Parish Sun Spring 2016

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, HENRICO PARISH
THE PARISH SUN
Richmond, Virginia(804) 649-7938www.saintjohnsrichmond.org
Spring 2016
Give Thanks
For Deacons
Episcopal Cuba!
Congratulations to our newly
ordained vocational Deacon
David Curtis and to Karla Hunt,
recently named postulant for holy
orders as a vocational deacon.
David, our Deacon- in- Training
at St. John’s for the past year, has
brought outstanding leadership to
the Outreach program and
assisted with many other
ministries including Fellowship,
Worship, and Pastoral Care. He
was ordained as a vocational
deacon on Saturday, April 16, at
Christ Church. David has elected
to continue his ministry at St.
John’s, where he will continue to
serve the church and the Church
Hill neighborhood with his
faithful and giving ministry. His
sense of humor, enthusiasm, hard
work, and dedication have made
David a visible, active member of
St. John’s.
Cont’d p. 8
Rev. Deacon David Curtis
The St. John’s Church Connection
In the
fall of
2013, a
petite
Latina
woman
arrived
on the church grounds looking for
the grave of the Right Reverend
Alexander Hugo Blankingship, the
Third Bishop of the Diocese of
Cuba. Bishop Blankingship had
served in Cuba for 22 years, until
after the Revolution in 1959, when
the Batista government was
overthrown and Fidel Castro came
into power. In 1961, after a
Communist government
was established, Bishop
Blankingship returned
home to Richmond, Virginia and to
St. John’s Church. He died in
Richmond on July 21, 1975 and
was buried in our church yard (to
the right of the church door).
The woman searching for the
grave was the current Bishop of
Cuba, the Right Reverend Griselda
Delgado del Carpio. Parish
Administrator, Patty Duffy, and I
were fortunate to have a
fascinating visit with Bishop
Griselda and her husband. She
knew that Bishop Blankingship
1
was buried at St. John’s Church.
But she didn’t know that Bishop
Blankingship had given his
bishop’s crozier (staff) to the
church, where it remains to this
day, resting next to the bishop’s
chair to the left of the altar. It is
the crozier that Bishop Ted Gulick
carried in 2011, when Presiding
Bishop
Katharine
Jefferts Schori
came to
celebrate the
400th
Anniversary of
the 1611
founding of
Bishop Griselda with Henrico
Bishop Hugo
Parish. Bishop
Blankingship’s crozier
Griselda was
eager to see and hold the crozier
that had traveled the length and
width of her own country for
more than 20 years as Bishop
Blankingship traveled to all of the
Episcopal churches in Cuba. We
were delighted to learn that plans
have been made to build a
diocesan retreat and recreation
center in Bishop Blankingship’s
honor. Camp Blankingship will be
built on property acquired for the
Diocese of Cuba by Bishop
Blankingship before he left Cuba.
Fast forward a couple of years to
last fall, when Patty and I
contacted The Rev. Carmen
Germino, Associate Rector of St.
James’s Church (Patty’s church),
who was planning a trip to Cuba.
Over the course of several years,
St. James’s has been developing
a relationship with the Diocese of
Cuba, and is supporting the
development of Camp
Blankingship.
St. James’s is home to Bishop
Blankingship’s daughter,
Antoinette “Toni” Blankingship
Donovan, who fondly remembers
growing up in Cuba. She and her
brothers have formed ties to
Cuba and Bishop Griselda’s
office that are drawing interest
and resources to Camp
Blankingship. (See related article
about Camp Blankingship.)
St. James’s was gracious to allow
me to join seven others who went
to Cuba during the second week
of January. It was a fascinating,
eye-opening, spirit-filled
experience.
As we prepared for the 90-minute
flight from Miami to Havana, we
saw dozens of Cubans returning
home with large quantities of
electronics and other goods they
had purchased in the U.S.
Because the embargo does not
allow commerce with Cuba, such
goods are not available in Cuba
unless they are brought into the
country as gifts or are imported
from countries that have a
relationship with Cuba.
Bishop Griselda met us at the
Cathedral, on the grounds of
which are her house and the
dormitory where we stayed.
Bishop Blankingship established
this compound in what was an
affluent neighborhood.
was recently ordained as an Episcopal priest and now serves not
only as priest at the Bishop’s former parish in Itabo, but also as
project supervisor of Camp Blankingship near Santa Clara, Cuba.
