I love St. John’s. I say that without reservation. I love every nook and cranny of this place, the history it represents and the future it portends.
I have been part of this place in one way or another since birth. I was baptized here, confirmed here, married (twice) here, my children were baptized and confirmed here, went to VBS, EYC and were acolytes. And I have also worked here since 2005!
I was here all the time as a child and teen. Rarely did a Sunday go by that Fred and Valerie Wilkerson were not in church with all three of the girls in tow. In those days, church started at 10 a.m., and we were usually sitting in our pew by 9:40, which was before Harald Rohlig even began to play! I’ve explored the basement, the roof, the bell tower. I have pressed my body against the slight raised edge that runs around the church and maneuvered around by balancing my small (barefoot!) feet on that tiny ledge. That move is harder to do these days since there are bushes now in the way, but some kids still manage it. I ran up and down, and up and down the stairs to the mezzanine that used to exist in the Parish House, and never understood why mothers were constantly fussing about it. Then as a mother of small children, who ran up and down those same stairs, I saw that activity with new eyes and fussed along with all the other mothers.
When Robert Wisnewski came to me in the summer of 2005, and said he was creating a new position and wanted me to fill it, I was immediately warned by many that once I saw “how the sausage was made” it would change my relationship to my church family, and they warned me to be wary of working for my church.
It instead became a job that has been a complete joy. I have seen how the sausage gets made, and sometimes it’s not pretty, but it did nothing but deepen my love for St. John’s and its family.
I think there are a lot of us “lifers” who feel this sense of love and even possession of this place. St. John’s stands here with its arms outstretched while chaos reigns all around it, never failing to be a place of solid and secure acceptance and love. It becomes part of our lives and being. Even if you step away for a time, St. John’s waits patiently to accept you back. I know people who for years haven’t been to St. John’s more than once or twice a year, if that much, but still call it their church, and that’s ok. It is their church. But that church needs and deserves more love and attention than it gets from most of us. If parents don’t regularly bring their children to church, Sunday school VBS, etc., then their children won’t feel that sense of belonging and ownership that I did as a child. If adults don’t worship regularly, come to special events, work on church committees, then those church connections that extend past Sunday morning will fade.
I regularly notice that at social functions, the St. John’s members always seem to drift together to visit. That sense of community that St. John’s offers spills over into regular life and we just seem to seek each other out. When you see someone from St. John’s out in public, there is an instant connection. It’s a wonderful feeling. But to feel it, you have to be here.
And I think that’s the thing that disappoints me the most. People look to St. John’s so much during times of need, whether its happy events like weddings and baptisms or sad times like funerals, and strife in one’s life. And that is one of the big functions of the church, to be there for those events. But when people’s lives seem to be going well, so often attention, loyalty, and support of the church seems to wane. That’s the bad part of the sausage, “when I need you, I want you; when I’m good, I can’t be bothered.” That mindset can be hurtful to those whose job it is to create opportunities for worship, education and fellowship at St. John’s. I have sat in countless staff meetings throughout the year while we brainstormed:
- Exciting special events, education opportunities, music events, worship events that would speak to people and that would get them excited about attending.
- Followed by brainstorming about why said events failed to produce the turnout for which we’d hope.
- Followed by brainstorming new/other ways to get people to have the energy and desire to come in from the lake, or just their own home, for Sunday morning worship; come back downtown for a Wednesday evening teaching event; come back downtown for a beautiful concert, etc.
The continual half-hearted attention that many give to St. John’s can be frustrating. We all love this place, but it can and will curl up and fade away unless we continue to love and support St. John’s as it should be.
My husband Chris has moved his architectural firm to Birmingham, so my time in Montgomery is coming to an end. My tenure as an employee will end on July 3, 2024, but my love, devotion, and support (both personally and financially) will never end. St. John’s will always be my church. My wish is that everyone at St. John’s will continue to love it and support it too.
Thank you to all my past and present fellow staff members for all of their support, encouragement, laughter, and too many funny stories to count. You are all true friends. Thank you also to all the members of St. John’s for all you do to help this beautiful, unique, incredibly special place be the wonderful place it is. I love you all.
Anne Tippett