CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Parish Profile Priest in Charge

2

Santa Cruz, CA

Introduction

Calvary Episcopal Church is a parish with deep roots

in its hometown. In 2015 we celebrated 150 years

of ongoing Episcopal worship and our church

building is the oldest in Santa Cruz County still being

used for its original purpose. God has blessed us

with a dedicated laity, a strong music program and

the gift of being located in a busy downtown area.

In 2012, using input that came out of a very

successful series of house meetings that were a

means of coming together to talk about our

strengths and difficulties, a vestry committee

devised the following mission statement. We

believe it is descriptive of our values and character:

“Surely God is in this place…’

As we worship together in the beauty of holiness

As we do justice, love mercy and serve Christ in all

persons: “Whatever you did for the least of

these…you did for me.”

As we are transformed, body and spirit, by the

renewing of our minds in the community of Christ.

As we welcome intellectual challenges, never

confusing faith with certainty, for now we see

through a glass darkly, but then face to face.

As we come together in community to make

decisions through participation, respect and

openness; listening, trusting and knowing that God

is love and love never fails.

We invite you to read this profile carefully and

thoughtfully to find out more about Calvary. We are

looking for someone who is excited by our

challenges and attracted to our gifts, and is willing

to nurture and appreciate our journey onward. We

are ready to move with you as God calls us forward

into the next 150 years.

Santa Cruz

The city of Santa Cruz, California sits on the

northern part of Monterey Bay, about 74 miles

south of San Francisco and 30 miles west of San

Jose. The city’s population is over 63,000 — with

the largest groups being white (75%) and Latino

(20%) — and the University of California, Santa Cruz

(UCSC) has a population of 17,280 students. The

city’s 12 square miles vary from scenic coastline to

forested mountains. We are blessed with natural

beauty and a mild climate, with temperatures

averaging between the low of 44 and the high of 69

degrees. About 10% of the County of Santa Cruz is

devoted to state parks, several of which are within

or adjacent to the city limits.

Santa Cruz has changed greatly in the 150 years of

Calvary’s history. The opening of UCSC in 1965

transformed the city from a sleepy blue-collar

fishing and logging town to a bustling center for

counterculture, attracting artists, free spirits, and

intellectuals of all persuasions with its relatively low

cost of living and welcoming atmosphere. In the

1980s, however, middle-class families from nearby

Silicon Valley started moving to the Santa Cruz area,

driving home prices up. High-tech companies also

began to move here. Today, Santa Cruzans work in

many industries, including but not limited to, retail,

tourism, foodservice, and high tech. While the far-

out hippie culture of the 60s and 70s is mostly gone,

a counterculture narrative still exists in Santa Cruz.

Many of the hippies stayed in town and became

well-established members of the community, and

while now more affluent people also own homes

and live here, the culture is still accepting of a wide

range of lifestyles and ideas.

At times the needs of the university are in conflict

with the needs of the surrounding city, but

nevertheless UCSC is an institution of which Santa

Cruz is proud. Among Calvary parishioners are those

who have lived in Santa Cruz since before the

university exerted its influence as well as those who

are here because of the university as alumni,

students, and staff. By and large, our parish culture

reflects the Santa Cruz culture of acceptance and, as

is befitting of a church in a university town, places

a high value on independent thinking. We

appreciate having the university as a neighbor and

are always looking for ways to deepen our

relationship with them.

The annual influx of students as well as the

influence of Silicon Valley on rising home prices

have contributed to an overall shortage of housing

today. As of April 2016, the median home price in

Santa Cruz County was $775,500 and the average

rental rate for a 3-bedroom unit currently ranges

from $2,000 to $3,500 per month. With this comes

an ongoing challenge of homelessness. In 2015 the

number of individuals living on the street or in

homeless shelters numbered almost 2,000. Calvary

Episcopal Church is in downtown Santa Cruz, a

prominent area for street people to congregate.

The church’s location has proven to be, at times,

both a blessing and a trial, as the parish seeks to

meet the needs of its most disadvantaged, yet

challenging neighbors. This struggle has been a

touchstone of contention among some

parishioners, as they look to their church to balance

being a safe sanctuary that meets the many needs

of its members, with the calling to serve the poor.

When work is done and one can relax, however,

there is so much to enjoy here. One will certainly

never get bored. Santa Cruz and the surrounding

communities enjoy a wide range of cultural

activities, ranging from the award-winning

symphony, jazz, beach concerts, art & film festivals,

and live theater, to craft breweries, mountain

wineries, and every flavor of restaurant imaginable,

to outdoor fun including running races, mountain

biking, surfing, kayaking, tide pooling, horseback

riding, sailing, fishing, whale watching, softball,

beach volleyball, rock climbing, golfing, bird

watching, and hiking in the redwood forests.