He and Bishop Griselda have three
daughters.
Inside the Cathedral Complex
He was successful at attracting the
funds and the people that enabled
him to build up the diocese.
Bishop Blankingship is a hero in
the diocese. In each of the
churches where I was introduced,
the worshippers seemed excited to
make the connection between
their Episcopal heritage and our
Church.
Bishop Griselda was born and
raised in La Paz, Bolivia. In 1982
Ms. Delgado moved to Cuba to
enter the seminary there. Ordained
in 1991, she was on one of the
first four female episcopal priests
ordained in Cuba. She served as
rectora of Santa Maria Virgen for
20 years. On February 7, 2010,
The Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado
Del Carpio was consecrated as
bishop coadjutor for the Diocese
of Cuba, and later that year became diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Church of Cuba at Holy
Trinity Cathedral in Havana. She
is the first woman to serve as diocesan bishop of Cuba. At the
time of her consecration, the Cuban church included about 40 congregations and 7,000
Episcopalians. Her husband, Cuban-born Gerardo Logildes
Coroas, a building contractor,
2
Havana is a large bustling Caribbean city that differs from other
islands in its numbers of large
homes and developed downtown.
It is apparent that at one time, Cuba had a thriving economy. We all
know that before Fidel Castro’s
revolution, Cuba was the playground for the rich and famous!
The grand Hotel Nationale displayed guest books and photographs documenting the presence
of the many celebrities and governmental officials from all over
the world who had visited. But
after the Cuban Revolution, tourism, commerce, industry, and
money began to dry up. Even the
grand Hotel Nationale, though
beautiful, showed signs of age.
Cuba is known for the remarkable
number of 1950s and 1960s
American automobiles. Those in
the most pristine condition are
used as taxis for tourists. Many
others are in good condition, and
the resourceful Cuban people
keep them running without the
benefit of American parts. I found
it ironic to see large billboards
extolling the Revolution with old
cars driving in front of them,
symbols of an economy frozen in
1959. The non-American cars
included small, economy models
from Russia that I had never seen
before.
We stayed in dormitory rooms at
the Cathedral in Havana and at
one of the churches in Santiago.
The accommodations were very
basic, similar to “mission trip”
housing we’ve experienced
before in other countries. We
were very grateful that there were
water purification systems in
both places.
Our group gathered each night to
pray and to reflect on the sacred
moments in the ordinary days of
activity. It was amazing how
patient and compassionate the
individuals in our group were
with each other in the face of
differing approaches to some
difficulties we encountered. We
really functioned as a body!
Old Havana is beautiful, but rundown and in need of restoration.
At every turn is evidence of the
former wealth and the current
poverty and lack of industry.
Despite the lack of wealth, there
are surprising public art
installations throughout
downtown Havana. The Cuban
people were friendly and
welcoming to us. They expressed
hope that our two countries can
enjoy an increased connection.
When we visited the larger hotels
in Havana, we were greeted with
the sounds of Cuban music,
which trace its origins to Spain
and West Africa. I was surprised
to see how many people of
Chinese descent live in Cuba,
having been brought in to work
with Africans in the 19th century
sugar industry. Havana has its
own Chinatown the Barrio Chino
de La Habana.
Today, sugar, cigars and rum
continue to be the primary Cuban
exports. I brought a few cigars
home, but not being a smoker,
they are wasted on me. The rum
was delicious, though!
The Diocese of Cuba’s churches
are full of spirit and energy. The
parishioners take pride in
maintaining the buildings and
welcomed us in worship. Some of
the churches now have water
purifications systems, which are
of great benefit to locals and
visitors alike. Our visit in Havana
overlapped with that of St. Anne’s
Reston. That Diocese of Virginia
parish has been sending groups to
Cuba for several years, and on this
trip, they brought two water
filtration systems with them as a
gift to the Diocese.
Bishop Griselda has done a
magnificent job of creating
relationships with churches and
dioceses in the U.S. Bishop Susan
Goff is considering a trip to Cuba
to discuss partnerships. Bishop
Griselda continues to visit
churches in the U.S. to form
bonds and to make Camp
Blankingship a reality.
After visiting historic sites in
Havana and participating in
worship there on Sunday, we set
off for Santiago at the far eastern
end of the island.
