God Loves You,
No Exceptions
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
425 Cleveland Ave. SW
Canton, OH 44702
Sunday services 10:30 a.m.
Next week: A special visit with Canon Audra from the Diocese of Ohio
Next Sunday, the Rev. Audra Abt, Canon for Innovation and Congregational Development for the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, will be our celebrant, preacher and – after the service – our guest at a special parish-wide meeting as we discern the future of St. Paul’s.
Her visit follows a meeting of our new consultant, the Rev. Alan Cowart, with the St. Paul’s Discernment Committee yesterday (Saturday). Canon Audra will be exploring with us including:
The Rev. Abt, was vicar of Holy Spirit, Greensboro, and mission developer and pastor of Abundant Life Health and Healing in Greensboro before coming to the Diocese of Ohio in early 2024. As a multi-lingual priest in North Carolina, she served congregations with members from Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Black and White members hailing from around the U.S. Since she came to the Diocese, Canon Audra has begun hosting monthly “innovation community calls” to get a sense of new ways churches throughout our diocese are approaching their vocations. Making the most of Advent
Lighting the first Advent candle: the Prophecy Candle representing Hope (Nov. 30, 2025)
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 
Last Sunday started the holy season of Advent and the new church year. The name “Advent” comes from the Latin word for “coming,” and the season is a time of preparation, expectation and a joyful stillness in a frenetic world. It tells us that the waiting itself can be an act of faith, and St. Paul’s gives the season its due by waiting until the Sunday before Christmas to green the church to celebrate Christ’s birth.
St. Paul’s invites you to deepen your understanding and the quiet joy of Advent in two ways this year:
Diocese of Ohio adopts resolution affirming the dignity of immigrantsAbout 350 Episcopalians crowded into Greystone Hall in Wooster Friday and Saturday for the Diocese of Ohio's 209th annual convention. For two days, the event hall was transformed into a space of worship and action.
In a world starving for meaning, we are the bread of life," Bishop Anne Jolly told the gathering, underscoring the "simple powerful truth that transforms everything: God Loves you. No exceptions." By a voice vote echoing strong support, lay and clery delegates adopted the "Resolution on Dignity, Not Hate, Not Mass Deportation, Not Silence." It affirmed "the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio as people of faith, honor our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons loving our neighbors as we love ourselves, to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. "Therefore we affirm (reaffirm) our support for Migration with Dignity, the immigrant justice policy adopted by the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church (Resolution C031); and be it further Resolved, that “dignity” is not just a word, but rather a framework of principles declaring that all migrants have: 1) a universal right of movement; 2) the right to be secure from arbitrary and abusive detention, forced labor and sexual violence; 3) the right of equality; 4) the right to a basic quality of life; 5) the right to access services; and 6) civil and political rights." One person spoke against the resolution, arguing it gives some criminals rights others don't have. The resolution is being adopted by Episcopal dioceses throughout the country. The Diocese of Ohio convention acknowledged the challenges facing the diocese and its churches throughout northern Ohio, including declaring two parishes extinct: St. Luke's in Niles and Holy Trinity in Lisbon. But it also underscored the search for and support of new ways to do God's work, from strengthening community kitchens to establishing neighborhood coffee shops and art galleries to exploring new ways to worship in and out of our physical buildings. Stark County's interfaith effort growsPeople from a dozen faith traditions in Stark County gathered for dinner, organizing and the first official meeting of the Interfaith Coalition of Stark County last Sunday, Nov. 9.
Zion's Temple Church of God hosted the dinner, which included Christians, Jews and Muslims praying and planning together to find ways to counter "the violence and violent rhetoric spreading through our country today." The keynote speaker,Dr. Nicole Johnson, professor of religious studies and director of the Peacebuilding & Social Justice Program at the University of Mount Union, addressed the intersection of social justice action and faith. The coaltion has been working for three years on the issues of gun violence in our community. Our walls talked and we found hidden spaces, shared histories, our neighborhood, and faithA building that's more than a hundred years old and a church that's more than 150 years old has lots of faith, history and hidden spaces within, and we spent two days exploring them together. Linda Heitger headed the two-day retreat Friday and Saturday, which included contemplation and compline, preparing and sharing meals, finding hidden rooms, and learning more about our neigborhood.