History of Calvary

In 2015, Calvary Church celebrated the 150th

Anniversary of the first service held at the church

with the play “Lincoln’s Eulogy” written by

parishioner Dana Bagshaw. This play told the story

of how Calvary was involved in the Santa Cruz

community in response to the death of President

Abraham Lincoln. While preparing for the first

service at Calvary Church to be held Easter Sunday,

April 16, 1865, the news that President Lincoln had

been assassinated arrived. The floral decorations

were removed, and emblems of mourning were

hung in the chancel. On April 19, the then-rector

Rev. Loop held a special service in honor of the slain

president. Accounts in the church records say he

was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, and his

address to the congregation was so eloquent that

the City Fathers of Santa Cruz asked him to repeat it

publicly the following week. Calvary’s involvement

in the community began here, at its inception.

During its first 100 years, Calvary Church continued

to grow and reach out, not only to the city of Santa

Cruz, but also to Episcopalians in the surrounding

area. The clergy and laity of Calvary were largely

responsible for creating and sustaining missionary

work in the surrounding areas of Santa Cruz County,

especially in helping to establish the present

Episcopal churches at Ben Lomond, Aptos and

Scotts Valley. In recent years Calvary Church has

continued this practice by being a leader in the

organization of the Faith Community Shelter,

helping to expand the program to other churches in

Santa Cruz and Aptos.

Over the years, Calvary Church has experienced

growth and stability along with periods of declining

attendance similar to many mainstream churches.

In 2010, however, our membership took a

particularly hard hit when issues were raised about

services to the homeless, in particular issues

regarding a Calvary outreach program, the Monday

Night Coffee House, as well as the rector’s response

to parishioners with concerns. This led to a

Presentment and division among Calvary’s

members. Many members left the church. The

remaining parishioners are working hard to

maintain an aging facility, meet the needs of our

congregation, and actively participate in our

community.

Our Parish Family

Calvary’s parishioners come from all walks of life

and all economic classes. By and large, we are

educated people of a variety of ages, backgrounds,

politics and philosophies who take an active interest

in each other, the church, and the community at

large.

Members of the congregation are encouraged to

participate in the governance and ministries of the

church. A strong committee structure helps to

accomplish this. Each committee has a vestry liaison

and invites participation from the parish. Regular

meetings are publicized in the weekly bulletin and

monthly newsletter. Progress and programs are

reported at monthly vestry meetings.

Calvary, the Downtown Church

Calvary Episcopal Church, known affectionately in

the Santa Cruz community as “The Little Red

Church”, is located in downtown Santa Cruz, near

theaters, office buildings, restaurants, and stores.

Downtown is a thriving business district and a

popular gathering place for much of the

community. Farmers’ markets and outdoor antique

fairs take place regularly in streets and parking lots

near the church.

Although Santa Cruz is not especially large, the

downtown area where Calvary is located has some

of the social problems of a big city. Downtown

Santa Cruz is a bustling, economically healthy

district with many attractions; yet it is also a place

where transients and homeless individuals

congregate. People from these communities often

become part of our congregation-sometimes for a

few weeks, sometimes for years. We invite them to

fully participate in parish life.

Calvary’s grounds present the only park-like setting

adjacent to downtown, so it is not uncommon for

people of all types to lounge on the lawns or sit on

the steps of one of the buildings. In inclement

weather, people will sometimes sleep on Calvary’s

covered porches. Vandalism, although infrequent,

represents a constant threat to our beloved, wood-

frame facilities.

Parish Facilities

Our physical plant consists of four buildings: the

sanctuary, the church office, the education building,

and the parish hall. The sanctuary was completed in

1865 and exists today in essentially its original form.

The other three buildings were constructed after

1963.

The physical plant could benefit from improved

maintenance, painting, and new roofs for the

sanctuary, parish hall, and church office. New safety

and security lighting has recently been installed on

campus.

The church also owns a large parking lot next to the

campus which is leased to the City of Santa Cruz.

The lease currently provides 25% of the income for

the parish.

Calvary’s Staff

Calvary’s staff consists of a rector, a part-time office

manager, a music director/choirmaster, an organist,

and a part-time sexton. Calvary has one associate

clergy who helps with services on occasion, but

mainly worships as a member of the congregation.

Worship Services Whenever we conduct a discernment process or a

survey it becomes clear that our Eucharist-centered,

Episcopal liturgy is the number one thing that draws

people to our church.

Our beautiful, 150 year old Gothic Revival church

provides a lovely setting for a well-planned and

executed liturgy, as well as for our music program,

which emphasizes our English Anglican roots.

