Introduction - St. Paul's Episcopal Church
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Opening Prayer: Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so
guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, St. Paul’s Payson, that we may
receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen
Introduction
We are the family of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Payson, AZ. We hope to show you who we
are from the past to the present, and look into the future we are working to create. We invite you to visit
with us so that together we might share our common growth with God the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. We pray that it might help all of us to discern if God’s will for the future of St. Paul’s is well
served by our joining forces with you as our new Rector.
This profile addresses who we were in 2019, prior to COVID-19. Just like many churches, the
coronavirus pandemic concerns and restrictions have knocked us for a loop. On the last Sunday in
March 2020, our rector of fourteen years announced to the parish that he was taking another
assignment in the Diocese, leaving us just after Easter. The next week, COVID changed everything.
Before Palm Sunday, the first Sunday in April, COVID restrictions on in-person meetings were in
place, so we could not even say goodbye. Since then we have seen three other versions of how services
may be conducted. Currently, in-person services are restricted to twelve people, which allows us to
create a video worship experience for Facebook and our website. St. Paul’s has operated through this
almost entirely with lay people and supply priests. We have been without a rector for eleven months
and are in severe need of pastoral care.
History of St. Paul’s
St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Payson, Arizona was formed in 1969 when twelve communicants
began meeting in the Payson Women's Club on Main Street. At the time of the dedication of our
original church building (1000 N. Easy Street) on June 25, 1972, the congregation had grown to fifty
under the spiritual guidance of various supply clergy, most often Deacon Bob Donovan from St. Paul's
Episcopal Church in Winslow, Arizona. Deacon Donovan later became our first vicar. On October 14,
2011, under the guidance of our priest, Canon Dan Tantimonaco, St. Paul's celebrated full parish status
in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona with the Bishop of Arizona, The Right Reverend Kirk S. Smith,
presiding.
St. Paul's continued to grow, and in June of 2017 we
bought and moved into a larger, modern church
building at 401 E. Tyler Parkway in Payson. Our
church is located on over four acres of land which
gives us ample room to physically grow in the future.
We immediately renovated the sanctuary area to
include a sacristy, altar and altar rail to support the
Episcopal service of Eucharist. The nave
accommodates 230 people, which gives us the space
to grow our congregation. There are offices for the
rector, parish administrator, and treasurer. There are
also seven education/meeting rooms and a large
modern parish hall, with a full kitchen, for the many
functions of our church. We have added a Memorial
Garden behind the church in a beautiful wooded
setting for peaceful meditation and prayer. This
covered area also includes a columbarium for the
ashes of those gone before.
With over 130 baptized members, St. Paul's is a
vibrant congregation serving Payson and a number of
small towns in the surrounding area. Our parish
openly welcomes all to be with us to share the many blessings that we have.
A major concern, like that of many
mainstream churches, is that we are not
attracting younger people into our family
to replace those senior parishioners that
are aging out of our parish life. As the age
demographic pie chart shown on the right
indicates, 88% of St. Paul’s parishioners
are above age 60. For our family to
continue into the future, we must attract
and keep younger members.
We are anxious to find a rector that will help us to prosper and continue growing into a more
vibrant community church.
Mission and Vision
In December 2020, the Vestry approved a new mission, vision and belief statement.
Mission: Why do we exist?
As a faith community of ordinary people who love God and each other, we seek to be better
disciples through worship, study, and service.
Vision: Where are we going?
We will intentionally serve and love each other as Jesus would.
Values: What do we believe?
We believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ whose life, death and resurrection saved the world.
We believe in welcoming everyone into our community of believers. We believe that loving our
neighbors is found in action and words.
Goals and teams
The Vestry set the following goals for 2021:
The Rector Search and Discernment Team will discern a new rector for St. Paul's.
The Vestry will lead the parish in developing an initial 3-5 year strategic plan.
Day of Discovery input will be used to develop plans:
o Improve communication throughout the parish.
o Develop and expand worship opportunities both in-person and digitally including all el-
ements of worship.
o Develop specific ways for corporate outreach to the community both in-person and digi-
tally.
o Develop or upgrade policies, calendars, and procedures that improve parish administra-
tion.
Actions as of March 1, 2021:
Planning and implementation teams have been established and their SMART goals and progress
may tracked via the website: Digital Ministry; Local Mission Outreach; Building and Ground Planning;
Christian Education Development; Financial Team Planning and Policy; and Social Media Church
Growth. The strategic plan progress is also on the website, as is a summary of the Day of Discovery
comments.
