April 2008

Introduction

Welcome to St Andrew’s. In this brief Parish Profile, we hope to present a portrait of who and what we are and most importantly to describe the attributes of the rector we seek. The Nominating Committee was appointed by the Vestry in December 2007. The committee has endeavored to be faithful to the many voices within St. Andrew’s as it carries out its charge of identifying Rector Candidates.

Mission Statement

St. Andrew’s is a welcoming and nurturing Christian family whose mission is to worship and serve our Lord by growing spiritually, sharing our life with others, and making Christ’s love known to all.

Our Diocese - The Diocese of Atlanta

Among the settlers arriving with Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe in 1733 was a clergyman from the Church of England. The Diocese of Georgia was established in 1823 and by 1907 had grown so much that it was divided geographically and the Diocese of Atlanta was created.

Our diocese comprises middle and north Georgia with ninety-three parishes, with a current mission initiative to increase that number to 100 by 2010. The next new start is St. Benedict’s in New Vinings, Cobb County. There are over 57,000 communicants in the Diocese of Atlanta. Five Hispanic congregations worship in the diocese and several parishes have services in both English and Spanish. Christ the King, an international congregation in Lilburn and a community of Sudanese immigrants at St. Michael’s, Stone Mountain, are exciting missions among emerging populations. We enjoy companion relationships with the dioceses of Ecuador and Rio de Janeiro, and our relationship with the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, where we have several missionaries, holds great promise.

The budget for the Diocese of Atlanta, approximately $4.7 million is funded by parish assessments of ten percent of annual parish net income, one of the lowest assessments in the Episcopal Church. To support ministry beyond the diocese, the diocese pays the full apportionment of the Episcopal Church. There is currently an appeal for mission funds, called the Alleluia Fund for Mission, to start new congregations. Several agencies in the diocese make annual appeals to parishes.

The diocesan quarterly journal, Pathways, reaches nearly 27,000 households. Our weekly e-news message, Connecting, contains timely announcements on diocesan and national church life. Camp Mikell, our camp and conference center near Toccoa in northeast Georgia, is the site of retreats, camps and conferences throughout the year. A number of parishes have affiliated schools, and there are several diocese-related retirement centers. Most churches in the diocese devote time and resources to the needy; Emmaus House and Holy Comforter in Atlanta are parishes with attendant outreach centers funded in part by the diocesan budget.

Chaplaincies are active at most of the colleges or universities in the diocese including the University of Georgia, Emory University, Georgia State University, and the Atlanta University Center (the largest consortium of Black colleges and universities in the world).

The offices of the Bishop and staff are located in The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. The Deployment Officer in the Diocese of Atlanta is the Canon to the Ordinary. Each interested applicant for a parish is screened on at least two occasions, and no candidate is considered without a full background check and interview with the Bishop.

Clergy are expected to attend the annual fall clergy conference and are invited to a pre-Lenten retreat. Study days, usually led by a scholar from one of several seminaries located in the Atlanta area, are held each year. Clergy are called upon to serve on various diocesan boards, committees and commissions as part of their service to the larger church. All clergy in new positions will attend a year of Fresh Start. Congregations support clergy continuing education, and clergy participation is expected and recorded. The Diocese of Atlanta is part of the Medical Trust of the Episcopal Church to provide healthcare benefits to clergy.

Our Community

St Andrew’s is located in the city of Hartwell, Georgia. Hartwell has a population of about 4,200 and is the county seat of Hart County which has a population of about 24,000. Hartwell is 100 miles northeast of Atlanta, 50 miles from Athens and 30 miles from Anderson, SC. The county borders I-85 and has over 200 miles of shoreline on Lake Hartwell, an Army Corps of Engineers impoundment of over 55,000 acres on the Savannah River. The average annual temperature is 74˚F, with a winter average of 57˚F. The county was named after Nancy Hart, famous for her many exploits against the British during the Revolutionary War. The economy is in a transition period. Farming is still important in the community but愠湩牣

an increasing number of retirees are having a greater and greater economic and social impact on the community. Property taxes are the third lowest in Georgia, only 18.25 mills. A weekly community newspaper, the Hartwell Sun is a progressive voice in the community. The city has a full time police and fire department and the county has a highly respected Sheriff’s Department. The crime rate is very low.

Education

Despite low property taxes, all the public schools have recently built or renovated facilities. There is one high school with a fine arts center, one middle school, three elementary schools and one alternative high school. The local library is excellent and there are many colleges and universities within easy driving distance, including Clemson University and the University of Georgia, each about 45 miles from Hartwell.