The retreat centered on the power of listening. We found a spiritual space above the sanctuary most of us never knew existed. And a labyrith the parish created decades ago helped center us Friday evening, as did the meal we prepared together and the discussion of what St. Paul's has been and can be. Thanks to Patricia Howard of the SouthWest Association of Neighbors for helping us explore Saturday morning the neighborhood that stretches from St. Paul's Fifth Street door south and west. We saw a community garden that feeds and centers the neighborhood, beautiful Victorians, the fruits of Habitat for Humanity's work and the frustration of living with an abandoned Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority highrise in the middle of a neighborhood. And thanks to Susan Phillips and to our guests for integrating us into the monthly H.O.T. lunch ministry, the oldest continuing ministry of St. Paul's. All of this did what we so hoped and prayed: Helping St. Paul's discern its future. The Rev. Audra Abt, Canon for Innovation and Congregational Development for the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, will be joining us Dec. 14.
The Rev. Abt, was vicar of Holy Spirit, Greensboro, and mission developer and pastor of Abundant Life Health and Healing in Greensboro before coming to the Diocese of Ohio in early 2024. As a multi-lingual priest in North Carolina, she served congregations with members from Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Black and White members hailing from around the U.S. In introducing her, the Diocese of Ohio said, “She is excited to share how looking for God in the world, and relating with neighbors by praying and listening, and THEN mutual service, has revealed God’s Spirit moving and inviting the church outward again and again to be a part of the yearned-for work of justice, healing, and peace. … In her position as Canon, she will help spark our imaginations and curiosity about how we'll do church differently and help us in the crucial work of launching the College for Congregational Development.” Since she came to the Diocese, Canon Audra has begun hosting monthly “innovation community calls” to get a sense of new ways churches throughout our diocese are approaching their vocations. In November, the call will focus on “stories from people around our diocese who are seeking out public conversations and building new relationships with neighbors unfamiliar with The Episcopal Church. What does it mean to let God move us, the church, in new directions into our communities? And what do we learn when we allow ourselves to be uncomfortable and take risks to follow where the Holy Spirit leads?” Welcome to our Sunday breakfast and luncheon guestsEach Sunday morning for nearly four decades, Crossroads United Methodist has been serving an “oatmeal breakfast” (actually eggs, bacon, waffles and toast) to folks who stop in from throughout the community. Work on the church’s kitchen threatened to derail the weekly gatherings, but St. Paul’s was able to help by offering our kitchen and Guild Hall until their construction is done, likely in December.
o last week our doors opened at 5 for volunteers to begin preparation, with serving of some 140 people from 6:30 until 9 a.m. And our day and neighborliness is extending even further. An informal picnic begun in the days before Centennial Plaza was built has been using Crossroads and faced the same construction vs. nutrition issue. So they will be serving lunch from St. Paul’s from 1-2 p.m. We are all invited to join them for lunch and/or to volunteer. Planning our future and recognizing God's call in ourselves
Fr. Alan Cowart suggests new models to try new ministries and even restructure the church.
Photo by David Rotthoff
A month back, Fr. Alan Cowart joined us on a Saturday morning in the Guild Hall to begin probing some important questions, including “What stirs you as a community?” where we see "breaks in the world," and where we feel God's presence in helping us heal those breaks.