Descriptions of Programs and Organizations
St. Paul’s offers a wide range of worship and education opportunities to the congregation and
for those who are seeking a church home.
In Reach:
Worship and Liturgy: Currently we are offering
services digitally using recorded video. Traditionally there
are two Sunday services, an early service that did not
include live music, and a later service that included a blend
of hymnal and contemporary praise music. Lay involvement
includes the Altar Guild, Lay Eucharist Ministers (Chalice
Bearers), Lay Readers (Lectors), Acolytes, Greeters, Choir
and Ushers who serve at Sunday and Wednesday Services.
Other worship opportunities include a Wednesday Healing and Holy Eucharist service, a
quarterly Taizé Service and Lenten Services using Rite
One liturgy. A Digital Ministry has been developed to
offer worship opportunities during these difficult times
and to develop St. Paul's outreach online. Please visit
our Facebook page to see our digital ministry in action.
Stewardship: A stewardship campaign is
held yearly to encourage the congregation to give
generously to provide a church and community to all
who seek a Christian life. Previous campaigns have
consisted of short skits and explanations of all the programs offered by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Sunday School: A Sunday School program has been offered to the youngest members of St.
Paul’s using Godly Play and Episcopal Digital Network teaching plans.
Adult Christian Education: We have traditionally developed education programs offered
between services during seasons like Advent and Lent, and often include a breakfast and social
interaction to enhance the program’s insights. We've enjoyed programs such as “24 Hours That
Changed the World,” “Mary Had a Baby” and “Light of the World.” Parishioners also participate in the
Christmas Journey wherein members of the church host a small statue of Mary and Joseph each night
during Advent offering them shelter and creating additional opportunities for our congregation to
connect.
We have always offered at least one Bible study group that meets regularly in Payson (pre-
pandemic), and a second Bible study often takes place for residents of Pine. An Inquirer’s course is
usually offered each year for those who wished to be confirmed, reaffirmed, received or baptized.
Outreach:
Kaitie’s Closet is a community non-
profit project to provide gently used clothing to
school-aged children in the Payson area. St.
Paul’s provides a place and a community to
offer monthly clothing distribution. Since St.
Paul’s has offered this to Payson, we have been
fortunate to have people donate both clothing
and money to purchase new underwear, shoes
and socks. Hundreds of pairs of shoes, pants,
coats and tops have been provided to children
in need. Even in 2020, we hosted eight
socially-distanced distributions, serving 142 families.
Ladies of St. Paul’s support a child overseas through Compassion International. They continue
to support a child and have done so through most of her schooling, and she is planning on seeking a
higher degree, something that would not have been possible without our support. This group has
offered monetary support to the Time Out women’s shelter, the Rector's Discretionary Fund and other
local support groups. The Ladies have raised funds via Artisan Bread Sales, craft sales, concerts and
other activities.
St. Paul’s Active Men (SPAM) is an organization of men at St. Paul’s who find fellowship in
fundraising for various activities. Several scenic train trips
have been organized for members of St. Paul’s. Shrove
Tuesday Pancake Suppers, Quarterly trash pick-ups along
McLane Road and Ice Cream Socials in conjunction with
concerts sponsored by the Ladies of St. Paul’s are some of
the notable activities.
The International Order of St. Luke the
Physician is an ecumenical organization dedicated to the Christian healing ministry. Members include
clergy, lay persons and health professionals who believe healing to be an essential part of the teachings
and practices of Christ. St. Paul's hosts the Mogollon Chapter of OSL. Active members are available
for prayer at Sunday and Wednesday services. Members of OSL also send out postcards reminding
parishioners that they are being prayed for and lifted up. Membership is open to those interested and
consists of a 26-week course of study, meetings and reading books related to healing that have been
recommended by the order.
Local Mission: Over 700 prayer quilts have been handmade by the Prayer Quilt Ministry and
offered for healing and comfort to members of the St. Paul’s family or distant friends and family.
In 2018 St Paul’s created a Reverse Advent Calendar to collect food items for the community
food bank. A different food item was designated for each of 28 days. 20 boxes of food weighing 712
pounds was delivered the food bank. Collecting for the local food bank is a yearlong project, and St.
Paul’s has been generous in both food products and cash offerings.
Other outreach programs St. Paul's has supported include Empty Bowls, a community service to
help feed the hungry, and Operation Christmas Child, a shoebox ministry to send Christmas gifts to
children around the world.
St. Paul’s has been active in Ecumenical church services with other local Payson churches, and
has been active in fundraising for a variety of local non-profits. We offer use of our facilities to
community groups such as Al-Anon, AA, PEO, Soroptimists and other community groups.
