a parish profile: st. mary’s march, 2019 · a parish profile: st. mary’s episcopal church, dade...
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ST. MARY’S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH,
DADE CITY, FLORIDA
A Parish Profile:
March, 2019
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Dade City, Florida P a g e | 1
A Parish Profile: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Dade City, Florida
March 2019
A Prayer for a New Rector
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven
and earth, hear our prayers for our St. Mary’s Parish Family.
Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless and restore the
penitent. Grant us all things necessary in our search for a
new rector, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind,
within your holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Mission Statement
To know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior through prayer,
worship, study, and fellowship. To serve Him with our lives
in ministry to all people.
This Parish profile has been compiled to help give prospective candidates for Rector of St. Mary’s
Episcopal Church of Dade City, Florida, an overview of our Parish. It also provides the current
“state of the church” as seen by its parish family members.
The information included in this profile has been taken from a recent self-study as well as from
data provided by the department heads, members of the Vestry, church staff and members of
the Search Committee.
Community
Dade City is located in East Pasco County approximately 30 miles north of Tampa, 45 miles west
of Orlando, and 40 miles east from the Gulf Coast. The city, which is the county seat, is nestled
among rolling hills, farm and ranch lands. The focal point of the city is Courthouse Square which
houses the renovated “Old Pasco County Courthouse”, unusual shops, antique and specialty
stores and several restaurants. Dade City has many visitors that come to spend the day browsing,
shopping and dining.
Established in 1889, Dade City was an early participant in the Main Street program, and the
citizens and property owners have worked hard to restore and maintain historic buildings and
sites. The area is home to Saint Leo University, Pasco Hernando State College and the Florida
Pioneer Museum.
The population of Dade City proper, is approximately 7,100. However, the community has a
population in excess of 75,000 people residing in the area encompassing the smaller communities
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Dade City, Florida P a g e | 2
of San Antonio, St. Leo, Lake Jovita, St.
Joseph, Darby, Lacoochee, Trilby and Ridge
Manor. The largest employers in the area are
Pasco County Government, Advent Health
Hospital in Dade City, Florida Medical Clinic,
Pasco Hernando State College and St. Leo
University.
The median age of the Dade City area is 36
years old, and quality education is of great
importance to its residents. The District
School Board of Pasco County operates one of
the state’s premier public school systems,
providing educational opportunities to more than 75,000 students countywide, and employing
approximately 10,000 residents.
Dade City has a diverse religious population with approximately 65 churches in the area providing
services. The continued growth of the area in terms of population, many of which are younger
families, provides for opportunities to bring more people to Christ and St. Mary’s.
Many events take place either in the downtown or in the surrounding area. Some of these
include:
• Church Street Christmas – An annual
event which show cases home town America,
in which carolers, choirs, dancers and
musicians perform along the luminary lit
sidewalks and decorated homes of Dade City’s
historic Church Avenue.
http://churchstreetchristmas.org/.
• Pasco County Fair https://www.pascocountyfair.com/
• Rattlesnake Festival Food, arts & crafts, live music, wildlife, children’s games, and local history are
highlighted each year. Family fun and entertainment are a main focus of the event.
http://www.rattlesnakefestival.com/
• Kumquat Festival The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce has established this flagship event
that celebrates everything that makes the Dade City area unique, while encouraging visitors to participate
in the fun! Since the nearby town of St. Joseph was already known as the Kumquat Capital of the World,
the
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Dade City, Florida P a g e | 3
Chamber of Commerce decided that this little fruit with a funny name could be the focus of an annual
festival. https://www.dadecitychamber.org/annual-kumquat-festivalr
• Country Christmas Stroll https://festivalnet.com/35562/Dade-City-Florida/Holiday-
Celebrations/Country-Christmas-Stroll-and-Holiday-Market
• Sparklebration July 4th Celebration
https://www.pascocountyfair.com/events/2016/sparklebration-/
• Bug Jam https://floridabugjam.com/
• First Friday Festivals https://www.naturecoaster.com/first-friday-brings-music-to-the-streets-of-
dade-city/
• Monthly Car Shows https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/event.a0p1W000004zFpPQAU.html
• Dade City Symphony http://www.dadecitysymphony.com/
History of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
In October of 2016, St. Mary’s celebrated its 125th Anniversary as the third oldest parish in the
Diocese of Southwest Florida. It is proud of its history.
