God Loves You,
No Exceptions​
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
425 Cleveland Ave. SW
Canton, OH 44702
Sunday services 10:30 a.m.

Goats, bake sales and changing the world

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​St. Paul’s chapter of The Daughters of the King is spearheading a Lenten/Eastertide service project to raise funds for Episcopal Relief and Development – specifically, the “Gifts for Life” program, which empowers people worldwide by providing sustainable sources of food and income. 
 
To kick off this endeavor, the DOK is offering delectable goodies next Sunday, Feb. 15 – the last Sunday before Lent – and is inviting the parish to “Share the Love” through a bake sale during coffee and conversation hour.  All proceeds (and future offerings throughout Lent that you’ll be hearing about for ongoing support of the project) will go toward purchasing a goat -- or, hopefully, “goats”:  each one costs $80 -- through ERD’s “Gifts for Life” program.  
 
The church’s mission statement reads, “St. Paul’s is an exceptionally welcoming Episcopal community in downtown Canton, grounded in faith, and called by God’s Love to minister to the world.” Please plan to stay following worship Feb. 15, and live out that call!   “Share the Love” -- and enjoy some pre-Lenten indulgence in the process!

Compline: A balm for these anxious times

The Diocese of Ohio will be hosting Compline on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. from now through March 29. All are welcome to this quiet, contemplative service of prayer and scripture, offering a peaceful close to the day. We hope you will join us this Sunday, February 8. When we pray together, our hearts and souls are more centered, and we draw closer to God; when life feels like too much, praying together is a balm. We hope you will come and rest in God’s presence as we pray for the world.

Bishop Anne Jolly: Hope over fear, dignity over harm and faith complexity

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Beloved Ones,
“We all experience sadness, we all come at times to despair, and we all lose hope that the suffering in our lives and in our world will ever end. I want to share with you my faith and my understanding that this suffering can be transformed and redeemed. There is no such thing as a totally hopeless case… God is transforming the world now—through us—because God loves us.” — Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time 

These words from Archbishop Tutu speak deeply to our life of faith in a moment when many are carrying fear, grief, and uncertainty. As Christians, we do not deny suffering,but we also refuse to surrender hope. We believe that God’s love is at work even now, calling us toward healing, truth, reconciliation, and peace. 

In recent weeks, the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota during federal immigration enforcement operations have brought renewed sorrow and deep concern to many communities. In response, a group of Episcopal bishops from across the church, including myself and the retired bishops of Ohio, have issued a statement rooted in prayer, conscience, and our shared theological commitments. This is not a statement from the House of Bishops, but a witness offered by individual bishops seeking to speak faithfully together into a painful moment. 
At its heart, this witness rests on enduring Christian convictions: 
  • ​Hope over fear. Scripture reminds us that fear is never God’s final word. We are called to trust that God’s reconciling and transforming love is stronger than forces that divide and terrify. 
  • Dignity over harm. Every person is created in the image of God and is worthy of care, protection, and respect,a truth that guides how we see one another and how we examine the world around us. 
  • Faithful complexity. We acknowledge that many who serve in law enforcement and public safety do so with sincere intentions and a desire for peace, even as we grieve the loss of life and hold space for lament and moral reflection. 
The decision to speak publicly grew out of pastoral conversation with the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, Bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota, as we listened to accounts of pervasive fear affecting communities in the state of Minnesota. These stories remind us that the Church is called not to withdraw, but to remain present, prayerful, attentive, and grounded in the Gospel. 

One of the great gifts of The Episcopal Church is our commitment to staying in relationship across differences. We seek ongoing conversation shaped by prayer, scripture, and mutual respect. 

I invite you to join in opportunities for shared prayer and discernment in the weeks ahead. Both of these opportunities are open to everyone: 
Weekly Compline through March 29 — Sundays at 7:30 p.m. 
Post-leadership call conversation — February 4 at 12:30 p.m.  

You may read the full statement here, including this passage that speaks powerfully to this moment: “The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s. Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold. In the face of fear, we choose hope.”
 
May God grant us courage to face hard truths, grace to listen well, and hope to trust that suffering can indeed be transformed, because God loves us, and because God is not finished with this world.   
God’s Peace, 
 +Anne 
 The Rt. Rev. Anne B Jolly 
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio 

A Message from Bishop Anne Jolly:
​Sanctuary is a statement
of faith, not politics