3
A flight from Havana, in the
western part of the island wasn’t
available, so we took a 13-hour
bus ride on the government bus
service. It was very nice and even
had air-conditioning! As we
traveled through rural areas we
saw many traveling by horse and
carriage. It’s quite common and
not limited to the poor. We were
greeted in Santiago by the Rev.
Halbert Pons Santana, who was
with us for that part of our trip.
While we were in the Santiago
area, some of us painted the
courtyard of a church while
children present for day-care were
napping inside. In the afternoon,
some from our group sanded the
wooden pews, and local
parishioners refinished them. I
was invited to help lead worship a
couple of days later in that same
church with the newly refinished
pews.
One of the churches in that region
had been destroyed in a hurricane,
so we cleaned up the vacant lot
and prepared concrete footings for
the rebuilding of the church. The
government does not allow new
church “planting,” which holds
back the growth of the Diocese. A
church can be erected where
another church once stood, and
that is Father Halbert’s plan.
On the night before we left, the
church in Santiago brought in a
wonderful Cuban band and had a
table-full of delicious homemade
desserts! It was wonderful to see
the lively dancing by young and
old, together. The locals were
amused and delighted to see
Americans try to dance with them!
The care and love showed to us at
every turn made me yearn to
return, even before we left. These
are God’s people—creative,
strong, resilient, and faithful in a
place that does not encourage
their faith. I was blessed to be
amongst them.
What’s next? In Havana, Bishop
Griselda met with us in the house
built and furnished by Bishop
Blankingship. She uses the
furniture and china his family left
behind. We discussed the
possibility of a visit by a small
group of St. John’s members to
explore the possibility of forming
a relationship. The idea is
exciting to me, because it would
give us the rare opportunity to
build on a part of our
ecclesiastical history, the history
of our larger life as a church. The
history of St. John’s Church is
deep and wide. To broaden our
mission in this way would build
on the work that our own Bishop
Blankingship established in
Cuba. If this is a ministry that
speaks to you, please contact me
at linscoe@gmail.com or at the
church office.
Faithfully,
Laura Inscoe
About Camp Blankingship
from the “Cuba Corner” by
Marilyn Peterson, July 2014
In 1959, the political landscape
of Cuba was dramatically
changing because of the Cuban
Revolution. The Rt. Rev.
Alexander Hugo Blankingship,
the Bishop of the Diocese of
Cuba had been serving with
great energy, limitless vision,
and many dreams for the
present and future generations
of Episcopalians in Cuba.
During his episcopate from
1939 to 1961, he stabilized and
built up the Episcopal Church
by establishing the large
diocesan Cathedral campus as
it exists today, including the
Cathedral Santísima Trinidad,
a school, homes for the Bishop
and Dean, the diocesan center,
offices, classrooms, dining
room, kitchen, auditorium,
dormitories, and other
structures located in the
Vedado area of downtown
Havana.
In June of 1959, Bishop
Blankingship had the foresight
to buy ten acres of rural
farmland with a river running
through it for the purpose of
developing his next dream for
Cuban Episcopalians: a camp
and conference center for the
Episcopal Church in central
Cuba, strategically accessible
from both ends of the 777mile-long nation island. The
Bishop’s dream envisioned a
place with dormitory cabins,
activity and community
centers, self-sustaining farmed
lands, and a chapel where
children and youth could camp
out and swim in the river on
the property; where men and
women of the laity and the
4
clergy from all over Cuba
could more readily convene for
meetings, workshops,
conferences, annual Synods,
spiritual retreats; and where
Cuban Episcopalians could
host foreign sisters and
brothers… to eat, sleep, work,
learn, play, and pray together
in the serenity of exquisite
natural surroundings.
In 1961 after the establishment
of a communist system of government, Bishop Blankingship,
his wife Antoinette, and his
three children Hugo Jr., “Toni,”
and Wyatt, returned home to
Richmond, VA, and the Episcopal Church of Cuba had to
separate from Province IV of
The Episcopal Church, becoming an “extra-provincial”
church of the Episcopal/Anglican community. During those
early years of the Revolution
regime, the church suffered
uncertainty, Suppression and
neglect, and priests became
political prisoners. The camp
grounds were abandoned and
Bishop Blankingship’s dream
fell into a long slumber. Bishop
Hugo Blankingship died in
1975 and was buried at St.