Fr. Alan is now coming on board to help St. Paul’s with its discernment process, including finding what clergy and structure best helps us determine our vocation as a church. Fr. Alan is priest-in-charge of St. John's Episcopal Church in Cuyahoga Falls. St. John’s, like St. Paul’s, is a historic church downtown, sharing the city's traditional central square with other churches and City Hall. Together, they are forming the new nonprofit "Church Square" and embarking on sharing ministries, space and worship. At his first meeting with St. Paul’s, Fr. Alan touched on striking the balance between planning and doing -- and suggested we challenge and overcome inertia by trying small things so we can celebrate successes and learn from mistakes. He presented a circular model that takes an idea and experiments with it, making revisions along the ways -- sometimes to the point of transforming the entire idea. The discussion also included the difference between a church being welcoming to those who come through our doors to a church stepping outside its doors to find our neighbors and our mission. Lots of ways you can serve at St. Paul's
As the St. Paul Family continues to grow, we want to ensure that everyone has a chance to engage and assist with the work we have placed before us. To carry out this work, we need to draw upon the gifts, talents, and skill sets of everyone.
We are currently looking for people to serve in the following ways:
Remember, every member is a minister!! Ideas pour in and out as we discern our future togetherThanks to everyone who participated in our first parish-wide meeting last Sunday to discern the next steps and long-term future of St. Paul's. We enjoyed a meal together (of course!) and reviewed finances, history, missions and some 75 first-blush ideas for our future, touching on worship, community, service and communion with God, each other and our neighbors.
The thread that wove through nearly all the ideas can perhaps best be characterized as treasuring and nurturing relationships. The Rev. Jessie Dodson led the meeting and during the service that preceeded it, she and the parish blessed the Discernment Committee that will help us hone our mission and search for our new clergy partner. The members of the committee are: Kelli Green, Rick Enslen, David Swope, Linda Heitger, Molly Weisel, Carol Sutek, Demi Carrothers, Douglas Colmery and (ex-officio) M.L. Schultze. Please keep them and the entire St. Paul's family in your prayers. |
This week
(and beyond) with St. Paul's December 2025
With St. Paul’s WEEKLY Holy Eucharist, Sundays 10:30 a.m. Crossroads Oatmeal Breakfast, Sundays, 6:30-9 a.m. Community picnic lunch, Sundays, 1-2 p.m. Bible Study, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Choir rehearsal, Thursdays, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 Advent class: What the Gospels really say about the birth of Jesus, following service in the Guild Hall. Tuesday, Dec. 9 Special Advent Evensong, Zoom, 4 p.m. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87952459454?pwd=bN49jT7NwFayBmTNTevxOngEIddGAA.1 Wednesday, Dec. 10 Finance Committee meeting, 6 p.m. via Zoom Sunday, Dec. 14 Canon Audra Abt, celebrant for Third Sunday in Advent, followed by congregational meeting and meeting with Vestry and Discernment Committee. Tuesday, Dec. 16 Special Advent Evensong, Zoom, 4 p.m. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87952459454?pwd=bN49jT7NwFayBmTNTevxOngEIddGAA.1 Wednesday, Dec. 17 Vestry meeting, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 Youth Activities for children of NA/AA members, Guild Hall, 7-9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent, Holy Eucharist followed by the Greening of St. Paul’s and Christmas Party Tuesday, Dec. 23 Special Advent Evensong, Zoom, 4 p.m. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87952459454?pwd=bN49jT7NwFayBmTNTevxOngEIddGAA.1 Wednesday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve service, music begins at 7 p.m, service at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25 Christmas in the home; Evensong 4 p.m. via Zoom Saturday, Dec. 27 HOT lunch with our neighbors, 11-12:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 Interdenominational service downtown Canton churches, 10:30 a.m. at Christ Presbyterian, 530 Tuscarawas St. W. 
The Episcopal Church has a rich legacy of inclusion aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being. Further, we believe that the gifts of God are expressed by all people in our church, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We believe that God loves us all – no exceptions.
Note: St. Paul's email address is temporarily changed to:
[email protected] Discernment Prayer
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The joy of celebrating Easter and Baptism
Photos by David Rotthoff
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Presiding Bishop Rowe's Easter Message
"The long-awaited Messiah fashioned himself not as a political conqueror but as a peacemaker. Our Savior upended notions of worldly power by taking on the role of a servant and washing the feet of his followers. For Jesus, the vulnerable and the marginalized are in focus, and his ears are attuned to their voices."