We currently offer two Sunday morning worship

services. The 8:00 a.m. service is conducted

according to Rite I in the Book of Common Prayer. It

is a spoken service with no music, and draws from

15 - 25 parishioners each Sunday. Parishioners who

attend the 8:00 service have said that they

particularly appreciate its meditative quality. The

10:30 service is a choral Eucharist conducted

according to Rite II in the BCP. This service utilizes

the skills of our music director, organist, and choir.

It draws 40 - 60 parishioners each Sunday. Sunday

school is held during the 10:30 service, with the

children joining the adults for communion. Recently

the children have begun to take part in the service

as much as possible on the first Sunday of the

month - as acolytes, readers, oblation bearers, and

members of our children’s choir.

A Sunday 5:30 Evening Prayer service is also

offered, as well as a Thursday noon Eucharist

service. Both are lightly attended.

Education

Calvary is blessed with amazing children, ranging

from toddlers to high schoolers. We provide Sunday

school to elementary and middle school children,

and childcare to preschoolers. Our Sunday school

seeks to strike a balance between fun and learning,

engaging children in interactive activities as well as

reading and discussing scripture. We do not have

enough children to support separate programs for

the older and younger kids, so we strive to be

flexible and work hard to tailor lessons to all age

groups.

The goal of Calvary’s adult education program is to

engage the community in the discussion and

exploration of spirituality and theology, as well as

the pressing issues we face as Christians. In 2014,

we hosted a weekend lecture series on process

theology, gathered the community to participate in

Reimagining the Episcopal Church, and established a

Saturday morning study group, beginning with an 8-

part ChurchNext series of courses on The Book of

Common Prayer. In 2015, we launched a series of

community forums involving both parishioners and

the wider Santa Cruz community in discussion of

critical topics such as climate change and our

relationship to the Muslim community. In 2016, our

Saturday morning program continued with Bridges

to Contemplative Living, based on the works of

writer and Trappist monk, Thomas Merton.

Fellowship

Members of the parish come together weekly for

worship services, coffee hour, educational programs

and social opportunities. Episcopal Church Women

(ECW) meets monthly for lunch and a variety of

programs and is open to women and men of the

parish. The Parish Life Committee plans social and

fundraising activities such as the annual Christmas

Tea. Each year in the spring, the choir hosts a

fundraiser which supports the Choral Scholars

program. Book club, bus trips and “Parents Night

Out” are enjoyed by many throughout the year.

Calvary’s 150th Anniversary was celebrated with an

original historical play written by a parishioner as

well as a garden party on the church grounds. We

also commemorated this milestone by holding

several open houses for the surrounding

community, complete with historical displays and

docent-led tours of the church sanctuary.

Music

Calvary’s high-quality music program offers an

opportunity for active participation by members of

the parish of all ages. The focus of the music

program is to enhance the parishioners’ experience

of the presence of God through the mystery and

majesty of the Anglican liturgical tradition.

The adult choir is a non-professional ensemble

consisting of members of Calvary along with three

or four music students. The role of these “Choral

Scholars”, who are principally drawn from UCSC, is

to enhance the work of the volunteer members of

the choir, to gain professional experience as

working musicians, and to learn the rich heritage of

the Anglican repertoire.

Typically, the choir offers an offertory anthem,

chants the psalm, sings the service music, and leads

the parish in singing hymns. During the year the

adult choir also sings 2-3 Evensong services, several

Special Choral Eucharists, an annual Lessons and

Carols service, and extra services around the Easter

and Christmas holidays. The music ministry at

Calvary is supported by a 1971 Moeller pipe organ

and a 6-foot Steinway piano.

Very recently, the Calvary parish has re-started the

youth choir, which now sings on the first Sunday of

the month from October through June.

The emphasis on the classical Anglican Choral

tradition during the 10:30 service enjoys strong

support in the parish and has been the means of

attracting some new members. However, a number

of parishioners would like to see other styles of

music offered, such as jazz, gospel, folk, or praise,

perhaps in an additional weekly or monthly service.

There are also parishioners who question the

emphasis on music. This is an area in need of

further discernment and exploration.

Pastoral Care

Calvary’s laity supports its clergy’s performance of

pastoral duties. We have an active and experienced

Altar Guild and an enthusiastic team of Lay Readers,

Chalice Bearers, Lectors, Acolytes, and Ushers.

These ministries are dedicated to making sure the

worship services run smoothly.

In the past, the Sacrament of Holy Communion has

been provided to homebound parishioners or those

in residential care facilities by Eucharistic Visitor

(EV). There is only one EV serving in this capacity at

this time. It is hoped that this ministry can be

expanded with the guidance of a new rector and

that pastoral care will be a focus of the new rector’s

ministry.

