The State of the Parish gathering had a turnout that left standing room only. Fr Richard opened the meeting with a prayer, and Senior Warden, John Bremond, welcomed everyone. He then recognized all the volunteers who served in leadership positions in 2025, and asked staff members present to accept the thanks of a grateful congregation.

During the next 60 minutes John shared updates and the presenters answered questions.

Personnel:

Fr Matthew

Fr Matthew and Emma are expecting their first child in late March. Contingency plans are being made to assure there is clergy coverage for Holy Week services and activities if the baby arrives when planned. Fr Matthew will take paternity leave on a staggered basis.

Mtr Taylor

After eight wonderful years at Saint Philip’s, Mtr Taylor will transition to a new full-time post at Forward Movement. Her final day in her current role will be Sunday, February 1. A party on that same day is being planned; watch for details in later issues of the Bell & Tower. Mtr Taylor and her family will continue to worship at Saint Philip’s, and beginning in May, she will help welcome newcomers to the parish on Sundays.
CYFM will be well tended with staff members Kate Appel and Fr Alex continuing their leadership roles within the program, as will the many volunteers who have made the ministry so successful.
A search for a new priest to assume Mtr Taylor’s position has begun.

Rector Search:

Liz Wood, Search Committee Chair, gave an overview of the work committee members have done since September, including interviewing every stakeholder group in the parish.
The information they collected is now being compiled into a Parish Profile that the members hope to have ready to post within the diocese and nationwide in February.
The Search Committee will then review applications, interview prospects via Zoom, and create a shortlist of two or three candidates who will be invited to interview with the Vestry. The preferred candidate will then require the Bishop’s approval.

Financial Picture:

Treasurer, Herb Burton, reported that 2026 pledges are roughly $160,000 below budget projections. He explained the importance of increasing revenues to match anticipated expenses, and what the consequences would be if the shortfall continues.
He also suggested that everyone consider alternate methods of giving, including appreciated stock and retirement account distributions.

Capital Projects:

John Bremond shared that several urgent capital projects were identified last year.

Church Stabilization

The most significant project is the south wall of the church where the Great Doors are. The wall has moved so that it is 7” out of plumb. The yellow string in the photo below illustrates the problem. At the top of the building (outside the photo’s image) the yellow plumb line is flush with the wall. By the time the plumb line descends to the ground, the facade is 7” farther from the frame.

The second photo (below) shows how the adobe has separated from the framing—so much so that daylight is visible through the opening. Repairs are being engineered and working drawings should be completed by the end of this month.
Work is tentatively scheduled to begin in late April or early May, and Mike Italiano, Facilities Director, will manage that project.
Before construction begins, Fr Matthew will oversee the removal or protection of the sacred art.
The project is estimated to cost about $400,000.

Organ

The church organ is 40 years old and due to be refurbished. Because the south wall stabilization will require roofing material to be removed from the sanctuary, the decision has been made to remove the organ beginning Monday, April 6.
The organ will be stored off-site until it is sent to the Quimby firm in Missouri later this year. It’s expected that the organ will be refurbished and reinstalled by the end of August 2027.
During the stabilization project, worship services will be held in the Music Center until mid-to late July.
The organ is projected to cost $300,000.

Roofs

The stabilization project will also require that the sanctuary’s roof be replaced. To take advantage of lower costs created by economies of scale, it has been decided to include the roof over the office area and Murphey Gallery under the same contract.
Roofing is estimated to cost $200,000.

Great Doors

The Great Doors show many signs of deferred maintenance, including being difficult to open and close. Fr Matthew is researching qualified artisan contractors to determine who is best suited to do the work.
The cost estimate is $80,000.

Drainage

Unrelated to the other work, drainage work to remove excess water from the Perry and Fishpond Gardens is deemed urgent. The lack of good drainage has already damaged the north wall of Saint Anne’s Center and created subsidence in the Fishpond Garden. The plan is to pipe water to the labyrinth plaza and use it for irrigation.
The estimated cost is $190,000.

Master Plan Projects

In addition to the urgent projects, there are several forward-looking improvements that are being considered as Master Plan projects. They are expansion of the Columbarium Garden, expansion of the Fishpond Garden, renovation of the Plaza, relocation of the children’s playground, resurfacing and relandscaping parking lots, renovation of La Parroquia, and raising funds to benefit P&E and MEFT.
Cost estimates for the construction projects are in the range of $6M and the target for the P&E and MEFT funding is $2M each.

Capital Campaign:

A capital campaign has been under consideration for some time to fund both deferred maintenance and Master Plan projects. With the help of an anonymous donor, the church retained the Phoenix Philanthropy Group to help determine the feasibility of a campaign and to provide guidance on how to proceed.
The campaign consultants have completed 17 of 20 planned interviews. Feedback is positive: people feel that Saint Philip’s is a robust, growing parish that provides a very fulfilling spiritual and community experience. It’s considered an inclusive place of worship, and recognized as a beautiful historic architectural treasure.
There are also questions: Where will the church go with the new rector? Is now the right time to undertake a capital campaign? What is the long-term viability of the parish?
An Assessment and Case for Support will be presented to senior leadership in early February.
Due to the nature of the urgent projects, the Vestry has determined the parish must move forward with those repairs regardless of what is determined about the larger capital campaign. Therefore, a whisper campaign was undertaken last year to raise donations for urgent projects. To date, approximately $1.7 million has been pledged.
Grant opportunities were also identified and pursued. Jane Prescott-Smith secured a $170,000 grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places for the stabilization project. Rita Smalling, Jeffrey Campbell, and Jeff Hall worked with the Hampson Albert Sisler Foundation to receive a $250,000 grant to restore the organ.

John concluded the meeting with a reminder to everyone that the Annual Meeting will be at 11:30am on Sunday, January 25.