Financials
The assets of St. Paul’s include the church property without any debt or mortgage, a second
vacant lot for sale (about $400,000), and two investment funds (over $900,000). The investment funds
are (1) an unrestricted fund (proceeds from the sale of the old church property) and (2) a restricted
Building Fund (remaining capital funds). The first fund has been used to assist resolving deficits in the
annual budget, while the Building Fund is used on projects related to the building and grounds. In 2021
a new Financial Team, appointed by the Vestry, will review and possibly redesign the long-term
financial policies to guide future vestry decisions.
Three years of income and expenses of the operating checking account are represented below.
The deficits of previous years were covered using first an operating savings account & when necessary
the unrestricted funds (1) above. The vestry of St. Paul’s has budgeted just over $150,000 for 2021
annual operation. This is significantly down from previous years and will need to draw more
significantly from the unrestricted funds (1) above.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church Payson, AZ
2020 2019 2018
Operating Income
Open Plate 5,176 18,434 16,732
Pledges 133,187 176,335 177,372
Other Income 3,288 5,682 2,222
Designated 31,672 18,485 31,591
Total Operating Income: 173,323 218,936 227,917
Expenses
Outside Expenses* 27,050 35,628 32,918
General Expenses 18,758 39,660 59,519
Salaries and Benefits** 114,799 135,580 139,420
Non Operational Expense 8,427 13,725 24,629
Total Operating Expenses: 169,034 224,593 256,486
Total Income minus Expenses: $4,289 ($5,657) ($28,569)
*Diocesan Giving is included in the
Outside Expenses
**Includes Supply Priests
Hopes and Dreams
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Matthew 22:37-39
At St. Paul's, our dearest hope is to better fulfill these two commandments as we grow in the life
of Christ. At our recent Day of Discovery, congregants expressed their hope to continue nourishing the
Spirit and love of God within us by developing a more robust music ministry and having a variety of
services and worship forms (like the weekly healing service, or the Taizé service, which we have
historically offered on a quarterly basis).
We also hope to express the love of Christ in care for not only our neighbors in the church, but
also the local community. Because our parish has a predominantly retired population, ministries that
help us care for our members during times of trial—whether that's grief, loneliness or illness—need to
be more robust, which will include a strong component of pastoral care as well as empowering our laity
with education, developing gifts of the Spirit and providing structure for these acts of love.
We also hope to develop a more defined approach to welcoming new members. While St. Paul's
is an extremely caring community, it's always a challenge for a newcomer to access the life of the
church—we want to make sure that we're showing these newcomers how much we care for and value
them and helping to empower them to act in their turn without overwhelming them. As part of this, we
want to develop both adult and children's Christian education at St. Paul's so that families are able to
attend our services without worry for childcare and new members can share in our spiritual practice and
learn about our Episcopal tradition.
In expressing Christ's love in our community, we hope to not only build on the hard work that
has gone into developing flagship ministries like Kaitie's Closet, our children's clothing distribution,
but also encourage leadership in developing creative strategies to serve the town of Payson. We hope in
doing so to empower our congregation with the Great Commission, allowing our members to develop
and use their talents in new ways through volunteerism. This may look like hosting a weekly meal for
Payson Community Kids, evangelism and bringing sacraments to local retirement communities or
developing our ecumenical relationships. Our Local Mission and Digital Ministry committees are
considering practical steps we can take even now toward making St. Paul's a true blessing to our
community. We need strong and purposeful leadership not afraid of trying new things even as we build
on the sacred community of faith and fellowship that St. Paul's has built.
Rector Profile
St. Paul’s is seeking a rector who can provide guidance and lead us forward in the continued
development of our parish. The ideal candidate will have the ability, enthusiasm and personality to
work well with our senior members and their need for pastoral care, as well as relate to younger
members, families and their needs. The Rector should exhibit a willingness to work with Vestry, parish
staff and volunteers as a team and to demonstrate and share our commitment to diversity, outreach and
community service. Additionally, the ability to deal with conflict and criticism, as well as
demonstrating sensitivity to others who express different points of view are very important. We are
open to receiving the rector God calls for this church.
