Episcopal Church of Saints John, Paul & Clement

E P I S C O P A L  C H U R C H O F   S A I N T S   J O H N , P A U L  & C L E M E N T
1 2 6 S O U T H N I N T H A V E N U E , M T . V E R N O N , NY 1 0 5 5 0

Dear Friends of Saints. John, Paul, and Clement:

Greetings and peace!

I thank God for you and your connection to Saints John, Paul, and Clement. Whether as an attending member, an inactive member, a former member, or as a friend of our congregation, it is you and others that make JPC a truly special place. Throughout the rich history of three congregations, this holy site of God has been a beacon of light to the surrounding community through many changing times.

Since January 1, 2024, I have had the privilege of serving here, and it was with great honor that I was officially installed as the priest-in-charge on Saturday, June 8, 2024, with Bishop Matthew Heyd presiding. It was a wonderful service that highlighted all the good we are doing here at JPC. The Bishop saw firsthand the many people who make a difference in this community by sharing the Gospel through the food pantry, community work, and public witness. I like to teach that stewardship is not just money, but it is time, talent, and treasures. The time and talent that our active parishioners steward to keep JPC thriving is a blessing from God.

Treasures are the financial gifts that God has given us. Jesus teaches us that where your treasure is, so also your heart will be (Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34), meaning that the ways you manage your finances have a clear impact on your relationship with God. That doesn’t just mean you give to the church; it also means that you don’t spend your money excessively or needlessly.

At this moment, we are gathering the financial treasures of the congregation for a major roof replacement project for the 100-year-old original mission barrel tile roof. Both Mother Nature and our insurance company require that we prioritize this. From Mother Nature we are at risk of greater interior water damage from increasingly severe storms. From the Church Insurance Group we are at risk of unaffordable rate increases, if not cancellation as the roof’s loose and broken tiles are a hazard. This project cannot wait another year.

We have been advised that the best plan of action is to remove all the tiles, salvage and reinstall the ones that are sound, and replace broken ones with matching tiles from salvage yards. This is an arduous and labor-intensive process. But it preserves the unique architectural character of the building. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to repair the stucco on the damaged chimney and bell tower, and add insulation to the roof assembly to save on heating costs.

The total cost for this endeavor is estimated at $100,000. We have secured $24,000 through our 2023 and 2024 Easter Pledge drives and have been invited to apply for a $50,000 Bedell Fund grant, but we must raise half of the project costs ourselves. To achieve this, we still need to raise approximately $26,000 by September 23, when we present our request to the Fund’s Board of Directors.

Our volunteers are in the process of reaching out to parishioners, family and friends to seek support for this appeal to ask those who value our parish to be “Roof Saviors” and help us to qualify for the Bedell Fund’s large and much-needed grant. You can give at our website saintsjpc.com or by mail.

Any treasure you give will make a big difference, as we look to continue to spread the Gospel to our community and feed the hungry. Your generosity will help ensure the future of Saints John, Paul, and Clement and allow us to continue our important work. Thank you and may God bless you this Pentecost season as we wait with anticipation for Christ to come again. 

God’s peace,
Jacob Simpson
Pastor Jacob Simpson

FAITH AND COMMUNITY IN MOUNT VERNON, NY

Matthew 18:20

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Saints John, Paul &Clement is a historic congregation in a 100-year old historic building, founded upon the love and devotion of a small group of Black Episcopalians who founded it in 1910 the first of two Mount Vernon-based Episcopal churches that merged, over time, with the original Saint Clement’s.

The congregation today at Saints John, Paul & Clement is diverse economically, culturally and geographically, with parishioners from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and the USA, and with new immigrants arriving weekly into the Mount Vernon area. This is a community of people who are dedicated to following the way of Jesus and the commandment to ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’

The parish today is highly visible and extremely active in serving its community, with a ministry offering:

• Sunday services, online and in person, and Sunday school for youth

• Weekly Bible Study sessions and frequent Women’s Group events and outings,

• Administration of the sacraments both in church and at home and hospital visits,

• An after-school and summer-school Youth Ministry with events, music education, field trips, and social justice and community improvement volunteer days,

• An award-winning Friday Food Pantry, operating for 30 years and recognized by Feeding Westchester and Episcopal Charities for its outstanding operations, that feeds more than 2,000 + families per month,

• An active Immigration Program, providing support and counsel to our newest neighbors in partnership with immigration attorneys from a local firm and from Catholic Charities.

