CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Parish Profile Priest in Charge
2
Santa Cruz, CA
Introduction
Calvary Episcopal Church is a parish with deep roots
in its hometown. In 2015 we celebrated 150 years
of ongoing Episcopal worship and our church
building is the oldest in Santa Cruz County still being
used for its original purpose. God has blessed us
with a dedicated laity, a strong music program and
the gift of being located in a busy downtown area.
In 2012, using input that came out of a very
successful series of house meetings that were a
means of coming together to talk about our
strengths and difficulties, a vestry committee
devised the following mission statement. We
believe it is descriptive of our values and character:
“Surely God is in this place…’
As we worship together in the beauty of holiness
As we do justice, love mercy and serve Christ in all
persons: “Whatever you did for the least of
these…you did for me.”
As we are transformed, body and spirit, by the
renewing of our minds in the community of Christ.
As we welcome intellectual challenges, never
confusing faith with certainty, for now we see
through a glass darkly, but then face to face.
As we come together in community to make
decisions through participation, respect and
openness; listening, trusting and knowing that God
is love and love never fails.
We invite you to read this profile carefully and
thoughtfully to find out more about Calvary. We are
looking for someone who is excited by our
challenges and attracted to our gifts, and is willing
to nurture and appreciate our journey onward. We
are ready to move with you as God calls us forward
into the next 150 years.
Santa Cruz
The city of Santa Cruz, California sits on the
northern part of Monterey Bay, about 74 miles
south of San Francisco and 30 miles west of San
Jose. The city’s population is over 63,000 — with
the largest groups being white (75%) and Latino
(20%) — and the University of California, Santa Cruz
(UCSC) has a population of 17,280 students. The
city’s 12 square miles vary from scenic coastline to
forested mountains. We are blessed with natural
beauty and a mild climate, with temperatures
averaging between the low of 44 and the high of 69
degrees. About 10% of the County of Santa Cruz is
devoted to state parks, several of which are within
or adjacent to the city limits.
Santa Cruz has changed greatly in the 150 years of
Calvary’s history. The opening of UCSC in 1965
transformed the city from a sleepy blue-collar
fishing and logging town to a bustling center for
counterculture, attracting artists, free spirits, and
intellectuals of all persuasions with its relatively low
cost of living and welcoming atmosphere. In the
1980s, however, middle-class families from nearby
Silicon Valley started moving to the Santa Cruz area,
driving home prices up. High-tech companies also
began to move here. Today, Santa Cruzans work in
many industries, including but not limited to, retail,
tourism, foodservice, and high tech. While the far-
out hippie culture of the 60s and 70s is mostly gone,
a counterculture narrative still exists in Santa Cruz.
Many of the hippies stayed in town and became
well-established members of the community, and
while now more affluent people also own homes
and live here, the culture is still accepting of a wide
range of lifestyles and ideas.
At times the needs of the university are in conflict
with the needs of the surrounding city, but
nevertheless UCSC is an institution of which Santa
Cruz is proud. Among Calvary parishioners are those
who have lived in Santa Cruz since before the
university exerted its influence as well as those who
are here because of the university as alumni,
students, and staff. By and large, our parish culture
reflects the Santa Cruz culture of acceptance and, as
is befitting of a church in a university town, places
a high value on independent thinking. We
appreciate having the university as a neighbor and
are always looking for ways to deepen our
relationship with them.
The annual influx of students as well as the
influence of Silicon Valley on rising home prices
have contributed to an overall shortage of housing
today. As of April 2016, the median home price in
Santa Cruz County was $775,500 and the average
rental rate for a 3-bedroom unit currently ranges
from $2,000 to $3,500 per month. With this comes
an ongoing challenge of homelessness. In 2015 the
number of individuals living on the street or in
homeless shelters numbered almost 2,000. Calvary
Episcopal Church is in downtown Santa Cruz, a
prominent area for street people to congregate.
The church’s location has proven to be, at times,
both a blessing and a trial, as the parish seeks to
meet the needs of its most disadvantaged, yet
challenging neighbors. This struggle has been a
touchstone of contention among some
parishioners, as they look to their church to balance
being a safe sanctuary that meets the many needs
of its members, with the calling to serve the poor.
When work is done and one can relax, however,
there is so much to enjoy here. One will certainly
never get bored. Santa Cruz and the surrounding
communities enjoy a wide range of cultural
activities, ranging from the award-winning
symphony, jazz, beach concerts, art & film festivals,
and live theater, to craft breweries, mountain
wineries, and every flavor of restaurant imaginable,
to outdoor fun including running races, mountain
biking, surfing, kayaking, tide pooling, horseback
riding, sailing, fishing, whale watching, softball,
beach volleyball, rock climbing, golfing, bird
watching, and hiking in the redwood forests.
