Building a strong Church for the future. The Church, built in 1855, is 170 years young, and we need to ensure we can keep the Church growing for the next 170 years! We need your help to achieve that goal!
We feel that St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church needs an enlarged & expanded Fund which will allow our current and future leadership to focus on continuing to grow our ministry for St Barts residents and visitors alike - and not worry unduly about the funding needs for every aspect of church life. Please contact one of the Church Leadership to find out how you can help in this important misision or click on our Donation Web Page to make a donation online.
Letter from Father Charlie Vere Nicoll, Honorary Resident Priest
Built in 1855 - 170 YEARS YOUNG … AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE!
The Church, on our beloved island of St Barths, has been a beacon of spirituality for so many people over the past 170 years. This has never been more apparent, and more needed, than in the last 25 years or so.
Twenty years ago, Bishop Ted Eastman, Bill Barrett and I launched an appeal to build the Church Centre. It was at this time that we formed our dedicated US charitable trust “Friends of St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church”. Then ten years ago we launched a further appeal for a complete refurbishment of the Church both inside and out – wonderfully and thanks to your support, both these appeals were enormously successful.
As we look to the future, we would like you to invite you to be part of the Church’s legacy. It is clearly of vital importance that the Church secures its future both physically and from a ministry standpoint, so that we can continue to offer the Church’s broad brand of spiritually to everyone who enters its doors … and continue to flourish as has been the case over the last 25 years.
Hence, we are launching an appeal for a substantial increase in our charity’s resources by way of increasing and extending the current Endowment Fund. It now stands at just under $1million, and we would like to see it increase significantly, the income from which would be used over the long term to fund the majority of the Church’s annual running costs (running at approximately $200k pa) plus cover any future expenses for ministry, while at the same time retaining the principal for any future capital expenditure on property.
Having discussed this with a number of our eminent visiting clergy team, (from Bishops to Cathedral Deans and Archdeacons) and a number of our largest benefactors, all of whom have significant experience in church funding, we believe that we should be seeking to raise $3 million over the next 3 years. We will call this funding: The 170 Years Young Appeal
It will be my pleasure to lead the charge for this campaign, which will give the Church an Endowment fund of approximately $4 million. Whilst I have had the privilege to have been involved here for the past 25 years, we now need to plan for the future – for both our priestly ministry in all its forms and a secure balance sheet covering all capital expenditure projects … albeit be reassured that I have no plans to step back!
The Endowment Fund will continue be managed by the Directors of the Friends of St Bartholomew’s Church, who have done such a good job with their investment returns and assisting in managing the finances of the Church over the past 20 years.
With all Blessings
Father Charlie Vere Nicoll