An Annual Report Sermon on Grace, Growth & Parish Discernment

St. John’s Episcopal Church
Tallahassee, FL

Isaiah 58:1-9a
Matthew 5:13–20

You Are the Light of the World

Jesus makes an astonishing declaration today.

You’ve probably heard it before,
which means it can feel like old news,
easy to miss:

“You are the salt of the earth.
You are the light of the world.”

Not, “One day you might be.”
Not, “If you try hard enough, you could be.”

But you are.
You are—already—the light of the world.

That matters, 
especially on a day like today.

Because on Annual Meeting Sunday,
there’s an easy temptation 
to slip into evaluation mode;
to measure the year; 
to tally our wins.

But Scripture never begins with performance.
Scripture begins with identity.

So the question before us today is not,
“Did we do it?”
“Did we win?” 
“Did we make Church great again?”

The question instead is simply:
“What has God been doing among us, 
and who are we becoming?”

When Worship Becomes Visible

Today he prophet Isaiah speaks
to people who were serious about their faith.

They were fasting.
They were worshiping.
They were doing things faithful people do.

And yet God says,
“This is not the fast I choose.”

He’s not rejecting their worship, 
but he is insisting that true worship
shows up in how a people live together 
and how they treat the weakest among them.

In today’s Gospel, 
Jesus says the same thing,
only more daringly.

It’s as if he’s saying, 
“If your life in God is real—
if the light of God is in you—
it will be visible.”

Light cannot help but shine.

Being religiously busy
and being the light of the world
are not the same thing.

Every church—
especially a church 
that is alive and growing—
faces this temptation.

It’s easy to confuse 
momentum with faithfulness.

But Isaiah and Jesus 
both press deeper to ask 
whether the light of God
is shining through
justice,
mercy,
generosity,
belonging,
grace,
trust, 
and love.

And when I look back 
over this past year at St. John’s,
I believe the answer is yes.

This has been a year
in which God has been teaching us
how to live in the light . . . 
never perfectly,
but always honestly,
and without shame or fear.

Let me walk us through 
some of the signs of light and life 
that I observed in 2025.

Naming Who We Are

One of the clearest signs of that
came when we finally named—together—
our vision and mission.

After a long season of discernment,
we now have language
for who we are 
and who we are becoming.

Our vision is simple enough to remember
and deep enough to shape us:

Deep roots.
True belonging.
Abundant grace.

That was not a branding exercise.
It was a shared theological act.

Actually, to be honest,
I don’t think we created that vision.
I think we caught up to it.

Naming who you are
gives strength 
to who you are becoming.

A Quiet Miracle in Adult Formation

So where have we seen 
that vision taking hold?

One of the clearest places
has been in adult formation.

Something quiet but remarkable
has been happening among us.

You are showing up hungry: 
for Scripture,
for theology,
for honest conversation
about faith and life.

I am deeply grateful
to vestry member Sara Beth Shippen,
her committee,
and all our teachers
for shepherding this work so faithfully.

It is not flashy,
but it is faithful 
and foundational.

When the Church Is the People

That same clarity 
shaped how we navigated the summer,
when we worshiped in Alfriend Hall
while our sanctuary 
was cleaned and restored.

That was no small thing.
It required flexibility and patience.

And yet something beautiful happened.

Over the summer,
we were reminded 
in a very embodied way 
that the Church is not the room.

The Church is the people.

Worship was never 
about architecture,
but attention.

When summer church came to an end,
more than one of you told me
you were surprised
by how much you loved worshiping there.

A few even admitted—quietly—
that you were a little disappointed
when we moved back.

That discovery matters,
because the light of God 
is not fixed in place.

The light goes wherever the people go.

Making Room for Growth

That same discernment showed up this year
in another significant decision:
the move to three Sunday services.

That was not a quick decision,
and it was not an easy one.

We talked about it for a long time.
We watched.
We waited.

And when we finally made the move,
it became clear very quickly
that the timing was right.

While our average Sunday attendance 
in the last couple years 
had been bumping between 280 and 320, 
we had over 470 people in church 
on the first day with three services.

We created space.
Reduced pressure.
Allowed the light of God
room to breathe.

That kind of decision
does not come from anxiety.
It comes from discernment and trust.

Our Youth Are the Church of Today

We were also reminded this year
that the Church is not 
just something we preserve,
but something we hand on . . . 
not someday,
but now.

