At our 93rd Annual Meeting on January 24th, 2021 - St. Andrew’s added two new Bishop’s Committee members - Dianna Perrine and Amanda Miller! Julie Overhauser, Junior Warden Tracey Waring, and Bishop’s Warden Chris Jordan are coming off the Committee, as required by diocesan rules, after three years of faithful service. “Warden Jordan” penned the following message to thank the community for its work:
“Thank you to all the wonderful people who contribute your time, talent, and passion to make St. Andrew's a beacon of kindness, light, and love in Spokane!
My three-year term as Bishop's Warden has come to an end - but I wanted to write a note to say thank you. Over the past three years, with the help and leadership of so many, we have touched thousands of lives with our food ministries. We've moved to steward our resources sustainably. We've integrated a new priest into our community. We've learned to tell our story and share our message - tapping into our creativity - with a new website, electronic tools, and a revamped social media presence. We've reached out to the community and built new partnerships and relationships with local nonprofits. We've kept Sunday morning at St. Andrew's "the most beautiful way to spend time." We faced an unprecedented pandemic and adapted - in response, we protected the vulnerable, deepened our faith, expanded our giving, and proved our resilience. And, through thoughtful, challenging teaching and preaching - we've lifted up the message of God's justice, love, and peace - a message of hope that needs to be heard now more than ever.
It has been an honor to serve the church in this role. But, to the disappointment of some, I'm sure - I'm not going anywhere! Our world is hurting in so many ways. While we have done so much, our work is not over. I truly believe that this corner of the world needs what we can offer as St. Andrew's and as Episcopalians when we follow Jesus's Way of Love. Our community needs us. Our neighbors need us. To spread kindness and humility. To be "ministers of reconciliation." To provide a joyous refuge and a timeless sanctuary. To work for justice and peace. To care for creation. To promote a culture of compassion that upholds the dignity of every human being. To help build what the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the Beloved Community. When we serve a meal at Stone Soup Cafe, sing a hymn, engage constructively in democracy, seek wisdom in scripture, show kindness to a stranger, speak up for the outcast, or pass the peace in church - this is what we are doing.
So thank you all for your work, your friendship, and for being a part of this community! And let's keep going forward, through these hard times and beyond. Let's continue to do our part as St. Andrew's, in ways big and small, to transform the world, "from the nightmare it too often is, into the dream that God intends."
- Bishop’s Warden Chris Jordan, 1/24/21