History of Calvary
In 2015, Calvary Church celebrated the 150th
Anniversary of the first service held at the church
with the play “Lincoln’s Eulogy” written by
parishioner Dana Bagshaw. This play told the story
of how Calvary was involved in the Santa Cruz
community in response to the death of President
Abraham Lincoln. While preparing for the first
service at Calvary Church to be held Easter Sunday,
April 16, 1865, the news that President Lincoln had
been assassinated arrived. The floral decorations
were removed, and emblems of mourning were
hung in the chancel. On April 19, the then-rector
Rev. Loop held a special service in honor of the slain
president. Accounts in the church records say he
was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, and his
address to the congregation was so eloquent that
the City Fathers of Santa Cruz asked him to repeat it
publicly the following week. Calvary’s involvement
in the community began here, at its inception.
During its first 100 years, Calvary Church continued
to grow and reach out, not only to the city of Santa
Cruz, but also to Episcopalians in the surrounding
area. The clergy and laity of Calvary were largely
responsible for creating and sustaining missionary
work in the surrounding areas of Santa Cruz County,
especially in helping to establish the present
Episcopal churches at Ben Lomond, Aptos and
Scotts Valley. In recent years Calvary Church has
continued this practice by being a leader in the
organization of the Faith Community Shelter,
helping to expand the program to other churches in
Santa Cruz and Aptos.
Over the years, Calvary Church has experienced
growth and stability along with periods of declining
attendance similar to many mainstream churches.
In 2010, however, our membership took a
particularly hard hit when issues were raised about
services to the homeless, in particular issues
regarding a Calvary outreach program, the Monday
Night Coffee House, as well as the rector’s response
to parishioners with concerns. This led to a
Presentment and division among Calvary’s
members. Many members left the church. The
remaining parishioners are working hard to
maintain an aging facility, meet the needs of our
congregation, and actively participate in our
community.
Our Parish Family
Calvary’s parishioners come from all walks of life
and all economic classes. By and large, we are
educated people of a variety of ages, backgrounds,
politics and philosophies who take an active interest
in each other, the church, and the community at
large.
Members of the congregation are encouraged to
participate in the governance and ministries of the
church. A strong committee structure helps to
accomplish this. Each committee has a vestry liaison
and invites participation from the parish. Regular
meetings are publicized in the weekly bulletin and
monthly newsletter. Progress and programs are
reported at monthly vestry meetings.
Calvary, the Downtown Church
Calvary Episcopal Church, known affectionately in
the Santa Cruz community as “The Little Red
Church”, is located in downtown Santa Cruz, near
theaters, office buildings, restaurants, and stores.
Downtown is a thriving business district and a
popular gathering place for much of the
community. Farmers’ markets and outdoor antique
fairs take place regularly in streets and parking lots
near the church.
Although Santa Cruz is not especially large, the
downtown area where Calvary is located has some
of the social problems of a big city. Downtown
Santa Cruz is a bustling, economically healthy
district with many attractions; yet it is also a place
where transients and homeless individuals
congregate. People from these communities often
become part of our congregation-sometimes for a
few weeks, sometimes for years. We invite them to
fully participate in parish life.
Calvary’s grounds present the only park-like setting
adjacent to downtown, so it is not uncommon for
people of all types to lounge on the lawns or sit on
the steps of one of the buildings. In inclement
weather, people will sometimes sleep on Calvary’s
covered porches. Vandalism, although infrequent,
represents a constant threat to our beloved, wood-
frame facilities.
Parish Facilities
Our physical plant consists of four buildings: the
sanctuary, the church office, the education building,
and the parish hall. The sanctuary was completed in
1865 and exists today in essentially its original form.
The other three buildings were constructed after
1963.
The physical plant could benefit from improved
maintenance, painting, and new roofs for the
sanctuary, parish hall, and church office. New safety
and security lighting has recently been installed on
campus.
The church also owns a large parking lot next to the
campus which is leased to the City of Santa Cruz.
The lease currently provides 25% of the income for
the parish.
Calvary’s Staff
Calvary’s staff consists of a rector, a part-time office
manager, a music director/choirmaster, an organist,
and a part-time sexton. Calvary has one associate
clergy who helps with services on occasion, but
mainly worships as a member of the congregation.
Worship Services Whenever we conduct a discernment process or a
survey it becomes clear that our Eucharist-centered,
Episcopal liturgy is the number one thing that draws
people to our church.
Our beautiful, 150 year old Gothic Revival church
provides a lovely setting for a well-planned and
executed liturgy, as well as for our music program,
which emphasizes our English Anglican roots.
