Reflections on our parish meeting

Hi, all!

After our special parish meeting last Sunday, I felt humbled and grateful. Not only did we have a lively and respectful conversation about whether we should buy new property, but we had a heart-felt sharing of our hopes and dreams. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as we shared together.

For many years, we have struggled with our decision to build on our current site or move to another site, to the point that many of us have become exasperated with the topic. "Let's make a decision once and for all," we said at our annual meeting last January.

The problem is, it's not easy to come to consensus, or near consensus, in a diverse community. How do we decide when there are so many factors to consider? Cost, location, visibility, and the inevitable risks no matter what we do. People of good faith can have differing opinions.

Choosing to buy new property to build a church on rightly makes us cautious. Think of the things that can go wrong. And truthfully it's hard to leave the familiar for the unfamiliar. 

So I was especially impressed in our meeting when I heard so many people speak in favor of buying the new property. Many people shared what St. Antony has meant to them and how their hopes for the future of our church have been revived by the possibility of this new site. Not only that, but a number of people shared how they changed their minds once they saw the new property. I was humbled by the faith and commitment I heard expressed in that room. 

So I think it's the work of the Holy Spirit to make this property available and to bring us to near-consensus. Fifty out of sixty two people marked "strongly agree" with the recommendation of the Long Range Planning team to buy the new property. I recognize that not everyone agrees, and I respect the opinions of those who feel this is an unwise venture or who have voiced caution. Surely we need to hear those voices.

On Tuesday, we made an offer to buy the property, but it hasn't been accepted yet. Nothing is sure until the ink is dry, and undoubtedly we'll have some negotiations to make. But everything so far looks good. It's an exciting time, and I'm grateful to be part of it.

Bill