We need $250,000 in additional pledges for 2025. But more on that in a second.

I’ve sent three emails to Father Ed on the Spiller family 2025 pledge. First, setting out an increase over 2024; second, pledging a little more; and third, pledging even more still. The third email was the most satisfying to us. Thanks to Father Ed’s persistent reminder of our Parish’s significant needs, which I am seeing firsthand, and inspired by his writings on generosity as a habit of love, Hillary and I set out to create a true family plan on what we could do monthly and yearly, we hope indefinitely and automatically, to support our church, our schools, local institutions we cherish and non-profits we admire.  

This took steady work, not, as in the past, a few conversations over dinner or a mere head’s up after the fact about a donation one of us had made. Collecting and consolidating our scattered giving, we felt joy at really understanding what we were giving and the impact we were making, not just at St. Paul’s.   

That’s our journey to finalizing our 2025 pledge. I invite you to consider, and then reconsider, your journey and our parish’s needs.  

Back to that $250,000. We are a Parish blessed by years of strong fiscal management and dedicated supporters. But we are facing rising expenses and costs in this inflationary environment. Flat pledges these past few years forced the Vestry to pass a “working” budget for 2025 with a $250,000 deficit to meet our Parish’s current needs. The Vestry and staff are working to whittle down expenses as much as feasible, we have some cash in savings to bridge this gap for this year and non-pledge giving this year has helped to reduce this deficit. But we very much need your help as well, especially as we prepare for a new Senior Rector to complement our two associate rectors (a full complement a flagship church like our needs for the programming and pastoral offered). Our Parish also has need for two new staff members to continue our growth – a Director of Stewardship and Giving to help us more systematically develop our Parish’s future philanthropic gifts and relationships, and a Director of Children’s Ministry to minister to all the babies and young children we see everywhere at worship. You may have noticed the water leaks in Key Andrews firsthand; the new A/C unit for St. George’s Chapel you won’t see, though it will be felt this summer. I could go on, but you get the picture, I trust.  

We are also blessed to have so many parishioners over the decades who have joined the St. Paul’s Legacy Society, naming the Parish in their will or estate plan. These funds are critical and help tremendously but are often very restricted as to what they can be used for and how much we can draw down from income each year. There’s no ability to draw down principal, of course.

And so, I write to you in hopes you will consider making your pledge for 2025, increasing your pledge or even increasing your pledge again as we reach the mid-year point. To date, 227 members/families have made pledges for this year and another 82 have made one-time gifts. Father Ed, our Stewardship Committee and members of our Vestry will also be reaching out again, especially to those who have pledged in past years but not this year, but we really need everyone’s support to get through this challenge and continue our path to growth.  

We are a resilient Parish and despite a tough season we have passed through, the parking lot, pews and classrooms are full. We need your joy, song and prayer, and also your financial support this year, more than in past years perhaps. Please join me in making your pledge, increasing your pledge, or making a one-time gift in support of our beloved St. Paul’s. Thank you very much.

                                      Very Best, 
                                      David Spiller, Senior Warden