The Summertime Shift: Gift of Grace
Grace Burton-Edwards becomes associate rector and school chaplain

From The Outlook, August 2007

"She exemplifies her name"?that's how St. Richard's academic dean Carolyn Lausch sums up the presence and ministry of Grace Burton- Edwards, school chaplain. And I wholeheartedly agree, as will just about anyone you ask in the day-to-day life of our parish-school community.

Which is why I'm so delighted to tell you that, effective August 1, Grace begins serving full-time as associate rector and school chaplain, a shared position funded by both Trinity and St. Richard's. As has been the case throughout her tenure as part-time chaplain, she'll officially be an employee of Trinity, functioning under the authority and supervision of the rector in close consultation with the head of school.

Grace's responsibilities as chaplain will continue as they've been?leading chapels, teaching divinity classes, coordinating both programs as well as serving as the school's pastor?but with new dimensions enabled by her full-time presence on campus. At Trinity, she'll oversee our newcomer invitation and incorporation ministry in accordance with our Action Plan adopted earlier this year. She'll also share with Nancy Ferriani, Karen King, and me in the regular ordained duties of preaching, teaching, and leading the liturgy. Her pastoral care will focus on the school community but include Trinity parishioners. Now a deacon, she looks forward to being ordained a priest here at Trinity, likely within the next six or eight months.

I'm especially excited by the gifts Grace brings for furthering the creative interaction of school and parish?and indeed, of school, parish and diocese. She has wide connections, an easy way of bringing people together, and a keen imagination for stimulating ministry. Her role will be to serve as a bridge enabling parish and school to feed and strengthen one another, growing together in appropriate, meaningful ways.

I'm grateful to Trinity's vestry and St. Richard's board for their openness to and unanimous support of this new shared venture. I'm especially encouraged by St. Richard's agreement to take on financial support of the chaplain, a position previously funded solely by Trinity. That development represents a material commitment by the school to the faith pillar of its Five Pillars of Success vision. I'm also grateful to Grace for her prayerful discernment and acceptance of this opportunity to expand her ministry among us.

Grace has served with distinction over the past three years as part-time chaplain. She is beloved of students, faculty, and parents, and the staff of both school and parish. She and all of us at 33rd and Meridian can now look forward with eagerness to the limitless possibilities of our future, in continuing confidence that God's loving hand will guide us every step of the way forward.

- Tom Kryder-Reid

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