True Grace

Pictured above is Grace Mission Episcopal Church. It sits at the edge of what's known as the Frenchtown neighborhood, a predominantly African-American part of the inner city of Tallahassee. It's only about five blocks away from the local homeless shelter, and close to both the city and Greyhound bus depots. It started from the will of a few committed Episcopalians... according to the website:

The idea was for a radical kind of ministry that crossed racial, social, and economic lines to minister to the whole person. In January 1977, the Diocese of Florida accepted Grace Mission as a mission station attached to its founding Tallahassee parish. Shortly thereafter, Grace Mission became an outreach mission of the Diocese of Florida and the Apalachee Council on Ministry. That is its status today.

Grace Mission has become the church home and anchor in the lives of many men, women and children who find themselves living at the homeless shelter, and struggling with poverty and the problems of addiction. There are after school programs, worship services and Bible Study times, as well as the practical needs of food and a place to shower and launder clothing. Grace is one of the outreach efforts of St. John's Episcopal Church, and those from St. John's involved with the Mission speak with love and pride in what it is doing to give people in need a place to open their hearts and be present with God.

But Grace Mission hit a financial pothole this winter when St. Peter's Anglican Church took it's $24, 500 contribution away from the little church that could. More on that in another post at another time.

Needless to say, this "take-away"can be seen as the completion of what started in October, 2005, when Evil departed the Episcopal Church... and, like the Pied Piper, led the gullible down the street and began hatching plans for his Tower of Babel to be built in the affluent NE section of Tallahassee.

You are reading that correctly: they took $24, 500, away from the poor, the needy, the friendless... y'know, the people Jesus told us to meet as our neighbor and build up, so they could have something to put toward the eight MILLION dollars in seed money for a cathedral. What's wrong with that picture?!

And this at a time when Grace Mission's original vicar team was retiring... and a search was on to find a new person to lead them!

But, just like the founding of Grace, there are committed Episcopalians pitching in and doing what they can to make up that difference. On Saturday night, May 8th, jazz singer Pam Laws will lend her talent for "An Evening of Amazing Grace", a fundraiser put on by some of the folks from St. John's. The hope is to raise at least a third or so of the budget shortfall brought on by the withdrawal of St. Peter's support. Last I heard, ticket sales were going well, but there still are probably more, available through St. John's.

Of course, not everyone wants to or can possibly attend a soiree with alcohol, hors d'oeuvres and Pam Laws belting out gospel tunes. In that case, make your checks payable to: Grace Mission, and then send it to:

Grace Mission Episcopal Church

PO Box 10472

Tallahasseee, FL 32302

Any help will go along way toward helping them continue to be True Grace to a world in need.