In addition to the normal duties of the Rector as detailed in the by-laws of the church including
administrative and fiscal duties, there are some particular areas where the Rector’s qualities and
leadership are expected, as informed by our parish survey conducted in 2020:
Value all parishioners
Ability to help people develop spiritually
Ability to deal with parishioners’ crises
Ability to deal with end-of-life issues
Maintain confidentiality
Effective recruiting, retaining, and nurturing of new members
Embrace the role of both servant and leader
Effective in communicating new ideas
Commitment to ongoing Personal Continuing Education
Ability to effectively communicate and embrace digital worship and outreach on Facebook,
YouTube and other social media
Commitment to community service, and local mission and outreach
Effective as a worship leader
Sermons effectively delivered and drawn from scripture which reflect on current issues
Payson and the Wider St. Paul's Community
Payson is in northern Gila County: the heart of Arizona. This area is often referred to as the
Rim Country, as we sit in the shadow of the Mogollon Rim. The Rim is an extensive plateau at an
elevation of 7300 feet, covered in Ponderosa pine forests and pristine mountain lakes. Our town is a
90-minute drive from either Phoenix or Sedona. We are also two hours hours from Flagstaff and
Prescott.
Payson was founded in 1882 and incorporated in 1973. It is almost completely surrounded by
the Tonto National Forest under the jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service. Payson is bordered
on one side by the Tonto Apache Indian Reservation. Our full-time population is 15,476–over 50% of
which are retired. The town can swell to approximately 30,000 in the summer months as people escape
the heat in the central valley. Payson has actively planned for increased growth over the last decade.
They bought water rights from a reservoir north of town and installed a pipeline (and a purification
system) so that we can eventually grow to a population of 36,000. The town of Payson hosts a K-12
public school system and Gila Community College for post-secondary education.
The town sits at an elevation of 5000 feet, offering a beautiful, mild, four-season climate.
Payson experiences early summer drought and late summer monsoon rains. Winter temperatures are
mild with cold nights. Payson receives occasional snowfalls in the winter months, with most melting
off within a few days. For those who love the outdoors, Rim Country offers year-round activities in
beautiful natural settings. For more information and links to various community resources, please see
the list in Appendix A.
Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
https://www.azdiocese.org/
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall, Bishop,
Bishop Reddall was elected the Sixth Bishop of Arizona on October 20,
2018. She was consecrated on March 9, 2019 and was seated on April 7,
2019 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.
For more information about church facilities available in the Diocese of Arizona, please see Appendix
B.
Conclusion
We thank you for your time in
reviewing this parish profile. We hope
that it has piqued your interest to further
explore being a part of our family. We
look forward to meeting with you to
discuss our possible future together in
mutual discernment.
Yours in Christ,
The Family of St. Paul’s Shown here at the first Pentecost in our current building, 2017
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Website: http://stpaulspayson.org 401 E Tyler Parkway
Email: stpaulspayson@gmail.com Payson, AZ 85541Appendix A United States.
Local Resources:
Banner Payson Medical Center
Banner Payson Medical Center is our
community healthcare provider. At the 25-
bed critical access hospital, Banner provides
inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, imaging,
medical, surgical and emergency care to the
greater Payson area. The Center also has a
heli-port for emergency transport to
Phoenix area hospitals.
Willow Springs Lake, east of Payson in the Apache-Sitgreaves
Payson Unified School District provides K- National Forest
12 education.
Gila Community College Payson offers Wildlife Viewing
associates' degrees and various Including elk, deer, javelina, coyote, bear,
certifications. birds and more
Things to see and do in and around Payson Outdoor Sports
include: Including elk, deer, and javelina hunting,
Green Valley Park fishing, and motorized off-roading trails
With three stocked fishing lakes (Don’t miss
The Valley
the FREE summer outdoor concerts)
The Phoenix metropolitan area, with a
Rumsey Park population of just under five million people,
With a dog park, community pool, sports is only a 90-minute drive south. All
fields, and pickleball courts. A splash pad major/minor league sports, NASCAR
for kids is coming soon! racing, golf, theatres, museums, world class
dining, shopping, universities, two
Fishing, Swimming, Picnicking, and
international airports, all major industries
Camping on the Verde River, Tonto Creek,
and Luke Air Force Base are available.
and Christopher Creek
The World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo
Three Golf Courses
Tonto National Bridge
The largest known travertine bridge
Tonto National Forest
The largest stand of Ponderosa pines in theAppendix B Chapel Rock Summer Camp and Conference Center is a large part of diocesan life here in Arizona. Located on 20 acres of wooded land in Prescott, a two-hour drive from Payson, Chapel Rock hosts many diocesan events during regular times, including widely-attended Cursillo weekends and scheduled retreats. Chapel Rock can accommodate 270 people with sleeping accommodations and provides a peaceful gathering place for major events.
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