Bouquets and many thanks to the fine folks at St. John’s who helped at the COMMUNITY SERVICE on the afternoon of February 17. It was a great success!
First, Samantha Vincent-Alexander and Mark Riley, our leaders, positively answered the request from the Hampton 2019 Commemorative Commission to hold the service at the church on that date. They also agreed to couch the service with a traditional Procession and Recession, complete with a crucifer, Scott Curtis. Volunteer ushers were Dan Clark, Jack Pope and Bill Saunders.
Secondly, Deborah Carr agreed to change the regular Taizé service to an earlier Sunday, as well as to play at the service.
Following special music by Hugh Harrell and the Legacy of Weyanoke to open the program, Linda Curtis, pinch-hitting for Mayor Donnie Tuck, introduced city folks attending. Ann Bane then presented brief remarks about the featured speakers, Dr. Chester Brown and Dr. Jeffery Smith, both of whom gave interesting talks. The Joynes Road Church of God Praise Ministry then sang We’ve Come This Far By Faith, the theme of the program.
As the church found at the last minute that a long-planned reception, publicly noted in the Saturday Daily Press preview article, would not be forthcoming, a few St. John’s parishioners insisted on going after church on Sunday to purchase trays of food for a reception. Their action saved the church untold embarrassment and added a hospitable and fitting conclusion to a lovely afternoon. Thank you, Scott and Linda Curtis!
A cake from our friends at The Grey Goose and punch were provided by Mary Fugere of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Church members who volunteered to help at the reception were Susan Edmonson, Sylvia Edgar, Carolyn Hawkins, Jan Vincent and Jan Markham. Helping Commission members Luci Cochran and Vanessa Thaxton-Ward in the kitchen was St. John’s Betsy Clark.
About 200 members and visitors attended the COMMUNITY SERVICE, an event of the Hampton 2019 Commemorative Commission. Initiated in 2015 by Hampton’s City Council, the commission was charged with planning events and activities in commemoration of the arrival of the first documented Africans to English North America. These Africans set foot in the colony of Virginia at Point Comfort, now Fort Monroe, in late August 1619. As the Church at Kecoughtan, the ancestor of St. John’s, was here in 1619, it is appropriate that we are a part of this commemoration.
Many thanks again, one and all!
Originally published in St. John’s Epistle, March 2019.