John’s Church in Richmond,
Virginia.
Despite the US embargo,
blockade, and Cuba’s loss of an
American presence, the Episcopal Church of Cuba with its
remaining 10 priests, 40
churches or missions, and 2000
communicants, quietly and
courageously survived the early decades of the Revolution.
One of those priests, the Rev.
Emilio Hernandez, during 8
years of imprisonment, regularly celebrated the Eucharist
from memory. After his release,
he became Bishop of Cuba in
1982.
ownership of property. Cuban
public records show that the
camp acreage, 55 years after
the Revolution, is still titled in
the name of the Episcopal
Church of Cuba.
Today, there are over 7,000
Cuban Episcopalians in 45
churches and missions
throughout the island nation.
Through the years the memory of Bishop Blankingship’s
last dream has been passed
down from one generation to
the next. Although Bishop
Jorge Perera Hurtado inspired
Cuban volunteers in the early
2000s to excavate portions of
the camp grounds for future
construction sites and to drill
two water wells for later camp
consumption, the embargo,
the economic depression, the
scarcity of building materials,
the poverty in Cuba and the
political stand-off between
Cuba and the U.S. thwarted
attempts to boost the Camp
Blankingship dream with
funding. In 2010 the Rt. Reverend Maria Griselda Delgado
Del Carpio was installed as
the new Diocesan Bishop of
Cuba and she has successfully
urged Episcopal churches and
dioceses in the United States
to awaken Bishop Blankingship’s dream. Recently, US
embargo travel restrictions
have eased and Cuban law has
begun allowing individual
In 2013 Bishop Griselda presented detailed plans, architectural designs, photos, a written
proposal and budget for a fiveyear Camp building plan to
bishops and other friends of
the Diocese in the United
States. While Cuban volunteers
can provide the majority of the
construction labor, Cuba needs
funding from the U.S. Mission
volunteers from interested dioceses in America are already
helping the Camp Blankingship effort.
The Cuba Committee in Florida started a general funding
campaign for the Camp in late
2013. The Bishops of Florida
and Cuba submitted an application together and received
a UTO grant award in the
amount of $51,750 to fund the
purchase of building materials
for the first year/first phase of
the Camp Blankingship Project.
(YMCA) for service with the
American Expeditionary Forces in
France. Prior to ordination, he
accepted a call to serve as priest
for parish churches in northern
Virginia. In 1939, the newly
ordained Blankingship represented
the Episcopal Church as Bishop of
the Missionary Diocese of Cuba
until his retirement in 1961. After
retirement, Bishop Blankingship
and his wife Antoinette made their
home in Richmond where they
maintained an active membership
in St. John’s Church.
Bishop Blankingship’s crozier, or
staff resembling a shepherd’s
crook, stands next to the Bishop’s
chair in the church’s apse.
Plaques dedicated to his parents
William Shads and Helen
Lackland Blankingship are located
on the north wall of the church.
Bishop Blankingship and his wife
are buried in the St. John’s
churchyard near the West Door.
Research provided by Judith
Bowen Sherman from her book
The Burying Ground at Old St.
John’s Church
RT. REV. HUGO
BLANKINGSHIP
Alexander Hugo Blankingship
was born in Richmond and
baptized and confirmed at St.
John’s Church. He attended Yale
University Divinity School and
graduated from the Virginia
Theological Seminary.
During World War II,
Blankingship was appointed to
serve as a secretary to the National
War Work Council of the Young
Men’s Christian Association
5
The Rt, Rev. Hugo Blankingship
Building and Grounds
AND THE WORK GOES ON
Maintaining this large, historic
property is an ongoing project
requiring planning, hard work,
financing, and, especially, a
group of people devoted to the
care and preservation of St.
John’s. The Building and
Grounds Committee, under the
leadership of Ashley McCune
and Karla Hunt, keeps a running
list of tasks, both large and small,
needing attention. Ryan Smith
and Scott Vestal also serve on
this committee that is most
welcoming of volunteers.
Two large projects are nearing
completion: the creation of a
choir room in the Parish House
and renovation of the Keeper’s
Cottage on the southeast corner
of the church. The former children’s Sunday School room in
the Parish House has received a
fresh coat of paint, improved
lighting, and a new piano to
become the home of the St.
