OUR CHURCH
Welcome to our Episcopal faith community here at St. Margaret’s! We hope your experience with us will be an exciting one filled with grace and wonder. Our new webpage will provide an introduction to the people, services and activities here in our historic church where we strive to live the gospel of Jesus Christ today.
How can St. Margaret’s meet your spiritual needs? This is an important question to answer as it indicates a degree of commitment regarding our relationship with God. The scriptures also encourage us to offer our spiritual gifts to the Body of Christ. As you learn more about our activities here, take time to consider how God is calling you to offer your gifts to this community.
We are a people growing toward a vision of Christian service and love. We seek to glorify God through our efforts and our relationships with our family, friends and fellow parishioners. Ultimately we rely on God’s grace to help us further our understanding of and our relationship with the Lord.
May God bless you and St. Margaret’s as you consider God’s call in your own life.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Mark Wastler, Rector
HISTORY
HISTORY OF ST. MARGARET’S CHURCH, WESTMINSTER PARISH
St. Margaret’s Church, whose clapboard sanctuary building stands
proudly on Broadneck Peninsula just north of Annapolis, Md., is one
of the oldest continuously operating congregations in America. The church
was founded in 1692, nearly 50 years before Thomas Jefferson’s
parents began courting!
The congregation has worshipped in five church buildings over the years.
The founding Anglican settlers shared the Puritans’ Old Meeting
House on the banks of the Magothy River, traveling to worship by boat
when the few rutted roads became impassable. The second building, and
the first St. Margaret’s could call its own, was built between
1731-34 on the banks of the Severn River. Broadneck Peninsula is bounded
on the north by the Magothy, on the south by the Severn, and its tip
juts into the Chesapeake Bay.
That building burned in 1803, and it wasn’t until May 1827 that
a new frame church was erected on the land occupied by St. Margaret’s
today – land nearer the center of the peninsula. Only 24 years
passed before that building, too, was razed by fire. The congregation
again rebuilt, on the same site, but this time they used brick! Even
that wasn’t enough. The building was damaged by yet another severe
fire in 1892, and was rebuilt as a white, clapboard structure on the
foundation of the previous building.
That building served St. Margaret’s well until the last half of
the 20th Century, when the structure had to be renovated and somewhat
expanded. Today St. Margaret’s occupies a 10-acre campus that
includes the addition of an education wing to the sanctuary structure,
a separate Parish Hall and a separate administration building.
But the history of a church is not the history of its buildings. St.
Margaret’s has swelled from serving a circle of hardy settlers
to nearly 1,000 thoroughly modern souls. Suburban tracts surround the
church instead of tobacco farms, and cars fill its parking lots without
a boat in sight. While proud of its history, St. Margaret’s strives
to live the Gospel today.
Here's a copy of the Spring History Tour
STAFF- CONTACT US
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
1601 Pleasant Plains Road
Annapolis, Maryland 21409-5928
Phone: (410) 974-0200 Day School: (410) 757-2333
Fax: (410) 757-5334
Staff Directory
| Rector | The Rev. Mark Wastler |
| Associate Rector | The Rev. Stewart Lucas |
| Assistant to the Rector | The Rev. Dina van Klaveren |
| Deacon | The Rev. Nancy White |
| Parish Administrator | Ruth McDaniel |
| Director of Music | James R. Fitzpatrick |
| Parish Nurse | Pat Hall |
| Day School Director | Tricia Hallberg |
| Missions Commission Administrator | Elizabeth Winn (Izzy) |
| Property Manager | John Purgason |
Strong lay leadership is as important to the life of St. Margaret’s as ordained clergy and paid staff. Lay members teach our children, run our Commissions and Committees, lead in stewardship, carry out our local and international mission programs, maintain our property, and fill our church with music and song.
St. Margaret’s is blessed with very strong lay leaders, who serve in our own parish and in the Diocese of Maryland. There are too many leaders to list here, but you will find their names in this website as the contact persons for St. Margaret’s programs and activities.
But at the top of our lay leadership is the Vestry, the elected leaders
responsible for planning, budgeting, goal setting, property decisions
and all church matters not ecclesiastical. Our Vestry has 14 members
who serve staggered three-year terms.