We currently offer two Sunday morning worship
services. The 8:00 a.m. service is conducted
according to Rite I in the Book of Common Prayer. It
is a spoken service with no music, and draws from
15 - 25 parishioners each Sunday. Parishioners who
attend the 8:00 service have said that they
particularly appreciate its meditative quality. The
10:30 service is a choral Eucharist conducted
according to Rite II in the BCP. This service utilizes
the skills of our music director, organist, and choir.
It draws 40 - 60 parishioners each Sunday. Sunday
school is held during the 10:30 service, with the
children joining the adults for communion. Recently
the children have begun to take part in the service
as much as possible on the first Sunday of the
month - as acolytes, readers, oblation bearers, and
members of our children’s choir.
A Sunday 5:30 Evening Prayer service is also
offered, as well as a Thursday noon Eucharist
service. Both are lightly attended.
Education
Calvary is blessed with amazing children, ranging
from toddlers to high schoolers. We provide Sunday
school to elementary and middle school children,
and childcare to preschoolers. Our Sunday school
seeks to strike a balance between fun and learning,
engaging children in interactive activities as well as
reading and discussing scripture. We do not have
enough children to support separate programs for
the older and younger kids, so we strive to be
flexible and work hard to tailor lessons to all age
groups.
The goal of Calvary’s adult education program is to
engage the community in the discussion and
exploration of spirituality and theology, as well as
the pressing issues we face as Christians. In 2014,
we hosted a weekend lecture series on process
theology, gathered the community to participate in
Reimagining the Episcopal Church, and established a
Saturday morning study group, beginning with an 8-
part ChurchNext series of courses on The Book of
Common Prayer. In 2015, we launched a series of
community forums involving both parishioners and
the wider Santa Cruz community in discussion of
critical topics such as climate change and our
relationship to the Muslim community. In 2016, our
Saturday morning program continued with Bridges
to Contemplative Living, based on the works of
writer and Trappist monk, Thomas Merton.
Fellowship
Members of the parish come together weekly for
worship services, coffee hour, educational programs
and social opportunities. Episcopal Church Women
(ECW) meets monthly for lunch and a variety of
programs and is open to women and men of the
parish. The Parish Life Committee plans social and
fundraising activities such as the annual Christmas
Tea. Each year in the spring, the choir hosts a
fundraiser which supports the Choral Scholars
program. Book club, bus trips and “Parents Night
Out” are enjoyed by many throughout the year.
Calvary’s 150th Anniversary was celebrated with an
original historical play written by a parishioner as
well as a garden party on the church grounds. We
also commemorated this milestone by holding
several open houses for the surrounding
community, complete with historical displays and
docent-led tours of the church sanctuary.
Music
Calvary’s high-quality music program offers an
opportunity for active participation by members of
the parish of all ages. The focus of the music
program is to enhance the parishioners’ experience
of the presence of God through the mystery and
majesty of the Anglican liturgical tradition.
The adult choir is a non-professional ensemble
consisting of members of Calvary along with three
or four music students. The role of these “Choral
Scholars”, who are principally drawn from UCSC, is
to enhance the work of the volunteer members of
the choir, to gain professional experience as
working musicians, and to learn the rich heritage of
the Anglican repertoire.
Typically, the choir offers an offertory anthem,
chants the psalm, sings the service music, and leads
the parish in singing hymns. During the year the
adult choir also sings 2-3 Evensong services, several
Special Choral Eucharists, an annual Lessons and
Carols service, and extra services around the Easter
and Christmas holidays. The music ministry at
Calvary is supported by a 1971 Moeller pipe organ
and a 6-foot Steinway piano.
Very recently, the Calvary parish has re-started the
youth choir, which now sings on the first Sunday of
the month from October through June.
The emphasis on the classical Anglican Choral
tradition during the 10:30 service enjoys strong
support in the parish and has been the means of
attracting some new members. However, a number
of parishioners would like to see other styles of
music offered, such as jazz, gospel, folk, or praise,
perhaps in an additional weekly or monthly service.
There are also parishioners who question the
emphasis on music. This is an area in need of
further discernment and exploration.
Pastoral Care
Calvary’s laity supports its clergy’s performance of
pastoral duties. We have an active and experienced
Altar Guild and an enthusiastic team of Lay Readers,
Chalice Bearers, Lectors, Acolytes, and Ushers.
These ministries are dedicated to making sure the
worship services run smoothly.
In the past, the Sacrament of Holy Communion has
been provided to homebound parishioners or those
in residential care facilities by Eucharistic Visitor
(EV). There is only one EV serving in this capacity at
this time. It is hoped that this ministry can be
expanded with the guidance of a new rector and
that pastoral care will be a focus of the new rector’s
ministry.
