of memorials and the largess of parish families during these past four Jim now shares his reflections on his past forty years at the Church of the Advent. decades. I am so very grateful for the love and care our parish family has shown toward our lovely place of worship. ...the rector reminisces Mimeograph Machine Kit has asked me to look back over these forty years as your priest to consider some of the This is obviously one of the more mundane changes in the life of our parish family unless significant changes that have occurred in the life of this parish family and indeed the church during you were around to remember how badly our bulletins looked on any given Sunday. Ink smears and these years. I have had the privilege of serving under five bishops in this diocese — Bishops Tho- some lines that were hardly readable sadly were often the norm. Now, except for those times when I mas Wright, Hunley Elebash, Sidney Sanders, Clifton Daniels and Santosh Marray each of whom mess it up, our bulletins and the Advent Advisor look professionally done. This leads me to a huge impacted my life in various ways and each of whom offered their unique gifts to the life of our par- thank you to Betty and Kit Reddick who for years have served as compiler and editor of our Advent ish and our diocese. I am grateful for their ministries to all of us. Now, to fulfill Kit’s request. Advisor. Kit does the same with our weekly and special bulletins. We and I owe both of these ladies a great debt of gratitude. (Continued on page 7) (Continued on page 4)

August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 4 August 2012 Advent Advisor Page 5 (Continued from page 3) (Continued from page 4) The Reverend Wendy Raynor conversed numerous times before he finalized his vision and presented it to the Diocesan Conven- It was not until the late seventies that women were permitted to be ordained to the diaconate tion. As the idea moved ahead, he walked down to my office one day and said, “Jim, you are going and priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Sid Christian, who at the time was our senior warden, and to be a one of the clergy co-chairs for Trinity’s Capital Fund Campaign.” Yes sir!” I were attending a diocesan meeting. At the end of that meeting, Bishop Elebash asked if he could He died too early. One of the years he was living amongst us, he had to take several months meet with us later that day and it was decided that we would meet at Sid and Betty’s cottage on the off because of an issue with his voice box. He and Nancy attended at our service regularly. As part Pamilco River. The bishop requested that Church of the Advent serve as Wendy Raynor’s field work of a teaching moment for our parish family, every time he was with us, when it came time for a parish, which was a necessary part of her preparation for the ordination. He indicated that he knew blessing or a baptism during the service, I would ask him if he wish to perform the act as it was we were a somewhat conservative parish but was convinced we would be a welcoming community within his purview to do so. Most times he nodded for me to do it but whenever a bishop is present, for this dear lady as she prepared for ordination. We readily agreed to do so and we were blessed the bishop has the right to celebrate or bless. with Wendy’s presence amongst us every Wednesday and Sunday as she served us for almost a year. We were truly blessed to have the Sanders family amongst us. His daughter Lynn spent her Her first sermon in our parish was March 14, 1979. She became the first woman ordained in our high school years here, graduating from Williamston High School. diocese and served for several years as a member of the clerical team of Coalition 16. (Editor’s note: After Sid Sanders moved to Kinston to become the diocesan bishop. Jim The Prayer-Book moved into the vacant office. As editor of the diocesan newspaper, Katy Whitley moved into Jim’s During my first few years in our parish the Episcopal Church was going through the trauma old office.) of Prayer Book revision. The last revision occurred in 1928 and for many of us this 1928 book was Trinity Center God’s greatest gift to the Episcopal Church and now we had all these folks on the national church Recalling the life and ministry of Sid Sanders provides a nice transition to the establishment level wanting to change. The reality, of course, was that this was a decision being made by our Gen- of Trinity Camp and Conference Center. Camp Leach was a memory bank for untold numbers of eral Convention which in fact includes representatives from every diocese within the church. After folks. Three different years I served as Clergy Director of one of the several two week camps during much discussion and trial, the 1979 Prayer book came into usage and, in fact, offers many more op- the summer. It was there, while still an assistant to the rector at Christ Church, New Bern, that I tions for specific services than the 1928 Prayer-Book offered. As always, though not without pain, first met Margaret Chesson who was a camper and Margaret Skinner, who was a camp counselor. our parish family responded appropriately to this change. The closing of Camp Leach was a very sore subject especially for those living in the northeastern Bishop Sidney Sanders part of our diocese. But it occurred and We had the pleasure from 1979-83 to have Sidney Sanders living and working out of our Bishop Sander’s vision was realized and our parish, through Parish Family Weekends and Parish parish during these years as he served as our bishop coadjutor. In 1978 Bishop Elebash requested Women’s Retreats, has benefited greatly from his vision. Stan Crowe, Frances Peel and I have had the Diocesan Convention to elect a Bishop Coadjutor. It was also requested that this bishop live the pleasure of serving on Trinity Center’s Board of Directors and Stan, Al Chesson and I have some place other than Wilmington. Our vestry immediately made the request that he live in Wil- served on Trinity Center’s Board of Visitors. Once again, while our parish family grew up with and liamston. The Convention was torn between Greenville and Williamston but eventually selected Wil- enjoyed Camp Leach, when a change was proposed, our parish family was one of the more avid pro- liamston as the seat for the new bishop coadjutor. ponents of this new Camp and Conference Center. Bishop Sanders was a great friend and a visionary for our diocese. His office was in our Buildings and Grounds Parish House and he seemed to delight in coming to my office and saying, “Jim, I need you to chair During the last four decades numerous changes have occurred in terms of our build our Migrant Ministries in the diocese.” “Yes sir!” “Jim, I need you to chair the Diocesan Peace ings and our grounds. We have been blessed with various memorial gifts that have made these Commission.” “Yes sir!” Bishop Sanders was a great exponent of the need changes possible. for the church to care for the least amongst us. Memorial Stained Glass Windows Four new stained glass windows were installed in 1979 Then one day he called me down the hall to his office and said, “I want to talk to you about and then in 1981 three more windows completed the project in the nave. Seven parish families gave a vision I have for a new Camp and Conference Center at our property at Bogue Banks.” At the time to this project. The windows, as you notice, are based on the Apostles Creed and certainly enhance we had two camps — Camp Leach and Camp Oceanside which was basically our camp for Afri- the beauty and ambience of our church building. can American children. Bishop Sanders said Camp Leach was falling apart and we did not Memorial Playground The playground in the back of the church was given by the Peel fam- need to continue to promulgate two camps, one basically for white children and one for black. We ily and friends in memory of Bill Bob and Frances Peel. The wall and fencing continued the Gothic (Continued on page 5) (Continued on page 6)