A 2026 message from Father Ben

This was published as part of the 2025 Annual Report, which can be found here.

The Rev. Ben Maas

Each week Bené, our volunteer coordinator, highlights a member of this church for the many ways they serve the parish and community. Over a year into creating these profiles, Bené assures us that we are in absolutely no danger of running out of worthy volunteers. So many people roll up their sleeves and contribute to the vitality and reach of Saint James’. Some have served faithfully for years, others are relatively new to the parish, but all reflect an energy and deepening commitment to what is taking place here.

So what is taking place? Our Sunday attendance is higher than before COVID. Remarkably, our 8 a.m. service has grown to almost equal the size of the average Episcopal church’s TOTAL Sunday attendance, and our total Sunday attendance is three times that average. It seems each week the staff fields emails from visitors expressing what they have found at Saint James’, a welcoming home, a contagious Spirit, and an openness and congruence to where they are spiritually and theologically.

Our reach is even greater when you consider the 202 students and their teachers who participate weekly in assembly, chapel, worship or formation. It is encouraging to also see our students’ family members attend as well. Additionally, we gather every Wednesday and Thursday for worship.

Beyond worship, our formation and fellowship groups have fostered friendships, deepened faith and spiritual growth, and been a source for laughter, joy, sharing, and support. From our Wisdom Seekers book study group to Education for Ministry (EfM), from the bishop’s breakfast to men’s Bible study, from Episcopal Church Women (ECW) to our newly established men’s social group, from Sunday-morning formation to Foyer Groups, people are sharing their lives together.

Our youth mission team to Hurley, Virginia, more than doubled from last year, and based on the mass exodus before we begin our service, it seems our Children’s Church is growing week by week.

This growth in activity has translated into more service within and beyond our doors. Café continues to be a weekly highlight thanks to the numerous volunteers who set, serve, and prepare delicious breakfasts week after week. Add our ushers, servers, greeters, acolytes, readers, singers, ringers, video recorders, teachers, altar- and flower guilders and Coffee Hour contributors to that group, and we have an average of 45 volunteers engaged each Sunday morning.

Beyond our doors, we are feeding, educating, building, warming and serving.

I cannot tell you how proud I am of this congregation, their love and support of one another, their collective work, and their commitment to grow together.

I am every bit as proud of our staff and the work they do. I encourage you to take a look at the staff page and give thanks for these people and how they enable the ministry of Saint James’. Stacey is a second-to-none leader for the school, and the church staff is as committed as they are talented, and they are great people who take good care of each other and me. They are all willing to lend a hand to help both church and school.

There is so much more to celebrate! We have enjoyed delicious fundraising dinners, beautiful and moving liturgies, Mardi Gras, a school gala, a parish picnic and summer fling, and we are planning a return to Shrine Mont this June.

We are not without our needs for 2026. Our annual pledge campaign was very successful, thanks to the 20 new pledging households along with our existing pledgers. However, it has been over 10 years since we last initiated a capital campaign, and we still carry debt from our Connected expansion and renovation. We also have purchased the far field with the school and have our own capital needs within the church and rectory. We have worked hard to grow our endowment and reserves for such endeavors, but we need additional contributions and planned gifts to care for our facility, to weather inevitable difficulties, and perpetuate the good work of Saint James’. When Barry Hamilton and others established our endowment, they created the Arbor Society composed of people who had either gifted funds to Saint James’ or remembered Saint James’ in their estate planning. I believe it is time to revisit and grow that society.

Also, we are very grateful for Bishop Ted and his willingness to step in following Father Randolph’s retirement, but we do need to think about our long term clergy needs. Few churches and schools of our size operate with a single clergy person. Our incredible staff makes our current arrangement possible but it may not be the best way for us to proceed in future years.

Finally, we have built a wonderful legacy of service to this community. Our work with the Firewood Initiative, Saint James’ Builds, and our youth mission trip have all rebounded, but with the energy and capacity within this parish we can do more. A group led by Bené is already exploring where God is calling us to serve others. Stay tuned.

Thank you for being part of all that is taking place, and your willingness to dream with me and follow where God is leading. I believe that 2026 will be a vibrant banner year, but I pray it is also transformational and that God leads us to unexpected places beyond our previous horizons.

— The Rev. Benjamin Wells Maas, Rector

Reach Father Ben at rector@saintjameswarrenton.org.