Bishop Sean Rowe 
Dear Friends in Christ:
Luke’s Gospel tells us that on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Joanna went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. When they got there, the stone had been rolled away, and they heard the message that transformed their world—and ours: “He is not here. He is risen.” On that Easter morning, the women who had been the last protectors and pastors at the cross on Good Friday became the first to witness and proclaim the resurrection. Scripture tells us, however, that their good news was not met with joy. The news that Jesus had risen from the dead was received as an idle tale, as nonsense—in one dynamic translation, as nothing more than women’s trinkets. In the fraught and divided world in which these first evangelists lived, they were on the margins, and their word counted for nothing. How quickly the apostles forgot what Jesus had modeled days before on Palm Sunday and at the Last Supper. The long-awaited Messiah fashioned himself not as a political conqueror but as a peacemaker. Our Savior upended notions of worldly power by taking on the role of a servant and washing the feet of his followers. For Jesus, the vulnerable and the marginalized are in focus, and his ears are attuned to their voices. As we proclaim the resurrection in our own time and place, let us always remember that the kingdom of God is revealed to us most clearly by those who are dispossessed by the powers and principalities of this world. Let us celebrate the joy of Easter by seeking and serving the resurrected Christ in the lives and the witness of those who have been silenced, persecuted, and marginalized. May God bless you and all those you love this Easter. The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church |
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
425 Cleveland Avenue S.W. Canton, OH 44702-1625 Our secretary, Peggy, remains in the office Monday thru Thursday 8:00-Noon. There are no office hours on Fridays. The office email is [email protected]; and you may leave a message on the phone voicemail (330)455-0286 Welcome to St. Paul's,
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A rare and joyous day
Clergy, congregants, family and other well-wishers pack St. Paul's to celebrate the ordination of the Rev. Robin Woodberry
Clergy, congregants, family and other well-wishers pack St. Paul's to celebrate the ordination of the Rev. Robin Woodberry
Bishop Mark Hollingsworth Jr. presents newly ordained priest, the Rev. Robin Woodberry to a crowd of nearly 200 at St. Paul's Saturday morning (June 3). Rev. Woodberry is the fifth generation of pastors in her family and her mother, Gena Thornton, delivered the homily. Rev. Woodberry's husband, Anthony, helped her don her priestly vestments. Photo by David Rotthoff.
Clergy from different denominations and throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio gathered with Bishop Hollingsworth for the laying on of hands during the Rev. Woodberry's ordination. Photo by David Rotthoff
Nearly 200 people gathered at St. Paul's Saturday morning to celebrate the consecration of the Rev. Robin Woodberry to the priesthood.
Robin's service of ordination is the last planned by Bishop Mark Hollingworth Jr., who is retiring. Celebrating with him were clergy from differing denominations and from throughout Ohio, including Robin's mother, the Rev. Gena Thornton, who delivered the homily. Robin is the fifth generation of women clergy in her family.
They were joined by family, friends, congregants and friends of St. Paul's and of Robin's. The choirs of three churches -- St. Paul's, St. Timothy's Massillon and Christ Church Hudson -- joined together for the service with works including "The Work of Love," an original piece composed by Andrew Bolden for the day.
Robin has been deacon-in-charge at St. Paul's since last summer, following her ordination as a transitional deacon, a step toward the priesthood. A native of Youngstown, she was licensed a minister in the Baptist tradition in 1995 and ordained 10 years later at New Bethel Baptist Church. She holds a doctor of ministry degree from the Southern Bible Institute and Seminary in Augusta, Ga. She is the former nominating chairperson for the National Board of Church Women United and executive director of the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches.
She became a member of the Episcopal Church in 2017, and began her seminary studies at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif. She has completed her studies at Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago, has been elected to the Episcopal Community Services Committee and serves on the church’s Commission for Racial Understanding.