John’s choir. With new director
Martha Jones Burford, several
new choir members, and now a
new practice room, this group is
making music with joyous enthusiasm.
The Keeper’s Cottage is perhaps
the most charming building on
St. John’s property. Originally
situated near the front gate of the
church, this small building was
moved to the rear of the property
when it was no longer used in a
“keeper’s” capacity. The
building has been newly painted
inside and out. The stained glass
windows, several of which need
considerable restoration, have
been temporarily removed and
will be returned when that work
is completed.
Render Songs of Celebration
“Come thou fount of every
blessing, tune my heart to sing thy
grace!” So begins the beloved
hymn text written in the 18th
century by Robert Robinson. How
often in our formation as
Christians, in scripture, in prayer,
in hymns, we encounter
references to singing. Just a very
few examples:
Sing to the Lord a new Song
(Psalm 96)
I burst out in songs of
thanksgiving (Psalm 28)
Sing to God, sing praise to God;
tell of all God’s wonderful acts.
(1 Chronicles 16:9)
And at midnight Paul and Silas
prayed, and sang praises unto
God, and the prisoners heard
them. (Acts 16:25)
All creatures of our God and
King, lift up your voices let us
sing Alleluia! (1982 Hymnal
400)
And did not Jesus sing a song
that night, when utmost evil
strove against the Light (1982
Hymnal 420)
The power of song raised in
community is recorded in stories
ancient and new. As Christians,
we inherit the great tradition of
singing the psalms, and Matthew
tells us that Jesus and the disciples
sang hymns of praise. As the
Good News spread, the earliest
Christian communities sang
Hymns; we have remnants of
hymns sung along branches of the
Nile as early as the second century
A.D. Our human hearts throughout
time yearn to sing to God.
My encounters with groups and
individuals over the last few years
have convinced me more than ever
that we long for opportunities and
safe places to join with others and
sing God’s praise. Not only do we
long to sing, many of us work to
overcome any childhood
influences that convinced us our
voices were unworthy or
unpleasant. We sing in our cars;
we sing in our showers. In
addition to what I believe is our
natural longing to sing, we also
now know from current
neurological research that singing
In all of these encounters, we
with others “lights up” and
observe that singing exists as a
engages our brains in more ways
way to open to and communicate than any other activity.1 Not only
with God. I would go further and do our hearts open up when we
suggest that if, as told in Genesis sing, our brains are active and
1:27, we are made in God’s
engaged. As Don Saliers, emeritus
image, then when we sing to God, professor of theology and music at
we are not merely singing our
Emory University says, “Our very
song, but we join in God’s song to heartbeat, our breathing in and
us.
out, is a rhythm created by God.
Perhaps it is this embodiment of
So, here’s a serious question:
music that compels us as
Where do we sing to God these
Christians to sing.”2
days? For that matter, where do
we sing at all? A quick search on So, what does this have to do with
the Internet turns up research and us at St. John’s, and why am I
editorials lamenting loss of
writing about this? I want to ask,
communal singing in our culture. how as a community can we raise
6
song together? How do we ensure
that everyone who walks into St.
John’s feels empowered to sing?
How do we communicate that
every voice raised adds to the
infinite cloud of witnesses? How
do I, as your Director of Church
Music, help to create safe space
for each voice? And, how do I
express the message that God
desires to hear us?
I’ve often smiled when reading
“The Creation” from James
Weldon Johnson’s work God’s
Trombones. Throughout the
poem, God walks and points and
bats his eyes and smiles, but his
loneliness moves him to make
humans: “This Great God, like a
mammy bending over her baby,
kneeled down in the dust, toiling
over a lump of clay Till he
shaped it in his own image; then
into it He blew the breath of life,
and man became a living soul.
Amen. Amen.”3 And, I think,
God was lonely for someone to
breathe with and sing with.
Doesn’t that make you want to
sing to the God who formed you
most beautifully? How can we at
St. John’s give song back to the
One who created Song?
To this end, I have a few more
questions for you to think about
that we will address as a
congregation. For now, just think
about them and observe. In fact,
take a hymnal with you sometime
and read through it; it’s a
marvelous prayer book in its own
right. But here are some more
questions:
What is one of the first hymns you
remember learning?
