Special Issue APRIL 2020 OUR NEW RECTOR RETURNS TO THE GLEBE PEGGY NANKIVELL In a heartfelt homily in Epiphany Anglican Church in Gloucester on Easter Sunday, The Reverend Geoff Chap- man spoke of the emotional roller coaster of a COVID-19 crisis-beset Holy Week. It was his last service there before taking up his duties as St. Matthew’s new rector. It was a message tinged with sadness about leaving his Gloucester flock by means of a Facebook Live service without a physical gathering. Difficult feelings such as grief and sorrow should not be repressed but contemplat- ed with honesty and openness, he told his parishioners. He was sorry he couldn’t say a proper goodbye. Despite the circumstances imposed by the pandemic, Reverend Chapman felt the Holy Week virtual services were satisfying and he appreciated having alternative ways of reaching parishioners and indeed those further afield. Lessons learned from the experience might be used to broaden the reach of services in future when and will encourage one-on-one meetings through Zoom churches reopen. conferencing as well as by phone. “I am really excited about coming to St. Matthew’s,” he In the immediate future, Reverend Chapman will contin- said. “It feels like a call, a really good fit.” He has been ue to provide virtual services with live music (he has an preparing himself by speaking with some of our church’s excellent tenor voice) and he is interested in offering sim- honorary clergy and former clergy and is looking forward ple Evensong services online. When the church reopens to meeting parishioners -- virtually at first and then in properly, he will investigate offering virtual services for person. those who cannot physically attend each week. Not only He is also delighted to return to the Glebe where he lived can such services reach those who are ill or frail, but for several years when he was a bachelor and serving at could be enjoyed by those who travel, he said. the Gloucester church. “It’s fascinating to be a visible par- He is also looking forward to working with St. Matthew’s ish within a community,” he said of St. Matthew’s. “The pastoral-care teams. Pastoral care is the lifeblood of par- role and future of our church will build on the love for our ish ministry, he said, whether in hospitals, homes or on community -- not like being in a walled temple.” social occasions. Still, the pandemic will oblige him to meet congregants in Reverend Chapman grew up as “a clergy kid” because his a different way than during coffee hour and church father John Chapman was an Anglican priest and now the meetings. Social distancing means being creative in use of soon-to-retire Bishop of Ottawa. social-media options. He plans to establish office hours (Continued on page 2) SEEK DISCOVER LIVE 2 (Continued from page 1) “I continue to love my vocation and responding to people seeking God through Jesus Christ.” Throughout his life, our new rector has been passionate about church and music. Initially he wished for a career His training at the University of the South emphasized as a classical musician and was drawn to the traditions of formal liturgical studies and a deep knowledge of scrip- sacred music. When studying music at the University of ture. And his background in classical music will fit well Western Ontario (French horn performance), he realized with the Anglican choral tradition that is so valued at St. that he wanted to explore music with God to guide him. Matthew’s, he said. He wasn’t sure which path this would take. “God gives us Ordained a Deacon by the Anglican Diocese of Montreal the compass heading but not a map,” he said. in 2008 and Priest in 2009, he served as Assistant Curate Reverend Chapman completed a Master in Divinity at the for the Parish of Verdun before becoming the Rector of University of the South in Tennessee followed by a Mas- Saint George’s Anglican Church in Chateauguay, Quebec. ter of Arts in Religion (Ethics) at the Yale Divinity School. He was Incumbent of Epiphany Anglican Church for eight He considered pursuing a doctorate in religious studies years. with the goal of teaching theology. "At Yale I loved being When St. Matthew’s parishioners can meet again in per- surrounded by some of the smartest people in the disci- son, a reception will be held to welcome the Reverend pline, but while I love the idea of spending a life in aca- Chapman, his wife Sarah, and their son Theodore (now demia, God was calling me to be a parish priest,” he said. six months old) to the parish. FINANCIAL UPDATE WALT DRAPER The purpose of this article is to provide parishioners with for the Federal Government wage subsidy program. This an update