I had finished as Interim Rector of Holy Trinity East 88th Street in January so that when the Bishop’s Office called me in mid February about Transfiguration I was in fact unemployed and considering a return to Australia. I met the Bishop of Friday, February 18, and in an unusual interview he first summarized the recent history of this parish and talked of the need for reconciliation and then proceeded to give five reasons why I should not to be appointed to the parish. Then he invited my response. I must have been overly confident of my ability as a “Mr Fix It”; or enthusiastic for a challenge; or at least out of my mind or just plain desperate for a job in order to stay in New York (with which in my two years here I had fallen in love). His associate then went on about process and other seemingly irrelevant things after which I was dismissed into the snowy day with a vague reference to “we will be in contact”.

Well about half an hour after my return to the Rectory of St Edward the Martyr on East 109th Street the Bishop called to say would I meet the Wardens the next morning; the vestry on Monday; and start work on March 1. “Yes, Sir” I said. So it was that Pat, Gretchen and I met in Keko’s Coffee Shop on Saturday morning. It was during that conversation that I first heard the word “redevelopment". Reconciliation “Yes” but Redevelopment? “When” said I. “Well we need to move out of the Parish House by the end of May” said Pat, ever practical. So it was that the challenge I had taken on as rebuilding community became also overseeing a major church redevelopment scheme (in fact the only one in the Diocese of New York).

What gives me great satisfaction and pleasure after five years?

To begin with the Bishop’s initial challenge, that of reconciling the parish community after a disruptive time. I threw myself into that task from day one and am pleased to say that that phase was relatively short lived. I say with some pride that we are now blessed with a wonderfully united and stable leadership team of clergy and laity. Successive Wardens and Vestry members have worked hard together often faced with very complex and costly demands to do with the redevelopment.

Secondly I knew from the beginning that this parish had had a rich tradition of good worship, music and preaching and I set out to appreciate that and sustain and enhance it. I have been blessed in having a Director of Music like Claudia which has made the whole task more enjoyable. Looking back I trust my forebears would be pleased to see the daily round of worship as well as Sundays have all been maintained and expanded with the new Sunday evening liturgy. The fact that we have a full roster of clergy and acolytes each Sunday does not just happen by chance but is due to a faithful commitment by many people.

One of the things the Bishop warned me about proved to be wrong. He said Transfiguration was against women in ministry. To the contrary at the famous Keko’s meeting Gretchen informed me that Bishop Roskam had been invited to preside and preach on Ascension Day at which to my delight she was received gladly. While clergy women are in short supply in the sanctuary at present we have welcomed women priests both as celebrants and preachers and we have consistently had female and male seminarians by way of modeling that ministry is for all. And Bishop Roskam has returned twice.

Also I am pleased to say that the parish has maintained its proud tradition of inclusiveness in recent years with the first blessings of gay marriages and the continuation of baptisms of the children of gay couples. I trust Father Houghton who began the first African American Sunday School in the city; sheltered runaway slaves and gave sanctuary to many African Americans during the Draft Riots in the Civil War; and then welcomed the funeral of the actor, George Holland, beginning the long link of the parish with the theatrical profession, would approve of our continuing efforts to include all people in our welcome.

When I was ordained we were told money and numbers were not everything. Well they might not be but you cannot survive without them. Thankfully our numbers have increased on Sundays and weekdays consistently over the past five years and the giving has seen a more modest increase. We seem to have weathered the worst of the recession compared to some of the bigger parishes in Manhattan partly because we made our cutbacks in the months prior to and following my coming. From a staff of eight we have managed with a staff of four up to late last year when we added two part time positions.

I find it hard to believe that I began ministering here when the old parish house was still in use so I have seen the full process of the redevelopment from beginning to end. But that is all past history. We have four floors of new building which we own with good facilities for parish activities as well as leased space which brings in much needed income. And in addition we were able to carry out the most urgent of the restoration projects on the church including rebuilding the South Transept Wall; and the Guild Hall north wall and roof and the Chapel wall below. And finally we were able with a generous bequest to remodel the garden and grounds and restore the fence. All that physical activity and much more has achieved without any interruption to our regular ministry, worship and music program.

