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Testimony from Angela M.
Hi my name is Angela M. and I’ve been a member of St Thomas since 2004. I’m the former Senior Warden and was a member of the Vestry for over 5 years. I’ve also taught Sunday school and co-lead the youth group for a period of time.
St Thomas plays a significant role in my spiritual life now and has done so over the last 20 years in ways I could never have imagined when I first walked through those doors. I’m not a cradle Episcopalian so St Thomas was the first Episcopal church I ever attended and introduced me to what it means to be part of the faith. I often joke that I’m lucky it was my first experience otherwise I may never have considered being confirmed. I was drawn in by the welcoming people and sense of community but over time I also found comfort in the predictability of the prayers and liturgical seasons and learning how to align them with the seasons of my life.
St Thomas has been a part of the best and most challenging times for my family. My kids were baptized here, I was married here and my youngest son is buried in the Columbarium. I’ve come here to celebrate and to cry, to lay my burdens at the cross. I feel God’s presence in this place. Being here feeds my soul and no matter what’s happening in my life, I find solace and comfort at the alter and hearing the words from the pulpit. They always seem to speak to me directly no matter what the lesson is.
Being a part of St Thomas also allows me to participate in social justice initiatives and the opportunity to give back to my community in lots of different ways. We support Locally Haiti, gun safety initiatives, the Park Hill food pantry and many others. St Thomas isn’t afraid to take a stance on controversial issues like providing shelter for a sanctuary family, opening space for a migrant shelter or more recently development of the Park Hill golf course. Regardless of the outcomes, we’re not afraid to take a stance, even an unpopular one, to give a voice to our neighbors, especially the minority mostly black and brown ones who are historically marginalized and pushed aside in a largely white affluent space.
I have and will continue to pledge my time, talent and treasure in support of St Thomas because I can’t imagine my life without this place. My son grew up here being an acolyte and an usher and I look forward to watching Martina follow in his footsteps. More importantly, I believe in the work we have done and continue to do. We persevered through COVID and came out a healthy thriving community and it’s going to take the support of all of us to keep that momentum moving forward. I know in my heart God has brought each and every one of us here at this time to this place to do His work in this community and in a broken world. Please prayerfully consider how you are being called to support St Thomas’ mission and vision in this new chapter and I look forward to seeing Spirit work through us in magnificent ways. Thank you.
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