In 1891, citrus grower Henry D. Harrison deeded to the Protestant Episcopal Church a small tract
of land west of Lake Pasadena near Handcart Road southwest of Dade City. On Sunday October
10, 1891, the first Eucharist service was celebrated in the 25 x 40 foot church structure with 40
parishioners in attendance and Archdeacon J.H. Weddell officiating. After a citrus freeze in 1895
and subsequent economic disruption to the local economy, the St. Mary’s Mission fell into a
period of disuse and the congregation became disorganized.
The marriage of C.A. Lock to Lucy Spencer kept the mission alive until 1909, when the mission
reorganized and arrangements were made in 1910 to move the church building from Lake
Pasadena to its current location on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Eleventh Street in Dade
city. The expense of the move by wagons and mule train and subsequent renovation cost of
$869 was paid by fifteen people, eight of whom were members of St. Mary’s Mission.
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In 1938, the stone edifice of “Parish Hall”
was built (dedicated as Leach Hall in 1950 in
memory of Father Barnaby H. Leach) and
served as the church office until remodeling
in 2001 when ground was broken for the
north transept. Leach Hall now serves as St.
Mary’s sacristy and offers the parish easy
access to restrooms near the west entrance
to the sanctuary.
The vestry approved plans in 1948 and built
a rectory to the north of the church of the
same native stone used in the construction
of Leach Hall. In November 1947 the rectory
was dedicated as Bamford Hall and now
serves as the practice and storage needs of St. Mary’s Adult and Youth Choirs.
In 1953, the congregation approved a nine-person vestry with three members selected each year
for a term of three years, a formula functioning still today.
The annual convention of the Diocese of South Florida approved St. Mary’s Mission application
for Parish status in September of 1957; the Zephyrhills membership separated and was admitted
to the diocese as St. Elizabeth’s Mission.
In autumn of 1957, construction was completed on a new Parish Hall west of Leach Hall and in
1967, was dedicated as Freeman Hall in honor of Senior Warden Henry Arthur Freeman. With its
spacious culinary facilities, Freeman Hall served as a meeting hall, dining hall and Sunday school
building.
In the Fall of 1957, St. Mary’s vestry purchased, a home on Missouri Avenue to serve as a rectory,
thus freeing the Old Rectory (Bamford Hall) for Sunday School classes. Then, in November of
1969, St. Mary’s called Father R. James
Barnhardt, who served as rector for 13
years before retiring in August of 1982.
During Father Barnhardt’s tenure,
record numbers in membership,
attendance, revenues and confirmation
dominated his watch. A renovation of
the west wall of the church provided an
eleven-pew balcony and twenty pews on
the main floor, which virtually doubled
seating capacity in the sanctuary. In
addition, a seven rank Moller pipe organ
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was installed on the eastern wall with the altar
relocated to the west at its present island site. Six
choir pews separate the organ from the east edge of
the altar.
In January of 1976, a pre-dawn fire destroyed
Freeman Hall and gutted Leach Hall, destroying the
church offices and choir rooms. St. Mary’s
congregation, the Dade City community, its
organizations and churches (some from Tampa),
supported the restoration efforts. By November of
1977, refurbished Leach Hall again provided office
and choir space while Freeman Hall was rebuilt and
enlarged.
Mrs. Frances Freeman, St. Mary’s first female
senior warden, led the effort to finance and plan
construction of a Sunday School area to the north end of Freeman Hall and the western back of
Bamford Hall. In 1981, Bishop Haynes blessed the addition as the “Barnhardt Wing”.
