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The Cathedral Church of Saint John: Living, Serving, and Growing in the City
by the Very Reverend William B. Lane, Interim Dean
Not unlike other parishes in an urban setting, the Cathedral Church of Saint John confronts concerns about dwindling numbers of people, financial shortfalls, and building and property maintenance. Yet, in spite of these concerns, the Cathedral continues to grow as a center for worship, education, fellowship, and mission. And, along with that, it is a gathering place for the people of the Diocese of Delaware. It is the Bishop’s Church after all, not just conceptually, but in reality as well.
Also not unlike other urban parishes, the viability of the Cathedral is questioned from time to time. This particularly has to do with its financial well being. To continue to grow its ministries and provide for the spiritual welfare of its people, the Cathedral, with the support and participation of the Bishop, will explore and be open to new paradigms for maintaining the presence of the Episcopal Church in the Brandywine Village. And while the past will be honored and respected in this process, it will inform, not dictate, the future.
Whatever the shape of the life and work that the Cathedral grows to in the future, it will have the ingredients of worship, service, and care and nurture for the people of the Cathedral, the people of the Cathedral’s neighborhood, and the people of the Diocese of Delaware. It will be a place where diversity is celebrated and the gifts of all received joyfully.
Meanwhile, 60 or more children and young people benefit from the education and leadership training that they receive at Cathedral Choir School. Hundreds of people in the Village are blessed by the ministry of the Cathedral’s Next to New Shop. The Cathedral’s Urban Minister serves the community and builds bridges with other Brandywine Village churches and agencies. Fifteen to twenty-five people each week receive assistance with food, transportation, and social service referrals through the Cathedral’s Neighborhood Assistance Program. Nearly one hundred people benefit from nutritional and health education through the Cathedral’s Table Talk Program. Brandywine Village children attend four weeks of safe, educationally valuable programming through the Cathedral’s Urban Summer Camp Ministry. And, men, women, and children gather each week for word and sacrament and then “Go forth into the world to love and serve the Lord.”
How is the Cathedral doing? Come and see! The Cathedral is alive and active at Concord Avenue and Market Street in Wilmington, Delaware, or you can visit us on the web at www.cathedralsaintjohn.org.
FYI: To get the whole story of how St. John’s became the Cathedral Church of St. John, read chapter 48 from The Episcopal Church in Delaware by Charles A. Silliman, which is available in each parish.