As was widely announced, Fr. Johan officiated at his final Sunday services this past weekend. On a chance encounter in the school office yesterday, I had the opportunity to give Fr. Johan another farewell hug and thank him one last time for his service here at St. Mark’s. He was headed to central Florida to catch the auto-train, and arrived this morning (Wed., 7/21) at the campus of his newest employer, Christchurch Episcopal School in northeastern Virginia (grades 9-12, enrollment 220ish most of whom are boarded on a beautiful campus on the Rappahannock River, big emphasis on sailing and a HEFTY tuition). If interested, you can check it out further at www.christchurchschool.org. He has accepted the position of Dean of ??? … he told me his title at least twice and I’ve forgotten it yet again … but I know he will have both administrative and pastoral responsibilities, and will teach a course or two. They are providing campus housing, and he describes the location as the ‘middle of nowhere’ because they are 45 minutes from the nearest major retail store (Richmond). Since his wife has been accustomed to big city conveniences all of her life, he is hoping she can make the adjustment. And, he has no duties at the adjacent Christ Church Parish Episcopal church so he too has to adapt to not being on the altar. He gave me the impression that they are looking for some stability for their daughter’s sake, and for this to be a longer-term affiliation going forward.

God bless you and thank you Fr. Johan for enduring the rough ride necessary to open our minds and hearts to the possibilities of change! May you and your family find the future happiness you deserve, and success in molding the character of the young lives now in your charge. 

And so, we are embarking on a new chapter in this interim period in our church life. Quite simply, in the absence of a ‘priest-in-charge’, the administrative matters of the church become the responsibility of the Vestry, and pastoral care is assumed by the Diocese. Thanks to Fr. Johan’s groundwork, and the collective gifts, vision, and enthusiasm of my counterparts, we will emerge from these trying times fully equipped to follow God’s plan for our church. Be assured you will hear much, much more from your Vestry on this website, and through our other communication channels, as we navigate these uncharted waters in the coming weeks.

May the peace of the Lord be with you always … Harry