[Magdalen] Last Sunday as Senior Warden

[Molly Wolf]

Oh Ginga, how wonderful your gifts have been, not just to your church but to all those blessed by your love and wisdom, me included.  May your parish flourish and be full of grace.

Love,
Molly

The man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -- Mark Twain

> On Feb 14, 2016, at 2:10 PM, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Today was my last Sunday as organizing Senior Warden of The Episcopal
> Church of the Good Shepherd, Summerville, SC.  What a day it was!
> 
> 
> 
> Forty months ago, on October 21, 2012, a letter from Bishop Mark Lawrence
> was read in Episcopal churches across the Diocese of SC stating
> (erroneously) that we were no longer associated with The Episcopal Church.
> After years of intentional fracture, schism had finally come to the
> Episcopal Diocese of SC.  You all know what a grief that was to John and me
> and other faithful Episcopalians in SC.
> 
> 
> 
> That very afternoon, seven Summerville Episcopalians gathered on friends’
> back porch and committed ourselves to reorganizing an Episcopal
> congregation from the local remnant.  And, we have done just that…not just
> me, not any one person, but the Body of Christ in this place, in this
> time.  My grief was morphed by my passion to reorganize an Episcopal
> congregation.  I was named senior warden.  All of us, the original seven,
> plus those who have joined us in those months to reform, rebuild,
> reestablish an Episcopal Church, now known as The Episcopal Church of the
> Good Shepherd, Summerville.   Good Shepherd is a mission church of The
> Episcopal Church in SC.
> 
> 
> 
> Lots of gift-giving today.  During worship, John and I presented a new
> banner that we had commissioned, a banner that speaks visually where Good
> Shepherd is today.  Then, I was stunned more than I have ever been in my
> entire life.  The congregation presented the church a hand crafted
> baptismal font in my honor.  Dave Comer, an architect and gifted furniture
> maker from our parish, made the mahogany stand and a glass artisan crafted
> the glass bowl.  The bowl has an amazing design…one can see the holy spirit
> moving in it.  I am blown away and unworthy and thankful beyond words and
> want to share that with you.  Photos will be posted on our webpage as soon
> as possible.
> 
> 
> 
> Rejoice with me that God has brought The Episcopal Church of the Good
> Shepherd to this day and has shed a light on the way into our future.  We
> have wonderful new leadership coming on board.  The priest in charge has
> asked me to serve going forward as lay ministry coordinator.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks be to God!
> 
> Ginga