Can you name a time when
singing a hymn or hearing one
moved you deeply?
Name a hymn that you think
might be a St. John’s favorite- one
that you believe the whole
congregation loves.
Can you name a hymn you
struggle to sing, whether because
the tune is difficult or the text
seems off base from your beliefs?
Is there a hymn you haven’t
experienced singing at St. John’s
but would like to sing?
So, I’ve thrown out lots of
questions, lots to think about. All
in the vein of “When in our music
God is glorified, and adoration
leaves no room for pride; it is as
though the whole creation cried,
‘Alleluia!”4
St. John’s First
Chili Cook Off
Congratulations to Scott Vestal,
the winner of the First Chili Cook
Off at St. John’s. On February 7,
St. John’s hosted its very first
Chili Cook Off. Molly Roberts
and Ray Brown, Scott Vestal, and
David Curtis all prepared various
chilis for the crowd to test. The
competition was fierce, the chili
was flowing, and the attendees ate
their fill.
Mark your calendar for January
29, 2017, for the Second Chili
Cook Off. Start working on your
chili and cornbread recipes. We
welcome all cooks and chefs for a
bit of fun.
In Christ’s Love,
Martha Jones Burford
1 The Music Instinct: Science and Song. PBS.
2 A Song to Sing, A Life to Live: Reflections on
Music as Spiritual Practice, Don Saliers and
Emily Saliers.
3 The Creation from God’s Trombones, James
Weldon Johnson.
4 When in our Music God is Glorified, Fred
Pratt Green.
David Curtis crowns chili champ Scott Vestal
Kroger’s Community
Rewards Program
St. John’s signed up with Kroger’s
Community Rewards Program in
November 2015. The Community
Rewards Program allows people
to link their Kroger card with an
approved organization which has
signed up for the program. Every
quarter, Kroger makes donations
to organizations based on the
amount spent by those signed up.
What are five of your favorite
hymns?
What is a hymn you can sing (at
least part of) without words or
music in front of you?
Bella Smith On Easter Sunday
7
We currently have 12 people
signed up for the Community
Rewards Program, and we
received a check for $66.86. If
you shop regularly at Kroger,
please consider signing up for the
Community Rewards Program.
Additional information about
signing up can be found at
www.kroger.com/communityrew
ards. People can sign up by
logging onto their Kroger
account at www.kroger.com or
calling 1-800-KROGERS,
Option #3.
FeedMore Tour and
First Fruits Update
We delivered 137 lbs. of food to
the Central Virginia Food Bank
on April 5th. This brings our year
to date total to 313 lbs. Thank
you for all of your contributions.
On May 10th, St. John’s members
are invited to tour FeedMore
(1415 Rhoadmiller Street). The
tour begins at 10 a.m. and will
last about 30-45 minutes. The
tour is limited to 12 people, so
people must sign up in advance.
You may sign up by contacting
David Curtis at
jdavid.curtis@verizon.net or at
804 339 2252.
The food we collect during First
Fruits Sunday (held on the first
Sunday of every month) is
donated to the Central Virginia
Food Bank. This food is then
distributed to community feeding
programs, local food pantries,
and other programs. The tour will
allow us to better understand how
our donations help us to respond
to the needs, concerns, and hopes
of the world around us.
A HERO AND A HAPPY ENDING
official. The boys have a father,
and Steven has two sons.
Steven Effinger with sons Rick and Jeff
In November, 2015, Steven
Effinger received a National
Adoption Excellence Award from
the Dept. of Health and Human
Services/Children’s Bureau in
Washington, D. C. in recognition
of the extraordinary contributions
made by Steven in providing
adoption and other permanency
outcomes for children in foster
care.
Steven’s journey on the path to
adoption began in May of 2013
when he received a mass email
from the Governor announcing a
kick-off campaign recognizing the
need for adoptive families for
children in foster care, including
over 12,000 teenagers. Surprised
and touched by this message,
Steven, who had always wanted to
be a father, followed his heart and
called the Children’s Home
Society of Virginia.
After a long and interesting
process that included training and
some soul-searching decisions,
Steven chose to adopt not one teen
but two brothers who did not want
to be separated. The following
weeks and months were filled
with visits, tons of paper work,
and the enjoyment of getting to
know each other. After ten long
months, the family became
8
Today, the teens are thriving in
school and activities and
especially as sons of a very special
father. Say “hello” to Steven and
his sons when you see them at St.
