Ruth West is St. Paul’s current Sr. Warden. And she’s fantastic! I drag her to all kinds of meetings. Meetings during the morning, the afternoon, the evening. She’s never complained once! But I am smart enough to not mess with her tennis time. If it’s Fr. Tom vs a tennis match, I’m going to lose. Ruth has supported me and this church in ways that few people would know. Being a Sr. Warden is a voluntary position, but it can be very demanding, not only on your time, but on the weight of responsibilities. Yet, she has handled everything like the professional that she is. Full of joy and energy, Ruth embodies everything that I hope St. Paul’s continues to be. She is willing to give, because she knows that no family can remain healthy if the members are not willing to give. If we were more like Ruth West, we’d all be a lot better off!
She has been at her position for less than a year, but she has already seen growth in both the church and the school. So, her perspective is insightful.
You’ve belonged to other Episcopal Churches, what about our building is important to you?
The most important thing is our sense of family and how people are so aware of new members. In prayer and in everyday life, the people at St. Paul’s are willing to give to help each other. Our building seems essential to that. Our communal areas, are so open that people have the freedom and space to talk and connect. In many churches I have attended, that space is much smaller, so those types of conversations are harder to have. We don’t have that problem at St. Paul’s.
You saw all the people that were here last Sunday for our Anniversary. How necessary is a building to pull that off?
We couldn’t do it without the building! The Connect Space is important, but maybe just as important are the porticos outside. People can wander and linger in the shade, yet everyone ends up staying close to each other. Without our building, the BBQ would have had a much different feel. With the building, we felt like a family.
As Sr. Warden you see the church growing, and also the school. When you look into our future, what are you hoping and praying for?
First, I pray for spiritual growth for all our families. Also, growth is telling us that we’re going to need more buildings! Eventually, we’ll need to build a new wing for our School and Sunday Children’s rooms. We’d also need to build a kitchen and more space for our Church. But spiritual growth has to come first. We need this so that anything we build can have a proper foundation.
What has been rewarding to you as Sr. Warden at St. Paul’s?
I have seen behind the scenes what it takes for this place to run! It’s hard work! But all worth it. Everyone, especially the volunteers and staff, is giving so much to make this happen. We have an incredible church.
Thank you Ruth!
Tom+