Senior Warden Beth
Knorr
Junior Warden George
Saroch
Treasurer Gordon
Piche
Registrar Stacia Bontempo
Vestry
| Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | Class of 2009 |
| Steve Brennan | Stacia Bontempo | Annie Coble (youth) |
| Missy Kelly | Phil Graham | Jeff Connover |
Jerry Smith |
Sarah Hyde | Leah Droof |
| Arvilla Wubbenhorst | Gordon Piche | Larry Lorton |
| Steven Roth (youth) | ||
| George Saroch |
Stewardship means more than giving money. It means serving God as you are able in a myriad of ways. But on the financial front, St. Margaret’s day-to-day operations are funded by member giving. Member support of St. Margaret’s has been growing nicely in recent years, far outstripping inflation. This growth has enabled us to expand programs, hire more clergy, retain a full-time music director, and conduct needed maintenance on our buildings.
All members are encouraged to make an annual pledge each fall for the following calendar year, and well over half of families do just that. Others make nonpledged gifts, but pledging is emphasized because better financial planning is possible the more certain we are about our income. St. Margaret’s clergy and lay leaders are grateful to members for their financial support of God’s work in our local community and world.
STEWARDSHIP Q & A
What is a pledge?
A pledge is a commitment to give a certain amount of money each year to support St. Margaret’s and its ministries. The annual pledge is rooted in scripture and in Jesus’ call for us to share the material blessings we have been given. Namely, all that we have and all that we are comes from God and, as a way to thank God for all God‘s blessings, we return a portion of the personal and financial gifts allotted to us.
Why is it important that I pledge?
In the fall of each year, the St. Margaret’s vestry prepares a budget for the coming year. Since pledges provide the majority of our revenue (83%), the vestry can project income, with reasonable certainty, and set budget priorities accordingly. The pledges let us know if we can expand ministries, increase staff and strengthen outreach or if we must tighten our belts. Simply put, pledges allow us to be much better stewards of our resources.
Is a pledge required to be a member of St. Margaret’s?
NO, St. Margaret’s welcomes all to share in the celebration of our faith. However, we do hope that all who consider themselves a member of St. Margaret’s will pledge to the best of their ability.
How much should I give?
In truth, we can never give back to God as much as we have been given. However, we do recommend you start by reflecting on what the church means to you in your life. If it is filling important spiritual, community, educational, and personal needs, you should support it with commensurate generosity. Some of our parishioners have been tithing (giving 10% of their income) for years, and they speak with great passion and joy for what the discipline has meant in their lives. We encourage you to make your pledge a proportional gift and strive to increase it each year.
What is the average pledge in 2008?
$2,476
What would the average pledge need to be to fund the current ’08 operating budget?
$2,971 (Based on current pledge base of 250 families)
Whom do I contact if I have questions about pledging?
John Hall, 410-956-6271
The Vestry approves a budget in January of each year, and that is shared
with the congregation at the annual meeting near the end of January.
The budget reflects St. Margaret’s priorities. View an abbreviated 2008 Budget here. 
In 1995, St. Margaret’s was the recipient of a bequest of more
than $3.3 million by the estate of Edwin and Zoe Hall. The Hall’s
made their gift without restriction, one of the largest such bequests
to any Episcopal church in recent years. The Vestry concluded the church
would not discuss the gift for two years, and urged all to use the time
to pray and reflect on what we as Christians were called to do in the
community and world.
The Endowment Committee established investment policies and objectives,
and the Vestry set total spending and giving guidelines. Maximum spending
in any fiscal year may be the greatest of 5% of the principal at the
end of the previous year, or the total return recorded the previous
year (currently around $200,000 annually.) Fifty percent of funds distributed
must go to outreach programs. Income may not be used for standard church
operating expenses. The principal is invested professionally.
In 1997, after a great deal of prayer and discernment, St. Margaret’s
established a grants program tied to the endowment and that program
has made grants to local and global mission programs well in excess
of $1 million to programs in our metropolitan area, state and beyond.
The current value of our endowment is around $4.5 million dollars.
THE EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
During the Reformation in the 16th Century, Henry VIII declared the
Church of England independent of the Roman Catholic Church with himself
as its head. It was the result of many factors, some political and some
theological, but it has given rise to a distinct form of Christianity,
known as Anglicanism.
The Episcopal Church is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion,
the churches around the world that trace their roots to the Church of
England, and maintain a “communion” with it, hence the name
“Anglican.” Other members of the Communion include the Anglican
Church of Canada and the Anglican Church of Nigeria. In fact, most Anglicans
now live in Africa.