THIS OLD AND BELOVED HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Deuteronomy 22:8

“When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof…”

As with any 100-year-old building, the parish church in Mount Vernon demands constant --and expensive--repairs, replacements and upgrades. Our roof of vintage clay barrel-curved tiles was recently the focus of our Easter appeal, which raised an impressive $24,000 toward its urgently-needed repair.

We are blessed to have the services of a roofing expert who serves our Diocese, who has made an inspection and has advised us that speed is now of the essence, which pushes the challenging and long-delayed re-roofing project to the very top of our “to do” list, for these compelling reasons:

• Fall and winter will soon be upon us, with harsh weather and snow weight further endangering our fragile existing roof,

• The existing large number of loose and broken tiles that need repair or replacement is a daily safety hazard,

• The Church Insurance Group, our policy holder, warns that our rates can significantly increase and our policy can be subject to cancellation if repairs are not undertaken as quickly as possible.

  Since the meetings with our roofing expert, parish leaders have been hard at work identifying options for how best to secure the necessary funds for the urgent and time- sensitive repair work, which includes:

• Inspection of all roof tiles, visiting salvage yards to source matching vintage tiles, repairing and replacing all unsound tiles,

• Remediate under-insulation of the roof by adding a new insulation layer

• Repair the adjacent damaged stucco on the chimney and bell tower.

Timely repair of the roof area of the church can be completed before the snows of winter. Total expected cost for materials and labor is $100,000, a most challenging total for a parish and a community of our modest means.

THE BEDELL FUND CHALLENGE

Timothy 6:18

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

The Christianity and charity of Hope Bedell lives on at Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Bedford, NY, in the form of a 1994 bequest that endowed a fund in perpetuity that makes capital improvement grants to Episcopal and non-Episcopal churches across the diocese.

The Bedell Fund approached us to inquire whether we could begin our roof replacement project before the end of calendar 2024. This appeal resulted from their encouragement.

More recently, a program officer of the Fund made a site visit to our parish to observe the state of the roof first-hand and to get a sense of our community.

We have been encouraged to apply for a $50,000 grant from Bedell Foundation, contingent upon:

• Our presenting clear and compelling evidence of our ability to “close the funds gap” to complete the project,

• Beginning onsite work before the end of calendar 2024.

Our next meeting with Bedell Foundation is in September, when we hope to report on the progress of this appeal in gifts received and pledges recorded, with a goal of securing this important Bedell Fund grant.

If everyone approached by this appeal supports us at the level of $200 or more, we will meet the conditions of the Bedell Fund grant committee, qualify for their generous and much-needed support, and be able to replace the roof before winter weather causes even more damage to our beloved house of worship.

HOW YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN HELP

Hebrews 13:16

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, as such sacrifices are pleasing to God.“

If you are reading this document, you have a family member or friend who values the parish of Saints John, Paul and Clement in Mount Vernon, who believes in this valuable and culturally significant

community of Black Episcopalians in this unique and widely diverse community. That friend or family member will follow up with you in a day or so to see if you will consider participating in the Bedell Fund challenge.

You can help the parish to continue its ministry of service to the young and the old, the new immigrant and the long-time resident, the sick and the poor as well as the proud families sending their sons and daughters into the future.

Will you and your family consider making a gift or pledge to participate in meeting the Bedell Fund Challenge and qualify for its roof repair grant?

There are several ways that you can support our cause and help with our roof project, including:

• Visit saintsjpc.com and click on the “Raise the Roof” option to use Zelle, Paypal, or to donate by mail or email,

• Let your gift be “in honor of” or “in memory of” a particular individual,

• Put your gift on your credit card, possibly earning points or perks from your card company,

• Make a gift of appreciated securities or of an IRA or retirement account you no longer need,

• Make a grant from your Donor Advised Fund or family foundation, if you have these,

• Write a check and snail mail it to the parish,

• Make a written pledge, payable over an agreed period of time, to the parish.

Your gift or pledge, of any size, will help us to meet the Bedell Fund’s challenge, and if you can consider a commitment of $200 or more, you will play a vital role in making this appeal a success. Thank you sincerely for your attention, your consideration, your interest in our ministry, and may God bless you.