Dear People of Christ Episcopal Church, I am beyond thrilled to accept the vestry’s call to serve as your Priest-in-Charge. My family and I are eager to join you all in proclaiming God’s love and serving God’s kingdom on the Guilford Green. After twelve wonderful years in Virginia, my wife, Briget, and I began last fall exploring a move back to New England, where much of our family lives. The time feels right for us and for our young children to be closer to cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and the grandparents’ beloved dog, Juneau. And I’m so glad that God is calling us home to Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford. Guilford is a special place. And you are a special community. First, a word about the place. It is the place–like a burning bush–that made me turn aside and look at what God is doing at Christ Church. My 9x-great-grandfather, William Chittenden, was one of the original settlers of Guilford in 1639. Nearly every summer of my life, I have gathered with my extended family at one of the summer cottages the Chittendens built at Buffalo Bay, just over the town line in Madison. There are few things I love more than swimming in the Sound on a sunny July day or sitting with fifteen loved ones around the old dining table, crowning an already incredible feast with pies from Bishop’s. God used the brightness of that place and those memories to catch my eye, to make me curious about Christ Church. And what I have seen is that you are a community just as special as the place. It fills me with such hope to see all the many ways you are engaged in the holy work of loving God and loving neighbor. Your commitment to outreach–serving the hungry, the unhoused, immigrants and refugees–calls to mind one of my favorite gospel passages: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40). And I trust that God is even now dreaming up new ways for Christ Church to seek and serve Christ in all persons. I’m excited to discover them together. I’m also eager to continue growing your ministry of welcome. The Green is an incredible location to proclaim the gospel by welcoming everyone who walks past. I’m especially inspired by the ways you are welcoming people who might not know they’re looking for a church, or even exactly what a church is. On Fridays at noon, you welcome with organ music the person looking for beauty and stillness. At the town tree lighting, you welcome with chili the person looking for good food and connection with neighbors. And you have already made me and Briget feel welcome, too. The vestry was incredibly gracious and hospitable in making space for our youngest son, James, in our visit to Guilford, including eating dinner on the schedule of a 7-month-old and laughing when James crawled around trying to eat their shoes. Indeed, my sense of calling to Christ Church has a great deal to do with the people I’ve met. As you know, your vestry members and wardens are people of good humor, serious commitment, and amazing capability. More importantly, being with them just felt right. Eating together, praying together. And I’m confident that the feeling of rightness will only grow stronger as I meet each of you.
One last word about you all. What has happened at Christ Church during this time of transition is remarkable. You have maintained or grown your attendance, your giving, and your ministries. This is a testament to your faith and God’s faithfulness. And it suggests that something special is happening among you. I’m excited about what God is doing at Christ Church, and I’m grateful that my family and I will soon be a part of it. Gratitude is the note I want to end on. I give thanks for my family and for you. I give thanks for the love of God that makes us one in Christ. And I give thanks for the call to proclaim that love with you as your priest, pastor, and fellow disciple. As we all eagerly anticipate July 1, you are in my prayers. May the peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and give us grace to trust the work of the Spirit within us, accomplishing far more than we could ask for or imagine. Yours in Christ, Michael+ [email protected]
The Sweeney Family Michael currently serves as Middle School Chaplain at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA, where he and his wife, Briget Ganske, live with their three boys: Emmett (8 in April), Isaac (4 in February), and James (1 in June). Previously, Michael served six years at St. Stephen’s Church in Richmond as Director of Youth and Family Ministry. There he oversaw a period of growth which included the development of a new program for youth ministry and confirmation, the creation of a formation group for parents of young children, and the construction of a cafe space for informal gatherings and fellowship. Michael earned his MDiv at Virginia Theological Seminary and served as a seminarian at St. David’s Church in Washington, DC.
Michael grew up in Greenfield, MA and fell in love with God and music while singing in the youth choir at St. James’ Church (now Saints James & Andrew). He earned a B.A. from Haverford College, with a major in Spanish language and literature, then returned to Western Mass to teach English and Spanish at Eaglebrook School. During that time, Michael’s sense of call to ministry grew year by year as he worked eleven summers at Camp Bishopswood, in the Diocese of Maine, first as a cabin counselor and then as Director of Faith Development.
Michael met Briget, an Iowa native, while she was living in Cambridge, MA, where she earned her M.Ed. in Arts in Education from Harvard. Briget is an artist, educator and media producer, working remotely for PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs (SRL). SRL supports students nationwide in producing digital media and journalism, like On Our Minds, a podcast Briget produces with student hosts and journalists. You can learn more about Briget and her work on her website. Michael and Briget share a love of the outdoors and enjoy hiking, camping, running, skiing, and tennis. Michael’s passions also include playing the guitar, cheering for the Boston sports teams, and stories–reading them, hearing them, telling them–with a special love for the sacred stories of the Bible.