Outreach

The Calvary Food Pantry serves 50 to 75 needy or

homeless families twice each month and has been

doing so for over 45 years. We are the longest-

running food pantry of the Second Harvest Food

Bank of Watsonville. Each visitor to the Food Pantry

receives fresh vegetables & fruit, canned goods, and

milk. Volunteers from Calvary plus a few from the

community operate the pantry.

The Monday Night Coffee House hosts 75 or more

homeless individuals every Monday night (5:00 –

7:30pm) in our parish hall. It includes popcorn and

lemonade, guitar music and singing, as well as bible

study and a period of silent meditation. Communion

is sometimes celebrated. The focus of this church

service and ministry is on forming community. After

the service a meal is served. The Coffee House

ministry is staffed by volunteers from the

community as well as members of Calvary.

Initially the influx every Monday night of 100-plus

homeless persons onto our downtown campus

created unwanted disorder in and disrespect to the

church and the surrounding neighborhood. After

some changes these meetings have mellowed and

now there are relatively few problems. The entire

program is financed by private donations and a

grant from the United Way/FEMA.

Faith Community Shelter is a program of

transitional housing operated by the Association of

Faith Communities (AFC), soon to be a separate

nonprofit organization. As a member of the AFC ,

Calvary provides overnight sleeping, dinner and

breakfast for twenty individuals one night per week

and coordinates the same services in eight other

Santa Cruz churches, plus the Salvation Army.

Calvary Preschool, a separate non-profit

organization, offers quality early childhood

education in the Calvary education building and

playground.

12 Step Groups and other non-profit groups gather

in the parish hall and meeting rooms, which are

available on a sliding-scale rent basis.

Finances and Stewardship

Calvary’s budgetary situation is challenging. Our

pledge income for 2015 was $160,000 but pledges

for 2016 were only $124,000. We hope to increase

that amount with pledges from new members and

with increased pledges from our current members

as we move into a period of new leadership. Other

revenue comes from the rental of our facilities and

the parking lot lease with the city. Our 2016 budget

projects an annual income of $314,400 and

expenditures of $318,000.

In 2015 Charlotte Howell, a former parishioner,

gave a bequest of $350,000, of which $247,027 has

been received to date. This bequest is for “the

preservation and maintenance of Calvary Episcopal

Church.” The current balance of our Trust,

Memorial and Building & Restoration funds is

$439,636.

Diocesan Relations

Calvary is an active parish in the Diocese of El

Camino Real. Throughout the year, the Diocese is

aware and very supportive of our endeavors and

activities, and especially now during our transitional

period between Rectors. Bishop Mary and Canon

Nordwick conducted a day and a half all parish

retreat in our Parish Hall attended by a majority of

our members. This jumpstarted our programs to

develop an up to date profile, portfolio, and survey

which has helped us identify our needs and

requirements for a new rector. Members of our

church regularly participate in diocesan

conventions, commissions, and committees.

Moving Forward

We have had many struggles in the past 10 years. A

recurring question of our life together during this

time is how do we balance our need and desire to

respond compassionately to, and indeed reach out

to, the growing number of disadvantaged in our

downtown neighborhood without jeopardizing the

sanctity and safety of our parish family and historic

church campus.

Our declining membership has also brought some

financial difficulties, the impact of which we

particularly feel in deferred maintenance of our

church buildings. Determining how to reach out and

attract potential new parishioners is another area of

discernment we are continually engaged in. We

believe we are a parish with much to offer: to the

glory of God, to the Santa Cruz community, and to

each other. How do we encourage others to join us?

The future leader of Calvary will come into a parish

that is made up of dedicated and compassionate

people who want the best for Calvary but are

sometimes at odds with others in the congregation

about what our church’s vision should be. So we

need a person with excellent listening and

communication skills who can work collaboratively

with parishioners to discern our direction, not by

imposing change, but by fanning the flame of

positive energy we are beginning to feel with this

chance for a new beginning. This leader must have

excellent interpersonal skills, get to know Calvary’s

parishioners, and understand the experience and

wisdom contained within the congregation. He or

she must be able to build trust, especially among

some who feel disenfranchised or burnt out. One

management skill that will be important is the

ability to organize the decision-making so that

there’s a clear process and, once made, plans are

followed through. He or she will need to have

humility, but not be dissuaded by crosscurrents that

might undermine the direction to which the parish

commits itself. Finally, this new leader should be a

unifier, who inspires the best in people through a

commitment to living God’s word.

Desired Attributes for a Priest in Charge

• Has spiritual depth; theologically grounded in our Episcopal tradition

• An open-minded, non-judgmental person

• Inspirational preacher

• Enthusiastically committed and interested in the development of our church community; eager to work with us to grow the church

• Compassionate and loving to both parishioners and the broader downtown community

• Enjoys working collaboratively with parish leadership

• Has strong interpersonal skills; is an excellent listener and communicator

• Prioritizes pastoral care