Dear Friends,

As we spruce up our website for the summer, let me take a moment simply to introduce myself.  I am the Reverend Steven Metcalfe, ordained for 27 years, serving in Western New York since 1987.  I was Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Buffalo and then 15 years at Calvary, Williamsville.  I am delighted to be among the good people of St. James, a congregation which is ready to have great things happen and to welcome as many new friends into our midst as God sees fit to send us.  There is no denying the fact that we have long term issues with this vast and beautiful building.  Every avenue for funding restoration efforts is being followed and our determination to face our responsibility with the stone and mortar needs runs parallel with our persistence in living as God’s family, the Body of Christ.

This summer finds us getting acquainted with one another; I’m learning names as fast as I can and people are finding opportunities to tell me their stories, both within St. James and in their lives apart from this community.  Since I am here as a half-time priest, I’m trying to find the time to schedule meetings, meet with members, visit the sick and homebound, plan for the fall, and prepare for Sundays.  Along the way there are some fun things I’d like to do with the congregation like a summer picnic and have at least one general meeting after church to talk about the future and everyone’s hopes and dreams.  I’ve also got a back up of maybe half a dozen weddings which have been in a holding pattern for months until I or someone like me arrived.  There is no better time than now to attach yourself to St. James if you’ve been toying with the idea, or to return to the congregation if you’ve been away for some time.  I sense we are about to embark on a journey in faith and I’m more than ready to help chart the course as the Spirit chooses to guide us.  We are going to be conscious Christians who are not embarrassed by our call to do the works of Christ; nor are we always sure what those works are.  We’re only ready to take life as it comes as we sort out what it means for us to be disciples in the 21^st Century.

Yours in Christ,

Steven Metcalfe