Outreach
The Calvary Food Pantry serves 50 to 75 needy or
homeless families twice each month and has been
doing so for over 45 years. We are the longest-
running food pantry of the Second Harvest Food
Bank of Watsonville. Each visitor to the Food Pantry
receives fresh vegetables & fruit, canned goods, and
milk. Volunteers from Calvary plus a few from the
community operate the pantry.
The Monday Night Coffee House hosts 75 or more
homeless individuals every Monday night (5:00 –
7:30pm) in our parish hall. It includes popcorn and
lemonade, guitar music and singing, as well as bible
study and a period of silent meditation. Communion
is sometimes celebrated. The focus of this church
service and ministry is on forming community. After
the service a meal is served. The Coffee House
ministry is staffed by volunteers from the
community as well as members of Calvary.
Initially the influx every Monday night of 100-plus
homeless persons onto our downtown campus
created unwanted disorder in and disrespect to the
church and the surrounding neighborhood. After
some changes these meetings have mellowed and
now there are relatively few problems. The entire
program is financed by private donations and a
grant from the United Way/FEMA.
Faith Community Shelter is a program of
transitional housing operated by the Association of
Faith Communities (AFC), soon to be a separate
nonprofit organization. As a member of the AFC ,
Calvary provides overnight sleeping, dinner and
breakfast for twenty individuals one night per week
and coordinates the same services in eight other
Santa Cruz churches, plus the Salvation Army.
Calvary Preschool, a separate non-profit
organization, offers quality early childhood
education in the Calvary education building and
playground.
12 Step Groups and other non-profit groups gather
in the parish hall and meeting rooms, which are
available on a sliding-scale rent basis.
Finances and Stewardship
Calvary’s budgetary situation is challenging. Our
pledge income for 2015 was $160,000 but pledges
for 2016 were only $124,000. We hope to increase
that amount with pledges from new members and
with increased pledges from our current members
as we move into a period of new leadership. Other
revenue comes from the rental of our facilities and
the parking lot lease with the city. Our 2016 budget
projects an annual income of $314,400 and
expenditures of $318,000.
In 2015 Charlotte Howell, a former parishioner,
gave a bequest of $350,000, of which $247,027 has
been received to date. This bequest is for “the
preservation and maintenance of Calvary Episcopal
Church.” The current balance of our Trust,
Memorial and Building & Restoration funds is
$439,636.
Diocesan Relations
Calvary is an active parish in the Diocese of El
Camino Real. Throughout the year, the Diocese is
aware and very supportive of our endeavors and
activities, and especially now during our transitional
period between Rectors. Bishop Mary and Canon
Nordwick conducted a day and a half all parish
retreat in our Parish Hall attended by a majority of
our members. This jumpstarted our programs to
develop an up to date profile, portfolio, and survey
which has helped us identify our needs and
requirements for a new rector. Members of our
church regularly participate in diocesan
conventions, commissions, and committees.
Moving Forward
We have had many struggles in the past 10 years. A
recurring question of our life together during this
time is how do we balance our need and desire to
respond compassionately to, and indeed reach out
to, the growing number of disadvantaged in our
downtown neighborhood without jeopardizing the
sanctity and safety of our parish family and historic
church campus.
Our declining membership has also brought some
financial difficulties, the impact of which we
particularly feel in deferred maintenance of our
church buildings. Determining how to reach out and
attract potential new parishioners is another area of
discernment we are continually engaged in. We
believe we are a parish with much to offer: to the
glory of God, to the Santa Cruz community, and to
each other. How do we encourage others to join us?
The future leader of Calvary will come into a parish
that is made up of dedicated and compassionate
people who want the best for Calvary but are
sometimes at odds with others in the congregation
about what our church’s vision should be. So we
need a person with excellent listening and
communication skills who can work collaboratively
with parishioners to discern our direction, not by
imposing change, but by fanning the flame of
positive energy we are beginning to feel with this
chance for a new beginning. This leader must have
excellent interpersonal skills, get to know Calvary’s
parishioners, and understand the experience and
wisdom contained within the congregation. He or
she must be able to build trust, especially among
some who feel disenfranchised or burnt out. One
management skill that will be important is the
ability to organize the decision-making so that
there’s a clear process and, once made, plans are
followed through. He or she will need to have
humility, but not be dissuaded by crosscurrents that
might undermine the direction to which the parish
commits itself. Finally, this new leader should be a
unifier, who inspires the best in people through a
commitment to living God’s word.
Desired Attributes for a Priest in Charge
• Has spiritual depth; theologically grounded in our Episcopal tradition
• An open-minded, non-judgmental person
• Inspirational preacher
• Enthusiastically committed and interested in the development of our church community; eager to work with us to grow the church
• Compassionate and loving to both parishioners and the broader downtown community
• Enjoys working collaboratively with parish leadership
• Has strong interpersonal skills; is an excellent listener and communicator
• Prioritizes pastoral care