The Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund (BCEF) provides financial support for church buildings in the diocese needing repairs and renovation, usually with a special focus on emergency and unforeseen needs. Through the BCEF, you can support the critical needs identified by the Bishop.
The fourth BCEF call of 2024* is for flooding repairs for St. Paul’s Church in Chatham. You can donate online, or mail a check payable to Diocese of Newark with BCEF Call #4 in the memo line to: Diocese of Newark, Attn: BCEF, 94 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Livingston, NJ 07039.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chatham is prominently situated directly cross the street from the town’s library. The mid-century-modern brick structure can seat about 250 worshippers. Built in 1964, It replaced an older
building long at the heart of this lovely Morris County community. On its website St. Paul’s describes itself as “a loving, welcoming, inclusive, multigenerational community sharing Christ’s love with each other and those beyond our walls.”
The Rev. Ellen Kohn-Perry, a graduate of Drew Theological School, has served at St. Paul’s since 2018, first as Assistant Rector and now as Priest-in-Charge. She also serves an impressive array of diocesan and community
organizations and is in her eighth year as board president of North Porch, a ministry providing baby supplies to families in need. St. Paul’s website describes Rev. Ellen as having a passion for outreach, a commitment that the parish has come to mirror under her able leadership.
Given that St. Paul’s is not an especially large congregation, the number of social service agencies it supports is quite significant. In addition to North Porch, parish funding helps to underwrite Diocesan Prison Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, Crossroads Camp and Conference Center, and Family Promise, which provides much-needed services to homeless families. The Garden of Life is a hands-on ministry of the parish that raises produce for a local food pantry.
Undergirding all of St. Paul’s outreach is its commitment to worship and to its especially extensive music program. The average attendance at the two Sunday services is about fifty worshippers. The parish also streams its services online. “Relaxed but reverent” is how Rev. Ellen describes the worship experience. Besides the traditional and modern choral music heard each Sunday, St. Paul’s offers the local community a vibrant music program of public recitals and concerts including the monthly James S. Little Memorial Concert series.
While many of our churches were damaged by Hurricane Ida in 2021 and by Sandy’s even greater destruction in 2012, the members of St. Paul’s experienced their own weather disaster less than one year ago. “I was on vacation
in England on August 18th when a phone call came in from St. Paul’s,” she recalls. “It was the call every Priest-in-Charge or Rector dreads.” Chatham had just experienced a catastrophic rainfall and three inches of water now covered the entire basement of St. Paul’s. More than six inches of rain had fallen in 24 hours causing thousands of dollars of damage to the church.
In addition to the lower portions of sheetrock from each wall that needed to be replaced throughout, one wall had to be removed entirely from floor to ceiling. To this was added the enormous cost of replacing equipment and
furniture, raising the total damage to $200,000. St. Paul’s has recovered and rebuilt over the past ten months, but its financial resources have been severely taxed. I ask that you prayerfully consider making a generous gift to assist them with this, our last BCEF call of 2024.
God’s peace,
+Carlye J. Hughes
The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes
Bishop of Newark
* Due to disruptions with the move of Diocesan Headquarters, the BCEF program was delayed. For accounting purposes this is considered a 2024 Call.