answering the question, “How are we manag- application will need to be well documented, requiring ing with our finances during the COVID-19 pandemic?” supporting information from parishes attesting to a de- Firstly, we will look at expenditures, followed by infor- cline in revenues. As a result, funding support from this mation around revenue. program is likely to be weeks away. At Vestry on March 1, I stated that cash flow in 2020 Revenue from PAR has continued at the same amount as would be a challenge. The depth and breadth of the im- in previous months. Parishioners are experiencing uncer- pact of COVID-19 was not in my mind when I made this tainty around employment and a possible decrease in comment! However, thanks to the initiative of the Dio- investment income, so a decrease in this revenue stream cese, personnel will continue to be paid during this time. would not be unexpected. The financial planning of the Diocese anticipates that At St. Matthew’s, we have suspended routine deposit some parishes will continue to meet their commitments processes for the health and safety of volunteers as well to Parish Fair Share and Equalized Cost of Priestly Ser- as to comply with isolation and distancing rules. On Tues- vices (ECOPS) as they are able. To that end, St. Matthew’s day, April 21, we deposited contributions received after sent a payment this week for the full amount of person- the church was closed on March 14, 2020. We are grate- nel costs as well as Parish Fair Share for the month of ful for donations made by cheque and cash that we con- February. All our other expenditures (utilities, mainte- tinue to receive. Thank you. nance contracts, etc.) are paid and up to date. And so, for now, rest assured that our Rector and our The Diocese is continuing to meet salary commitments to valued staff are receiving their salaries and that our bills staff and will continue to do so for April and May and are paid and up to date. possibly longer. Work is underway at the Diocese to apply SEEK DISCOVER LIVE PULSE OF THE PARISH APRIL 2020 3 WARDENS’ WORDS PEGGY NANKIVELL As other articles in this special edition of the “Pulse of offering meditation through Zoom conferencing on the Parish” will show, the COVID-19 crisis has caused Wednesdays – needed moments of peaceful reflection major disruptions to all of our lives; the speed with in times of trouble. which all this has taken place has been extraordinary. Our Welcoming Team under the leadership of Randi In a matter of weeks, St. Matthew’s Church has, by ne- Goddard and Janice Sonnen have done a wonderful job cessity, shifted from familiar community gatherings to of co-ordinating people to call other parishioners to see online programs and services. The Diocese of Ottawa if they are all right. In some respects, we are more con- announced the closure of all churches on Saturday, nected than ever. March 14, the same day The Very Reverend Shane Par- Behind our closed doors, parishioner Ian Glen has been ker was elected to become Ottawa’s next bishop. The overseeing the cleaning of the church by our custodians next day -- the “Ides of March” -- our doors were closed. Robina Bulleid and Bob Richard -- although this was sus- On March 22, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, our first virtual pended after the provincial government issued a new service was launched. At time of writing, our church ser- list of essential services on April 4th. And Cathy Simons vices on YouTube and Facebook have been viewed more has been into the office on a regular basis to write than 3,000 times. cheques and update financial information. The wardens are extremely proud of those who have On the financial side, our revenues have, not surprising- enabled St. Matthew’s to continue offering church ser- ly, dropped significantly. But we received good news vices, Sunday School classes, Bible studies and other from The Right Reverend John Chapman, Bishop of Otta- online programs to those who need spiritual comfort at wa of “A Time of Jubilee” that will allow parishes to hold this time. The Reverend Canon Jim Beall, our honorary back financial obligations to the diocese for two months, clergy the Reverend Kevin Flynn and the Reverend Allen beginning April 1st (see Bishop Chapman’s letter on page Box, our Director of Music Kirkland Adsett and our Chil- 4). The diocese will also apply for wage subsidies under dren and Youth Co-ordinator Aïcha Ducharme-Leblanc the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program. have worked hard to make things as normal as possible over Lent, Holy Week and Easter. The Jubilee is a forgiveness of obligation rather than a deferral of debt.