| President Ford slept here. |
Internal strife, an inept and absent bishop, a disillusioned laity, and deficit spending are leading Grace Episcopal Church - the largest parish in the diocese - towards dissolution. This was the parish home of the late President and Mrs. Gerald Ford.
At the parish's annual meeting on January 12, 2012, Dr. Michael Olgren, Chair of the Finance Committee, painted a dire financial picture of the parish stating that the parish would either have to close its doors in September or revert back to mission status without a significant increase in giving.
If this were to happen, the Diocese would gain access to the parish's $1.9 million endowment fund. A month previous, Dr. Olgren angered many parishioners at the annual meeting for a stewardship drive, when he wrote "I wish the rich people would come back, I get hungry at coffee hour." The parish's Rector, the Rev. Stephen Holmgren did not attend the annual meeting, citing concerns about his father's health.
On February 29, several parishioners approached The Rev. Canon Robert Schiesler, Rector of St. Marks, Grand Rapids, and President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Western Michigan, requesting an opportunity to discuss their concerns and to find a way forward before the parish closes.
In September 2010, a group of over 160 current and former Grace Church parishioners wrote to Schleiser expressing their concerns about the dissolution of their elected vestry resulting in the invocation of Diocesan Canon 31 Restoring Congregational Health. Currently, the parish remains under the control of an appointed leadership team and operates under a Plan for Restoring Health.
At the annual parish meeting on January 12, 2012, the Leadership Team projected a deficit budget of $130,000 for 2012, despite Endowment Fund allocations of approximately $100,000. This is on top of an actual deficit of $147,000 in 2011. The team then announced that the church would run out of operating funds by September 1, 2012, at which time the real estate and other assets of the parish would be conveyed to the diocese. "This action appears to fall under Diocesan Canon 26,Dissolution of Congregations as such, it would be a sad and ignominious end to a once-vital faith community and Gerald ford's home parish," noted the group."Our group continues to be deeply concerned about the future of Grace Church community. We would like you to know that we remain steadfast in our commitment to resolving this conflict through reconciliation and to restoring the long term viability of the parish.Before the congregation is dissolved, we are asking once again for your help in finding a way to return Grace Church to health. It seems in the best interests of everyone in the Diocese to save this parish from dissolution.
"We would appreciate an opportunity to talk with the entire Standing Committee, or your designation representatives. In addition 40 - 60 of us meet regularly for fellowship and lay worship, anyone from the diocesan leadership is more than welcome to attend one of these gatherings." The letter was signed by Thomas Getz MD, Elizabeth Hamm, Robert Bennett Jr., Polly Hewitt, and Richard Steketee. A copy of the letter was sent to Episcopal Bishop Robert R. Gepert.
In his response, Schiesler said he understood their concerns and responded by saying that the Standing Committee and the bishop are in continuing communication on restoring health at Grace "which is our canonical responsibility as Council of Advice to the bishop." He said that Bishop Gepert remains the canonical authority in oversight of Grace Church working closely with Dr. Holmgren and the Advisory Vestry regarding the mission of the parish. He said an interview with the Standing committee is "inappropriate", but direct communication with the bishop is to be encouraged.
There is irony here as Gepert has stated several times that he will spend no more time responding to or addressing concerns from Grace Church parishioners. Some parishioners believe the bishop wants the parish to collapse in order to get his hands on the nearly $2 million endowment. Holmgren did not respond to an e-mail from VOL.
Bishop Gepert recently announced his resignation, effective during the summer of 2013.
Grace Episcopal Church, once the strongest, largest, most successful, historically low church parish in the Diocese of Western Michigan with the highest diocesan pledge for years in a row, reduced its pledge to the diocese in 2010 prompting Bishop Robert R. Gepert to dissolve the vestry and appoint a new "leadership Team" until funds were restored. That now seems unlikely.
Before Holmgren arrived in 2007, the parish pledged $60,000 to $75,000 a year to the diocese. After Holmgren arrived, the diocesan pledge was steadily reduced with each successive year. This past year's pledge was $25,000. Because Grace's pledge was so low, the Bishop cut his own staff significantly.The parish has a blue blood history. Grace Episcopal Church was the venue for the 1948 marriage of President Gerald Ford, who was a former member of the vestry. The church also served as the venue for Ford's funeral in 2006.
*****
From: Thomas A. Getz, M.D.
655 Plymouth Avenue SE
East Grand Rapids, MI 49506
February 20, 2012
To: Stephen Holmgren
Grace Episcopal Church
1815 Hall St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 40596
Dear Stephen,
I was sad to see from your letter that you have sunken to yet another new low. You were unhappy with the size of the offering check that Margaret wrote on Sunday, 2/5/12 from our joint house-expense checking account, (0.25 cents) but since there is nothing further that you can remove Margaret from at Grace, the only way that you could childishly lash out at her was to remove me from the usher team. And instead of confronting her, the person you are angry with, your letter of complaint was to me, the Rector Search Committee member who was one of your biggest early supporters, who wasn't even there that Sunday. So much for your hypocritical preaching to others about the evils of "Triangulation."
I don't believe the check was an insult as you suggest, but a way for her to prove her attendance, since you have become sadly but increasingly legalistic in your attempts to limit who can serve, vote, and otherwise participate in the life of the church. And is this your idea of fiscal responsibility, as you continue to drive the church toward possible bankruptcy? Emails and phone calls are free, but you chose to spend 45 cents on a stamp to complain about her 25 cent offering? And along the same lines, since your letter brought up my income, how about your income? Is it true that even though you have a higher salary than Bishop Gepert, you have still refused to take a pay cut to help balance the church budget, even though Grace Church, as mentioned at this year's annual meeting, is running a deficit budget and will be out of money by September?
Your gesture is an empty one, though. In case you have not noticed, and I suspect your narcissism doesn't let you notice much outside of your inner circle of Stephen-worshipers, I have not been there to usher in months. I cannot bear the pain of watching you continue in your failed toxic ministry, as you seem to be running a once dynamic, growing, and financially robust congregation into financial and spiritual ruin.
You should get down on your knees and beg Christ for forgiveness for what you have done to His church.
May the Lord have mercy on your pathetic shriveled soul,
Tom Getz
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