The member churches of the Anglican Communion are joined together by
choice in love, and have no direct authority over one another. The Archbishop
of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England, is acknowledged as
the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, but while respected, the
Archbishop does not have direct authority over any Anglican Church outside
of England.
While there are other churches that call themselves “Anglican,”
only one Church in any country can be considered “in full communion”
with the Church of England, and the Episcopal Church is the American
member of the Communion. The Episcopal Church is made up of between
two and three million worshipers in about 7500 congregations across
the United States and related dioceses outside the US.
The Episcopal Church, having its roots in the Church of England, is
also an Anglican Church. Like all Anglican churches, the Episcopal Church
is distinguished by the following characteristics:
Protestant, Yet Catholic
Anglicanism stands squarely in the Reformed tradition, yet considers
itself just as directly descended from the Early Church as the Roman
Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. Episcopalians celebrate the “Mass”
in ways similar to the Roman Catholic tradition, yet do not recognize
a single authority, such as the Pope of Rome.
Worship in one’s first language
Episcopalians believe that Christians should be able to worship God
and read the Bible in their first language, which for most Episcopalians,
is English, rather than Latin or Greek, the two earlier, “official”
languages of Christianity. Yet the Book of Common Prayer has been translated
into many languages, so that those Episcopalians who do not speak English
can still worship God in their native tongue.
The Book of Common Prayer
Unique to Anglicanism, though, is the Book of Common Prayer, the collection
of worship services that all worshipers in an Anglican church follow.
It’s called “common prayer” because we all pray it
together, around the world. The first Book of Common Prayer was compiled
in English by Thomas Cranmer in the 16th Century, and since then has
undergone many revisions for different times and places. But its original
purpose has remained the same: To provide in one place the core of the
instructions and rites for Anglican Christians to worship together.
The present prayer book in the Episcopal Church was published in 1979. Many other worship resources and prayers exist to enrich our worship, but the Book of Common Prayer is the authority that governs our worship. The prayer book explains Christianity, describes the main beliefs of the Church, outlines the requirements for the sacraments, and in general serves as the main guidelines of the Episcopal life.
Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
The Anglican approach to reading and interpreting the Bible was first
articulated by Richard Hooker, also in the 16th Century. While Christians
universally acknowledge the Bible (or the Holy Scriptures) as the Word
of God and completely sufficient to our reconciliation to God, what
the Bible says must always speak to us in our own time and place.
The Church, as a worshiping body of faithful people, has for two thousand years amassed experience of God and of loving Jesus, and what they have said to us through the centuries about the Bible is critical to our understanding it in our own context. The traditions of the Church in interpreting Scripture connect all generations of believers together and give us a starting point for our own understanding.
Episcopalians believe that every Christian must build an understanding and relationship with God’s Word in the Bible, and to do that, God has given us intelligence and our own experience, which we refer to as “Reason.” Based on the text of the Bible itself, and what Christians have taught us about it through the ages, we then must sort out our own understanding of it as it relates to our own lives.
For more information, visit The
Episcopal Church visitor’s center
WHO WAS ST. MARGARET?
St. Margaret of Antioch — Virgin Martyr
Margaret of Antioch was a Christian virgin whose tortures and martyrdom
became famous in early books of Acts. According to her legend, she was
noticed by the local prefect who wanted to marry her, but she spurned
him. He turned her in to the Roman authorities to be persecuted. In
prison she was swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon, but the cross
she was carrying irritated his throat, and he spit her out unharmed.
Part of her very popular cult was the promise that if you spread her
fame, you would receive a perpetual crown in heaven. She prayed at her
death that women in childbirth would, upon calling on her, be safely
delivered of the child as she had been delivered from the belly of the
dragon. She is also known as the patron saint of women, nurses, and
peasants. She became one of the most popular saints in England in the
9th century when the first of many Lives was written about her in English;
over two hundred early churches were dedicated to her there, even though
her legend had been declared apocryphal by the Pope as early as 494.
She was one of the saints who spoke to St. Joan of Arc, and she is included
in a group of saints known as the Fourteen Holy Helpers, who are venerated
for their special ability to intercede for people.
St. Margaret’s feast day is July 20 in the west and July 13 in
the east.
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