I often say that our young people
are not just the Church of the future;
they are the Church of today.

That conviction was reinforced
at Diocesan Convention this year,
when the diocese passed resolutions
encouraging youth presence
in the councils of the Church, 
including at the diocesan levels 
and on our parish vestries.

I am the priest I am
because similar decisions 
were taken seriously thirty years ago
in the Diocese of Georgia
when I was young.

So in that same spirit,
I am happy and honored to tell you
that I have appointed Julia Cline
to serve this year
as a non-voting youth representative 
to our vestry.

Listening and shaping young voices
is not optional.
It is holy work.

Meanwhile, more broadly, 
we are still laying foundations
in children’s and youth ministry.
That work takes time.

But it is good work,
and hopeful work,
and I am deeply grateful to Tyree
and all our volunteers
for their faithfulness.

Faithful Change and the Courage to Adapt

This year also asked us
to embrace change
in visible,
sometimes uncomfortable ways.

One of the most significant
was Market Under the Stars.

It was a major shift 
(and not an uncontroversial one) 
from the way we had always done things.

And yet it proved to be wonderfully fruitful,
both financially and missionally.

Together we raised nearly $35,000,
with significant grants
going directly to local organizations.

I want to thank the co-chairs—
Cindi Briley,
David Campbell,
and Susan Gwynn—
for their leadership.

What we learned this year
is that sometimes it is faithful
to let things change. 

We’ll continue to discern 
the next right steps for Market.

Stewardship and Generosity as Testimony

That willingness opened the door
to another important moment:
our first Consecration Sunday.

I’ll admit, 
even though it was my idea
I was nervous.

But once again,
you surprised me 
with your faithfulness.

Consecration Sunday 
was not only fruitful.
It was joyful.

Thirty-seven households 
pledged for the first time.

One hundred eighty-six households 
increased their pledges.

Overall participation rose 
to 359 pledging households,
an increase of more than 11% 
over the previous year.

Total pledged giving 
increased by over 13%,
representing an additional $177,000 
committed to the life and ministry of St. John’s 
for a total pledged amount of $1,485,645.

Those numbers are not trophies.
They are testimony.

There are churches that grow by accident,
and churches that grow by anxiety.
What God seems to be doing here
is something else entirely.

Growing with Intention

As we have grown,
we have also had to ask whether
“the way we have always done things”
is still serving us well.

It is not unusual in seasons like this
to realize that what worked then
doesn’t always work now,
or that the solutions we have
patched and cobbled together
over many years
need to be assessed anew.

Not because they were wrong,
but to be sure we are doing things well—
conserving resources and energy,
strengthening communication,
and making sure, as Jesus puts it,
that the right hand knows
what the left hand is doing.

For this reason, I have commissioned
the WWADI Committee 
(short for “The Way We’ve Always Done It”)
to serve in an advisory capacity 
to the rector and vestry.

This group includes
Skip Foster,
Mary Byrd Sims,
Ben Bowersox,
and Leslie Redding.

I am not asking them for drastic change,
but faithful clarity, 
steady discernment, 
and good recommendations.

We will begin with vestry itself,
because as St. John’s grows,
the way we govern
must grow with us. 

Faithful Leadership in Demanding Seasons

Speaking of Vestry,
I absolutely must thank the vestry members
who are rotating off this year:
Leslie Redding (senior warden),
Mike Stewart-Meza (outreach),
Chuck Hinson (stewardship),
Debby McNamara (pastoral care),
Steve Rogers (youth and children),
and Erik Salsgiver (pastoral care).

These extraordinary people
carried real responsibility
through demanding years.
They built new modes of ministry,
expanded our capacity
to bless and serve others,
and helped increase participation
across the life of St. John’s.

Their impact on this parish
will be long lasting.

Alongside them stands our staff, 
who have been extraordinary.

After decades of faithful service,
Betsy Calhoun retired as Director of Music,
and Marissa Hall stepped into that role
with such grace that the music ministry 
has not missed a beat.
Marissa and the choir are now joined
by Adam Ravain, our new full-time organist.

Pamela Marsh joined us
as Director of Facilities 
and has the place looking
and running better than ever 
alongside our new full-time sexton
Ryan Lewis as her right-hand man.
Ryan comes to us as we bid farewell
to Israel, our longtime sexton
who retired late last year.