A new superintendent of schools and a new high school principal have pledged to work hard to lower an above average drop out rate, have instituted a mentoring program for at-risk students, and have plans for a major increase in the number of AP programs. Interested in football, softball, baseball, basketball, and other sports? We are good!!!

Community Action

Hartwell has a variety of clubs and organizations that help educate and serve the area. These include national groups such as Service League, Lions, Optimist, Rotary, Kiwanis, AARP, American Legion, VFW, YMCA, Master Gardeners and Habitat for Humanity. Local organizations such as garden clubs, a shelter for battered women, the clothes closet, Friends of the Library, adult literacy and learning center and many others provide service to the community. Members of St. Andrew’s are very active in these organizations, many in leadership roles. There is an inter-denomination Ministerial Association in which St. Andrews’s rectors have been active. There are over forty churches in Hart County, including Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, and many others. There are numerous special events that take place throughout the year: the Pre-Fourth (of July) Extravaganza, the Challenge of the Centuries Bike Ride, the Loch Hartwell Highland Games and Scottish Festival, the Arts in Hartwell Festival, the Antique Boat Show, the Polar Bear Plunge, the Hartwell Dam Run, the Spring Fever Regatta and others. Downtown Hartwell has an active Hart County Community Theatre, the Bluegrass Express and an Arts Center. There are excellent public recreational facilities in town and several golf courses in the area, including the Cateechee Golf Club, an eighteen hole semi-private Audubon Signature course with a conference center. We are also fortunate to have a seven acre county Botanical Garden.

Medical

Hartwell has a certified 74 bed hospital which has been remodeled recently to include a state of the art surgical suite, emergency room and intensive care unit. There are 17 MDs, 6 dentists, two skilled nursing homes and two assisted living facilities. There are major medical facilities nearby in Athens, Augusta, Atlanta and Anderson, SC. Some of the specialists from Athens and Emory see patients in Hartwell.

St. Andrew’s History

St. Andrew’s was founded on the faith and the vision of Charles and Mary Eleanor Kidd when in 1946 they moved to Hartwell from Alabama. While attending Grace Episcopal in Anderson, S.C., they began to explore the notion of establishing a mission in Hartwell. An organizational meeting in 1947 was held at the Kidd’s home where the founding members decided to call the mission St. Andrew’s. Over the next several years, worship services were held in homes and various community clubs.

In 1960 the small congregation decided to build their own church on a debt-free basis. The first corner stone was laid in December of 1960 by Rev. Frank Fortune, Charles Kidd, Paul Duke, and Eli Saliba. With the help of the many volunteers, extensive gifts, and special talents, the church was complete in 1961.

Development of Lake Hartwell grew the population of Episcopalians and by 1985 it was clear that a larger facility was needed. Again the congregation chose to go debt-free, and again our faith and prayers were rewarded. The new building was consecrated on November 30th, 1987. The following year the kitchen was enlarged, a new Sunday school room was added and the old worship space converted to a parish hall. In 2000 a steeple with chime system was installed, and in 2001 professional landscaping and a spaced parking lot were completed. In 2007 the kitchen and both restrooms were remodeled.

The first Rector of St. Andrew’s was Reverend Frank Fortune from 1960-1969, followed by the Reverend Hershel Atkinson from 1970-1997 who retired after twenty-seven years as Rector of St. Andrew’s. A new rector, the Reverend James Shumard, was installed in 1998. In 2001 Reverend Jim Shumard resigned as rector to accept the call to a parish in Savannah, Georgia. After a search of some months, the Reverend Cass Daly began his tenure in April of 2003. Rev. Daly resigned from the Episcopal Church in the summer of 2007 to join an Anglican mission in North Carolina. Several members of the parish also left St. Andrew’s at that time, ostensibly over issues related to the direction of the national church. The Reverend Jim Clarke, now retired and living in Cornelia, has been assigned as our interim rector.

Congregational Makeup

St Andrew’s has a membership of approximately 100, with average attendance of between 60 and 70. We are predominately a mature congregation with static membership as people move into and out of the community. A number of members have moved but have retained their letters at St. Andrew’s. The majority are not cradle Episcopalians.

Stewardship

The physical improvement of the church property has been accomplished with few problems because of increased pledges and contributions. Landscaping, a new steeple, improving the parking lot, new office equipment, the Memorial Garden and a new kitchen in 2007 were all accomplished with relative ease. The pledging level is about 75% of our members and St. Andrew’s has no debt. In 2008, thirty-nine members pledged their time and talents to service within the church, including; committee membership, music, lectionary, Lay Eucharistic Ministry and others. A full financial report is included in the Appendix.