Here is message from the Rev. Robin Woodberry, St. Paul's new priest-in-charge
There will never be enough words to say how completely grateful and thankful I am to each one who has been a part of this journey. Whether you played a role at the beginning, in the middle, or in the last few weeks, I would not be here today if it were not for you. I thank you for your prayers, your words of encouragement, your spiritual direction, and your love. To my family who has given the most so that I could do what God was asking of me, thank you for your sacrifice of love! I give honor to my ancestors and the four generations of ministers on whose shoulders I stand.
To my husband Anthony, we had no idea what we were in for when we got married 37 years ago, but God did. I could not have served in ministry had you not been there with me. I praise God for you! To the Ordination Committee who pulled together such a memorable occasion in such a short time, thank you!
And, to this great St. Paul’s family, God heard your prayers, brought us together, and set us on a path to do great and mighty things, in Jesus’ Name!
I love you all, Robin.
Robin's service of ordination is the last planned by Bishop Mark Hollingworth Jr., who is retiring. Celebrating with him were clergy from differing denominations and from throughout Ohio, including Robin's mother, the Rev. Gena Thornton, who delivered the homily. Robin is the fifth generation of women clergy in her family.
They were joined by family, friends, congregants and friends of St. Paul's and of Robin's. The choirs of three churches -- St. Paul's, St. Timothy's Massillon and Christ Church Hudson -- joined together for the service with works including "The Work of Love," an original piece composed by Andrew Bolden for the day.
Robin has been deacon-in-charge at St. Paul's since last summer, following her ordination as a transitional deacon, a step toward the priesthood. A native of Youngstown, she was licensed a minister in the Baptist tradition in 1995 and ordained 10 years later at New Bethel Baptist Church. She holds a doctor of ministry degree from the Southern Bible Institute and Seminary in Augusta, Ga. She is the former nominating chairperson for the National Board of Church Women United and executive director of the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches.
She became a member of the Episcopal Church in 2017, and began her seminary studies at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif. She has completed her studies at Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago, has been elected to the Episcopal Community Services Committee and serves on the church’s Commission for Racial Understanding.
Here is message from the Rev. Robin Woodberry, St. Paul's new priest-in-charge
There will never be enough words to say how completely grateful and thankful I am to each one who has been a part of this journey. Whether you played a role at the beginning, in the middle, or in the last few weeks, I would not be here today if it were not for you. I thank you for your prayers, your words of encouragement, your spiritual direction, and your love. To my family who has given the most so that I could do what God was asking of me, thank you for your sacrifice of love! I give honor to my ancestors and the four generations of ministers on whose shoulders I stand.
To my husband Anthony, we had no idea what we were in for when we got married 37 years ago, but God did. I could not have served in ministry had you not been there with me. I praise God for you! To the Ordination Committee who pulled together such a memorable occasion in such a short time, thank you!
And, to this great St. Paul’s family, God heard your prayers, brought us together, and set us on a path to do great and mighty things, in Jesus’ Name!
I love you all, Robin.
Above: During the litany, then-Deacon Woodberry lies full length and face down on the floor as a gesture of humility and devotion. Right: Bishop Hollingsworth offers the prayers of consecration, which include: "May she exalt you, O Lord, in the midst of your people; offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to you; boldly proclaim the gospel of salvation; and rightly administer the
sacraments of the New Covenant. Make her a faithful pastor, a patient teacher, and a wise
counselor. Grant that in all things she may serve without reproach, so that your people
may be strengthened and your Name glorified in all the world. All this we ask through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for
ever and ever." Photo by David Rotthoff
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Among those participating in the ordination were the Rev. Gena Thornton, Robin's mother (left rear), and Maureen Woods Major and Jon Coventry (right rear), whose own journey to the priesthood began at St. Paul's. Photo by David Rotthoff
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To view the entire service, click on this Facebook link.
For more images of the day and information on ordination, go to the "more" tab or click here.
For more images of the day and information on ordination, go to the "more" tab or click here.