By Thanksgiving Day 1985, St. Mary’s experienced two growth developments which altered the
church for the rest of the decade. The rectory on Missouri Avenue was sold with the proceeds
earmarked by the vestry for the Building Fund for future use. In addition, the Reverend Lewis
O. Tanno accepted the call to become Rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
By 1988, the vestry had purchased the Treiber property to the west, which doubled the church’s
land area, provided additional parking space and added more under-roof area to the growing
church. By the end of 1990, St. Mary’s set new records in attendance and membership. In
addition, when Mr. Lee Reed satisfied the remaining debt on the Treiber property in a memorial
to his wife, the residence was renamed Reed Hall. Eventually, Reed Hall would become the new
home of the church offices. In 1991, the vestry
received the distribution of the Dorothy Louisa Lock
Trust tithed to St. Mary’s and began discussions
regarding crowding and the need to again expand
facilities. Initial plans in the early 1990’s were too
expensive for the additional seating provided for the
sanctuary and other ideas needed investigation. In
December of 1993, the choir moved to Bamford Hall
to give Father Tanno and his staff more room in Leach
Hall. In 1997 St. Mary’s purchased the Lock property
and house situated on one-half of a city block,
diagonally across Magnolia and Eleventh Street from
the Church. Donations from parishioners and a major
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contribution by the Evans/Lowery family
funded the purchase. The house was
renamed the Lock/Evans House in honor of
Mr. Emmett Evans, Sr. Today, the facility is
used for Adult Sunday School and outreach
ministries with the land providing additional
parking areas.
The vestry closed on the purchase of the
Huckabay property in July, 2000 which gave
the parish additional land area for parking
and a house, which was renovated and
dedicated Tanno Hall in April 2001. Tanno
Hall now houses the youth ministry. In
August, 2001 the vestry began construction
on the north transept, which was dedicated during Bishop Lipscomb’s visit in February, 2002. This
addition, and the expanded chancel area, increased the seating capacity to approximately 300
parishioners and 35 choir members.
Since July of 2003, St. Mary’s Episcopal
Church owns one and one-half city blocks of
real estate and nine buildings. Today St.
Mary’s Episcopal Church is free of debt. While
there continue to be opportunities to
enhance its facilities, it has recently painted
the main church and installed a new roof and
doors to the building. Additionally, it has
improved and expanded its prayer and
memorial garden. Recently, it has begun
consideration of substantial renovations to
the extended facilities by exploring
improvements to the Lock-Evans building for possible use as a rectory.
Under the leadership of Fr. Dewey Brown, St. Mary’s continued to extend its ministry into the
Dade City Community. In 2010, a group of St. Mary’s members put on a concert in the Church.
One idea led to another and the effort became the Dade City Symphony orchestra. The orchestra
practices regularly at St. Mary’s, and a number of its members play with the choir in our Sunday
worship. The resulting relationship has showcased the talents of many members to benefit the
orchestra, while providing visibility in the community to St. Mary’s church.
Fr. Dewey Brown extended the ministry of St. Mary’s in the community by serving as the chaplain
to the Dade City Police department. He also maintained contact with the Dade City area churches
through the local ministerial association.
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In cooperation with area churches, St. Mary’s prepares and serves a Sunday afternoon meal six
times each year for the homeless and other persons at the city’s community center. The “Love
One Another” feeding ministry has operated weekly for the past ten years.
In October of 2016 St. Mary’s celebrated its 125th Anniversary, the third oldest parish in the
Diocese of Southwest Florida.
