Many of you are aware that Nancy’s health has been suffering from coughing because of the dryness of the air here and the particles in it. Her coughing has increased each year we have been at St. Barnabas and for the last three months she’s had no voice at all.  It is for this reason we have made the decision after much prayer and discernment to accept a parish position on Vancouver Island in Sooke, BC, Canada. We will be leaving St. Barnabas on May 1st.

This is both a hard letter for us to write as we suspect it is for you to read since we thought this would be our last parish to serve, and expected to do so for at least another 10 years!

These seven years have been very eventful for the parish and for us as well. We are very grateful to our loving God for all the people at St. Barnabas and Borrego residents with whom we have had the privilege to serve. We’d like to leave you all with some thoughts and observations

Over the years St. Barnabas has been blessed with many very fine lay leaders. That kind of stability is truly rare in this day and age when commitment is hard to find. Words could never fully express the depth of gratitude we have for these dedicated people with whom the Lord has blessed us.

Although we  are moving to another parish please know this: it is the people of God who make a parish and without them there would be no purpose to the life to which we have been called. We will not try to run through the list of all the people who have touched our lives over these last seven years. You know who you are and you will always remain in our hearts.

Now as we move to another phase of priestly ministry we take with us many wonderful memories from this parish. We will greatly miss the beauty of the church, but mostly the beauty we find within each of you.

On Sunday, April 13^th, after the one service at 9:30 am, The Rev. Jenny Vervynck, Canon for Congregational Development, Deployment and Formation will make a power point presentation and answer your questions about the transition process. She met with the Vestry this past Monday and together they made these arrangements. In the absence of a rector, the bishop is the rector of the parish and the Rector’s Warden is his local representative.

“Creator God, Father and Mother of us all, bless everyone at St. Barnabas that they may ever continue ‘to share the love of Christ; compartir el amor de Cristo.’  May they continue to worship You and serve especially the lonely, the sick, and the dying. Lift up those who serve and lead the congregation and continue to give them the gifts that they bring to this parish and the larger community of Borrego Springs.  This we pray in Your Most Holy Name.”  Amen.

Gratefully,

Alex & Nancy

www.holytrinitysookebc.org