Speaking of retirement,
after eighteen years of service,
Deborah Dugger at the front desk
will retire at the end of next week.

If you know Deborah,
you know her spunk and humor; 
we will miss her dearly.

Carrying the Weight Together

I also want to speak directly and pastorally
about our Associate Rector, Mother Leslie.

Many of you know she is on medical leave,
and you are right to sense
that this time was needed.

She remains deeply loved.
She has our full support.
And she is taking the time she needs.

With Mother Leslie on leave,
I also want to name the reality of clergy life.

What most of you typically see 
is Sunday morning, which—honestly—
is just the tip of the iceberg. 
Sunday mornings are the easy part. 

But the real weight of parish life
lives Monday through Saturday 
in running the place alongside you, 
managing pastoral emergencies, 
guiding the staff and vestry, 
offering the sacraments, 
and so much more.

For that reason, 
it is a tremendous gift
that Melanie Salsgiver is—as of yesterday—
now an ordained deacon
and fully present day-to-day at St. John’s.

(Congratulations, Melanie!)

We are also exploring
additional clergy support.
We don’t know exactly what that will look like, 
but I promise to keep you informed.

I also am deeply grateful
for the retired clergy
who have supported us this year: 
Jim Clendinen,
Marda Messick,
Deacon Jeannie Byer,
and Bill Trexler.

Bill and Karla soon plan 
to return to North Carolina,
and we will miss them 
more than words can say.

And to all of you,
thank you—truly—
for your patience and grace with me.

There is only one of me, 
but there are hundreds of you. 

You might assume that
I would see that as a burden. 
But no . . . you are a gift
because you are the real ministers 
of this parish.
Together, we are strong.

Our Life Together in the Diocese

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you 
that all of this has taken place
within a larger diocesan story.

As you know, we in the Diocese of Florida 
have been living without a bishop for some time,
and that matters more than you know.

Yesterday, we had the joy of having 
Assisting Bishop Chip Stokes with us 
for Melanie’s ordination.

Bishop Chip retired in 2023 
as the twelfth Bishop of New Jersey 
and retired to St. Augustine.

When our diocese needed assisting bishops 
to step in and help us out, 
he was one who answered the call.

As an assisting bishop, 
he is “here for a good time, not a long time,”
but Bishop Chip is a real bishop. 
Pastoral. 
Helpful. 
Loving. 
Honest. 
Kind.
If you were here yesterday, you saw that. 
We need that. 
and are looking for that. 

I serve as chaplain to the bishop search, 
and our own Carolyn Gosselin and Francine Walker
serve on the transition committee.

St. John’s is not standing on the sidelines.
You are helping shape the future
of the wider Church.

I know some of you experience the diocese
as something we support
without always seeing what it gives back.

But our life as a diocese—
a community of churches across North Florida—
brings a spiritual richness
that matters deeply.

And sometimes,
that shared life shows up
in very concrete ways.

When we needed help
to finish our HVAC campaign,
the diocese was there.

Through a special fund 
called the Nehemiah Fund,
they offered us an interest-free loan
so we could complete the work
without additional strain.

I name that openly, 
not as a sign of crisis,
but of partnership. 

We are blessed to be a part 
of the Diocese of Florida.

Living in the Light

When I step back
and look at all of this together,
I do not primarily see
projects or programs.

I see formation. 
I see transformation.

I see a people
learning to live without fear,
willing to adapt without losing themselves,
willing to tell the truth,
to give generously,
and to trust God together.

I have been a priest for a long time,
and I do not say this lightly:

What is happening here is rare.

Everything I have named today
is simply what it looks like
when Jesus tells the truth
about who you already are.

This year’s annual report tells that story
far more fully than I ever could,
and I hope you will take time to read it.

And that brings us back,
one last time,
to where we began.

“You are the light of the world.”

Not because you are flawless.
Not because you never struggle.
But because God’s grace
is alive among you.

That means, my friends, 
that the work before us
is not to manufacture light.

It is simply
not to hide it.

And if we continue in that—
rooted,
honest,
generous,
and faithful—
then the future of St. John’s
is not something 
we ever have to fear.

It is ours
to receive . . . 
with gratitude
and with courage.

So let your light shine, 
O ye people, 
and thanks be to God.

Amen.