St. Mary’s Worship Ministries
Acolytes
Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic Visitors Altar Guild Ushers Music Adult Choir Youth Choir Hand Bell Choir Faith Formation Adult Sunday Morning Formation/Education Other Men’s Thursday morning Eucharist, Breakfast, and Bible Study Women’s Thursday morning Bible Study and Eucharist Men and Women’s Kairos ministries Love One Another feeding ministry Food collection for the hungry Regular collection of school supplies and clothing for local school children
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2018 Parish Self-study Results (68 respondents)
AGE: 18-30 31-45 46-65 60+ 1% 2% 13% 85% EDUCATION: H.S. or less College Degree Graduate Degree 19% 43% 37% YEARS ATTENDING: Less than 6 years 6-10 years More than 10 20% 27% 53% PREVIOUS CHURCH BACKGROUND: Episcopal Other – 57% 43% MOST IMPORTANT TO PARISHIONERS (regarding Parish Life): •Christian Education •Growing Membership •Stewardship •Parish Social Activities •Outreach Programs
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How St. Mary’s Sees Itself St. Mary’s celebrates its many programs and ministries. Of special note and distinction, it enjoys an active and engaged choir and music program. In addition to providing wonderful music and singing to enhance our liturgical services, the music program and ministry are active beyond the parish and into the community. It regularly performs at Dade City’s Country Christmas, the Church Street Christmas event, and at local Senior Care and Assisted Living Facilities. It also performs and actively seeks performance opportunities with other neighboring
churches to share its talent with the greater Dade City area, and its members comprise a substantial force within the Dade City Symphony.
St. Mary’s is committed and active in the Kairos ministries for men and women in correctional facilities in the area. This is the ministry focus of our parish deacon, and a number of parishioners.
The congregation has a number of men who gather for Eucharist, enjoy breakfast, and participate in bible study each Thursday morning, and a growing number of women are participating in a weekly bible study shortly thereafter.
Although most of St. Mary’s youth have grown and aged out of the youth programs, St Mary’s
facilities remain at the ready to meet the needs of youth as membership increases. Recognizing
the growth that is moving north into in West and Central Pasco County, St. Mary’s is ready to
invite the new residents to join us in our ministry of prayer, worship, study, and fellowship in
service of Jesus Christ.
St. Mary’s Parish is searching for a Rector who delivers sermons that are Gospel related, personal and applicable to daily life. One who is a person of prayer who lovingly pastors to the needs of parish and lives and teaches according to the word of Christ. St Mary’s fervently desires to strengthen its youth program membership and seeks leadership to meet this need.
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VESTRY MEMBERS
• Davis Henley (2017)
• Sheila Highsmith (2017)
• Nancy Meech (2017)
• Dennis Alfonso (2018)
• Lee Brenn (2018)
• Gloria Heald (2018)
• Nancy Finnerty (2019)
• Greg Gude (2019)
• Wendy Wightman (2019)
Church Leadership
• Sr. Warden – Dennis Alfonso
• Jr. Warden – Davis Henley
• Treasurer – Jim Stokoe
• Chancellor – Dennis Alfonso
• Organist & Choir Director – Sharon Brant
• Parish Administrator – Sandra Sartain
Search Committee
• Alan Teschner (Chairman)
• Dr. Nancy Finnerty
• Fanchone Gude
• Carolyn Hodges
• Terry McKienzie
• Chick Meech
• Tom Parks
Parish Finances: Budget (archive of records from 2013 to present are available at St. Mary’s website at http://www.stmdc.com/Vestry.html).
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How to respond:
Please submit the following materials:
• Résumé/c.v.
• A copy of your updated OTM profile
• A letter of interest that highlights how you feel you meet the needs of St. Mary’s and why you feel called to serve as our Rector.
• Letters of reference from three people, one clergy, one lay, and one either clergy or lay who is not supervised by you and who is not related to you. Please ask your references to read our materials, then focus their comments on what it is in your life and ministry that makes you a good candidate for this unique call
Deadline to apply is May 15, 2019. Please email all documents in PDF format to: The Rev. Canon Richard Norman Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida rnorman@episcopalswfl.org
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