John’s. Congratulations, Steven,
on this special award.
Deacons cont’d from p.1
Our own Karla Hunt has been
accepted by the Diocese of
Virginia to begin her service as a
postulant in the Deacon’s School.
A longtime member of St. John’s,
Karla has served the church in
many capacities, currently as
Senior Warden. Karla’s passion
for Pastoral Care and Prayer
Ministries, her commitment to
serving others, and her deep faith
have led her to this huge step in
her spiritual journey. Prayers and
best wishes are with Karla as she
begins this journey of faith and
commitment.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Did you know that Elizabeth Van
Lew, infamous Civil War spy,
had a strong St. John’s
connection?
The mission of the church’s
Archives Committee is not only
to collect, preserve, and catalog
the church’s collections but also
to share the rich history of St.
John’s with parishioners and all
who may be interested. The
committee maintains a viewing
box in the Parish Hall in which
exhibits from the archives are
displayed and rotated often. The
current exhibit, curated by
committee chair Judith BowenSherman, chronicles the life of
Elizabeth Van Lew with
emphasis on her connection with
St. John’s Church and her place
in the neighborhood. It is a wellresearched, fascinating exhibit.
Recently framed photographs
and documents were displayed in
the Parish Hall on April 17, and
the committee looks forward to
showing more of these newly
restored items. You are invited
to stop by the Archives Room on
the second floor of the Parish
House any Tuesday afternoon to
realize the magnitude of the
objects and data stored there.
Elizabeth Van Lew
Church Receives Original
of Popular Painting
of nature’s elements to the
church’s simplicity.” (Integon)
Laura Inscoe and Rick Pierce
St. John’s has been gifted with an
original painting of the church by
artist Ed Olbon. This popular
image of St. John’s in the snow,
presented at Christmas time 1984,
has been seen at various times
through prints distributed by the
company commissioning the
work.
We at St. John’s are grateful to
National General Insurance for
this generous gift that is a valuable
addition to the church’s
collections. Parishioners may
have for their own collections a
print of this beautiful painting,
copies of which were provided by
National General and are available
in the Parish Hall or the Parish
House.
EAT, DRINK,
SING,
AND BE MERRY!
Saturday, April 23, 5:30 PM
in the Parish Hall
The Integon Corporation, now
National General Insurance,
commissioned a number of
paintings of churches and is now
distributing this large collection to
the individual churches. The
original painting of St. John’s was
presented to Laura Inscoe by Rick
Pierce, Senior Vice President of
National General Insurance.
Artist Ed Olbon, a former senior
art director for General Electric’s
advertising division, studied art at
Michigan State University and
Old Dominion University in
Virginia. His work hangs in many
collections, both private and
corporate. His rendering of St.
John’s church “reflects the artist’s
sensitivity toward the contribution
9
Other upcoming events:
REBUILDING TOGETHER IN
RICHMOND
Saturday, April 30
PARISH WORK DAY
Saturday, May 21
The Staff
The Vestry
The Rev. Laura Inscoe
Rector
linscoe@saintjohnsrichmond.org
Karla Hunt
Senior Warden
Drew Lineberger
Junior Warden
The Rev. Dr. Sandra LevyAchtemeier
Priest Associate
Website: www.sandralevy.net
Barbara Bayler
Irvin Dallas
The Rev. Dr. Lindon Eaves
Priest Associate
Rita Driscoll
Sue Shutt
The Rev. Susan Eaves
Priest Associate
Ryan Smith
The Rev. William Pickering
Priest Associate
Pattie Tobler
Scott Vestal
The Rev. Dr. Dorothy White
Priest Associate
The Rev. Deacon David Curtis
Vocational Deacon
dcurtis@saintjohnsrichmond.org
Patty Duffy
Parish Administrator
pduffy@saintjohnsrichmond.org
Laura Streat
Treasurer
Martha Jones-Burford
Music Director
mburford@saintjohnsrichmond.org
THE PARISH SUN
St. John’s Church, Henrico Parish
Office: 2319 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23223
Address service requested
We are a caring, spiritual community
joyfully embracing and nurturing all,
serving God, each other, and the community.
10