October 17, 2022
Monday

I was a young vestry member of St. Johns during this decision. It was heart rendering, tremulous and yes, it was a fiscal decision, the decision was as I recall, which of the two church buildings would be shuttered. The logical answer was to retain St. Johns in part, to the location. This decision followed the advocation of the then viewed, fiscal condition of the Alaska  Episcopalian diocese's  conditions where funds to maintain the two churches argued with the needs of the over all of the diocese.

As the article by Dave Kiffer stated, Bishop Rowe funded out of his own pocket reflecting the then and even now, short fall of fiscal need.  (Not an excuse, just fact)

What is remembered, there was disappointment and some bitterness with the result.  The vestry keeping in mind the instructions of Bishop Gordon, had little wiggle room in obtaining the end result.

All participants, in the many discussions ending in the ensuing decision, spoke to the subject as persons of character, well-spoken Natives with grace, gave reason to their desires to retain St. Elizabeth, yet in the end accepted acknowledged fiscal reasons. 

In the continued attendance for my part, the participation of the Native congregation merging with St Johns was with dignity and devotion. As Christians, mingled and shared God's word and coffee.

Cheers,

A.M.(Al) Johnson 
Ketchikan, Alaska

Related Article:

Ketchikan Historical: Reconciliations took decades to come; Native churches in Ketchikan, Juneau closed in 1962 By DAVE KIFFER
SitNews - October 09, 2022

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Received October 10, 2022 - Published October 17, 2022

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