The Very Reverend Barkley S. Thompson
St. John’s Rector, 2007-2013
I will never forget the first time Jill and I made a financial commitment to our church home. We were a young married couple at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, Tennessee. We sat at the kitchen table one evening after work and acknowledged to one another, almost as a shared epiphany, that our parish was our extended family and that we needed to do something tangible and meaningful to ensure its thriving. For us at that time, we made our first-ever financial commitment sacrificially: We made a pledge that hurt just a little bit, requiring us to reorganize our other priorities. We also made that pledge sacramentally. Our pledge was the outward and visible sign of our inward affection toward the church and gratitude toward God.
Jill and I have included the church in our giving ever since, and though we now reside at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, we still include St. John’s in our commitments. We have made a commitment to the St. John’s capital campaign, so that we can participate sacramentally in this most important program to ensure St. John’s vitality and fidelity to the Gospel. And, we are members of the St. John’s Endowment Society, having included the parish in our estate plans. That way our love for St. John’s will outlive us, and our stewardship will continue even when we have crossed the threshold to God.
Distance and time have in no way diminished our love for St. John’s! The capital campaign is in my prayers, and it has my full support. If you’ve never made a financial commitment to the church, I pray you’ll think of this campaign sacrificially and sacramentally and make your pledge an outward and visible sign of your love for this very special place.
St. John's Cornerstone of Faith 