Now that the scaffolding has gone and the garden opened up the church itself has become a more open and inviting place. Ever since I arrived I have preached about and tried to model in my ministry that this church is a friendly and welcoming place. As many of you must be aware that has not always been Transfiguration’s reputation. As a parish it was seen as a bit standoffish; a bit separate from Diocese; an “independent Catholic church” as one older parishioner described it to me. You may remember one of my first acts was to get an “Episcopal Church Welcomes You” sign erected and to get seats placed in the garden. We have come a long way since then.

But I have several challenges I want to place before you today which are not new but are as urgent as ever and that I would like to be met in the next five years by the end of which I will almost have reached the mandatory retiring age.

The first is to do with fiscal responsibility and by that I mean pledging. This year we have at present 64 pledges down from 71 last year. Thankfully the amount pledged has modestly increased due to the sacrificial giving of the faithful few. But I really think given our increased attendances over some years this ought to be reflected in the pledges. If you love this church; if you value its offerings of worship and music; if this is your spiritual home then you really ought to make a pledge. What the pledge signifies is your commitment to God and the enterprise of his Church. The dollar amount is not the issue but rather the commitment that the pledge signifies. So whether you regard yourself as rich or poor you can pledge something. All that we do by way of liturgy and music, of providing educational programs, of supporting social outreach, of keeping the church open daily all costs and our resources are sorely stretched. The vestry has been fiscally responsible in moving away from the dangerous habit of continuing to draw down heavily on the endowment. So the challenge is to have a live income that really demonstrates our support for this place. I would like to see in the next few years over one hundred pledging units and an income more like $250.000 than the present almost $150.000. We can do it! With that new income and only with that will we be able to maintain that which we love so much.

That leads me to my other major challenge for the coming five years and has already been alluded to. You might not like to hear it but Transfiguration has not always been known as a friendly church. Anglo Catholic parishes have often had that sort of reputation. I believe we are changing but too slowly from my estimation. There is still a certain culture in this place of “you need to get to know us first”; “don’t rush us”; “we are an acquired taste”. My concern is that for many people there is no second time if there is not a genuine welcome on that first visit. If we want to grow and grow we must to survive the quality of our welcome from get go must be generous and genuine. I say this with some passion. Earlier this year I was dining with an Australian bishop friend who like me resigned his ministry there and now works in university administration and is an assistant bishop in England. He comes to New York three or four times a year either on business or to see a son who lives here. He has made Transfiguration his spiritual home and loves the worship and music. He told me rather sadly that on three successive Sundays not one person welcomed or spoke to him. I have had that said by others as well over the years. My brothers and sisters that is just not acceptable.

The Scriptures are filled with admonitions to welcome the stranger; to greet the brothers and sisters in faith. I would like to challenge all of you and especially the leadership of the parish to welcome at least three people each Sunday you don’t immediately recognize or whose names you have forgotten whether they are new or not. Just try it and see. All you have to say is “Good morning”. You might be surprised what a difference it makes to congregational life. Invite people to coffee your; point out the bookstore; show them the literature table; direct them to the bathrooms; tell them what a funny old thing the Rector is. Whatever. But for goodness sake treat them as human beings and part of the Body of Christ. I challenge the leaders clerical and lay, in and out of the sanctuary to make this number one priority immediately after service because the staying time for newcomers is short unless they are seasoned Episcopalians or New Englanders who are understand the more reticent approach. But this is New York with churches in abundance as an alternative. So do not miss the opportunity.

Those are the two most pressing things on my mind as I look ahead to the next five years. Of course there ministerial and mission goals we have yet to embrace from Social Outreach to a properly resourced children’s ministry which are already on the vestry agenda.

However given today’s readings I remain faithful and hopeful. Paul reminds us “God is faithful.” The Archbishop of Melbourne wrote a similar text from Thessalonians in my ordination Bible thirty eight years ago. God is faithful. We must never forget that as people of faith. And like the Old Testament lesson about the Burning Bush reminds us God hears the sufferings, the trials and tribulations, the failures and limitations of his people, he hears them and seeks to deliver them and us and to bring them and us out to a promised land. In other words God gives his people and he gives us, a future. The future is in his hands. And God uses our frail human flesh to bring that future about as he used Moses long ago. And as the Gospel also reminds us that our God is a God of forgiveness who gives us the fresh start, who is willing to keep trying with us.