Parish steps out in faith for 150-year-old church

With gloomy economic forecasts dominating financial news these days, St. Paul’s Church in Henderson last month kicked off a capital campaign with an astounding announcement. Two days before the campaign officially began, the congregation with about 84 active members had received $670,000 in pledges.

The announcement came during a parish dinner on Nov. 8, preceding a monthlong campaign set to end Dec. 13. The Rev. Dr. Beth Macke, St. Paul's rector, said the pledges were collected during the campaign's "advance gifts" phase between Oct. 13 and Nov. 6.

Facing major repairs and renovation work estimated at $750,000, St. Paul's had an opportunity last summer to sell the church property to a local bank for $2 million, which would have relieved the congregation of some substantial debt but also would have forced the members to abandon a significant part of St. Paul's heritage, its 150-year-old church building. After considerable discussion, however, a majority of its members voted to reject the bank offer and raise the funds needed to renovate the church buildings, preserve its architectural and historic integrity, and leave this legacy for future generations of Episcopalians in Henderson.

Speaking about the kickoff dinner and the campaign's "phenomenal" start, Macke, who has been at St. Paul's about a year and a half, said the pledge commitments "reflect a real stepping out in faith, especially given this economic situation" and are a "statement of ownership" by St. Paul's members. "I'm real proud of them."