Vestry

The vestry consists of nine members, elected at the annual parish meeting for staggered three-year terms. Each member has a committee assignment that pertains to the operation of the church. The vestry enjoys good support of the congregation. Also, our vestry has worked well with all of our rectors.

Outreach

In the past seven years the church has become significantly more involved with outreach in the community. The St. Andrews’s Men Club, ECW and the Outreach Committee have all given money and hours to various community projects. These include funds to buy new take-home books for all the kindergarten children in the county and new dictionaries for all middle school students. The parish also helps support the shelter for abused women and the community clothes closet and food center. St. Andrew’s is known throughout the community as very generous and giving for its size.

In most cases, the many churches in Hartwell work well together. The Ministerial Association is active and St Andrew’s has been a leader in working with other churches, holding joint services.

Parish Life

With the installation of our first full time rector, the church began to offer more services to the parish and the community. Despite a loss of membership upon the resignation of our Priest, the spirit and loyalty of St. Andrew’s remains strong, along with its desire to keep moving forward while holding firm to the Episcopal tradition of common prayer and common mission.

Fellowship

St. Andrew’s is a closely knit church. Families take turns serving coffee and refreshments following Sunday service. Fellowship begins for new members with the warmth extended and felt during the worship service and is solidified through person to person contacts made at our “coffee hour.” It is here that most new members have their first taste of acceptance into our church. During the year there are several church pot luck dinners as well as summer picnics and boat floats. Once visitors experience St. Andrew’s, they tend to stay.

Future Direction

A prospective rector should consider the potential of St. Andrew’s. More and more retirees and professionals are moving into Lake Hartwell homes. Local government is committed to expanding employment opportunity through aggressive recruitment of new business and industry. As Atlanta moves northeast toward South Carolina, opportunities grow. How these new opportunities are developed and implemented could be an exciting challenge.

The Rector for St. Andrew’s

A Knowledgeable Preacher and Educator

We want someone who can relate God’s word to our lives and the way we live out our baptismal covenant, whose sermons inform and inspire us to strengthen our relationship with God and with each other. We need someone to keep us from getting too comfortable with what we have accomplished by leading and inspiring us to greater service in our mission of outreach. We need to be encouraged to look at ourselves a little more closely, to try a little harder to love God and God’s creation more dearly, and to live in the reality that God is here and loves us. We very much enjoy learning the historical perspective of the scriptures and how the lessons apply to modern life. Beyond the educational benefits of the sermon, we look for a priest who pursues research which will deepen and enrich our grasp of faith in this ever changing balance between science and religion.

An Effective Leader

We need an effective leader who is willing and able to provide hands-on management and administration relating to the day to day business of St. Andrew’s. We also want a leader who can help us design and implement a long-range plan and vision for our parish.

A Good Pastor

We need a pastor to involve and keep people in the parish. We need someone with good people skills, who enjoys being with our congregation. The pastor will seek out ways to involve people in the parish life, as well as being available for counseling and visiting people.

We hope our pastor will help us keep our congregational flock together while the national issues threaten to split churches across the country. Although our parishioners represent a broad range of viewpoints on these issues, we hope our pastor will help us focus upon traditional Episcopal worship involving common prayer and common mission. We hope to find a pastor who will help us work toward a better understanding of ourselves, what it means to be a true Christian reflective of Christ’s words and actions brought forward to our more enlightened times. We desire to continue to grow toward a deeper understanding of our own faith and culture as it relates to that of all religions which fall under the label Children of God.

A Priest

In conclusion we need a priest who will make Christ known in the breaking of the bread. We want someone who loves the Episcopal traditions and liturgy and will bring vitality to our worship. We want parishioners to look forward to coming to church and to leave having been filled with spiritual food and prepared to love and serve God. St. Andrew’s is interested in hearing from any priest who believes he or she has something to offer our Parish and we are willing to discuss flexible and creative terms to fit our mutual needs.

2008 Vestry

Martin Melton, Senior Warden

Ed Ridgway, Junior Warden

Gary Cobb

Barbara Fineza

Randy Maness

Betty Martin

Candy Pufall

Rita Smith

Jim Spencer

The Nominating Committee

Candy Pufall, Chairperson

Kenny Carter

Ida Cobb

Yvonne Crissey

Carey Jackson

Tom Janter

Consultant to the Nominating Committee

Reverend Jim Clarke, Interim Priest