In a world marked by grief, division, and violence, Christians are called to be sanctuary—places and people shaped by God’s love. Across the Diocese of Ohio, our faith communities are being given the option to name this commitment by placing sanctuary signs on their doors, signaling spaces of prayer, welcome, and transformation. This is a statement of faith, not politics. We are sanctuary not because we are fearless, but because God is faithful.
 If you are like me, you may find yourself longing for a hiding place—from the news, from bitter disagreements, from the violence that seems to surround us. Sometimes we can turn off our screens and find a measure of peace. Sometimes that refuge looks like a quiet walk, a warm blanket and a good book, or sitting in a church—resting in silence, prayer, music, and beauty shaped by generations of faith.Christians believe that the deepest peace comes not from escape, but from the abundant love of God. This peace—the peace that passes all understanding—anchors our souls when nothing else can. When we place ourselves intentionally in God’s presence, we are changed. We are steadied. We are rooted again in love.
Scripture calls this gift sanctuary.
Throughout the Bible, sanctuary is a sacred space where God is near. At times it is physical: the Ark, the Temple. Across Christian history, churches have also understood sanctuary as refuge—a place of mercy, prayer, and protection. Sanctuary has always been both comfort and challenge: a place where God meets us, and a place where God shapes how we live.
In the Christian scriptures, Jesus himself is sanctuary. And the apostle Paul reminds us that we are, too—that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. We carry Christ’s love into the world. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”
Living as sanctuary does not look the same for everyone. For some, it is prayer. For some, it is teaching and learning. For some, it is choosing love when anger would be easier. For some it means quietly accompanying and serving those who are oppressed by delivering food, driving children to and from school, and making grocery runs. And for some, it means publicly standing alongside those who are vulnerable and at risk. Scripture gives us no single way to live this calling—only the command to love God and love our neighbor fully.
In the Diocese of Ohio, we commit to living into this call together. Our faith communities are places of sanctuary—spaces of prayer, welcome, and transformation. In the coming days, churches across the diocese will have an opportunity to place signs on their doors naming this commitment.
These signs are not promises of perfection. They are signs of intention—that here, God’s love is honored, human dignity matters, and violence does not have the final word. We are sanctuary—not because we are fearless, but because God is faithful.

The Samaritan's love must be lived in this day in every way by us all

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Eric G. Howard shared an acapella rendition of "Amazing Grace" before preaching on God's grace as lived by the Samaritan. 
Monday (Jan. 19), St. Paul's and Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church celebrated their sixth annual service together honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Guest preacher Mt. Olive Pastor Eric G. Howard centered his message on the Biblical story of the Samaritan who helped a man who had been left dead on the side of the road by robbers. Others, including a priest, had crossed the road before him rather than help.
The story often is title "The Good Samaritan," Pasator Howard noted, as though the Samaritan was exceptional. Accepting that, he said, allows us to think we're somehow exempt from living a life that reaches out to others, especiallly in this time and this place. 
"The difference between the Samaritan and the church folks who saw him is that (the Samaritan) had compassion for him. He took pity on him and he treated the victim the way he would want to be treated." 
And that, Pastor Howard said, is how God's love is manifested. It's the rule, he said, not the exception as we are callled by God.
"Our Lord acted. Our Lord moved. And so it makes sense that he would tell us to go and do likewise. ... If we are to be the incarnation of the one who lives within, then let us go and do likewise."
The service also included a reflection on Dr. King's "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" by the Rev. Hector McDaniel, president of the Stark County NAACP.
"From a jail cell in Birmingham in 1963, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote that 'whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly'and that we all must repent not merely for the hateful words and actions of some, but for our own silence.
"Lord God, this morning we gather to dedicate ourselves to walking with those who find themselves in the abyss of despair. We will support each other, and our brothers and sisters and neighbors, who have found that the trials of this world and the sorrows created by the choices of others can no longer be endured, alone."
The service ended with a commissioning of people heading out to volunteer -- another way to the meaning of Dr. King's life.
The service, which was officiated by St. Paul's clergy, the Revs. Joe and Kay Ashby, and included readings by Rabbi David Komerofsky of Temple Israel, Edina Carpenter and LaDonna Massey of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, and the Rev. Lynn Bozich Shetzer, retired Presbyterian Church USA.
Thanks to the Ashbys, Molly Weisel, Douglas Colmery, Pastor Howard, Music Director Edward Grimes and Carol Sutek for organzing the service and the luncheon that followed. And thanks to everyone who braved the weather and and brought home the words of hope, strength and commitment.
Photos by David Rotthoff

The message for 2026: Change is continuity at St. Paul's

Photos courtesy of David Rotthoff
For the 156th time, St. Paul's gathered for its annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 18.
We elected five new Vestry members, approved a balanced budget and shared much more about the changes that carried us through 2025 and promise to continue in 2026.
Here are the opening remarks from the senior warden, M.L Schultze. And you can click on this link for the complete annual report.
 
My formal report, like other very important ones, is in your annual report booklet, and I encourage you to please read them all. They capsulize the amazing efforts of St. Paul’s over the past year, and I’ll make reference to some of that this morning.
But the report, by definition, focuses on 2025 and I’d like to move our discussion ahead to 2026. Because change will be as much a part of this year as it was of last.
Not the draw-dropping kind as at our last annual meeting, when we learned Mother Robin was responding to a call from another parish, Christ Church in Warren. (St. Paul’s, by the way, remains deep in her heart. When any of us has seen her at Diocesan functions, she sends her love.)
We also learned that our former Senior Warden Extraordinaire Demi Carrothers had embarked on the path to the deaconate, and while we’ll do everything to support him, we already miss him on Vestry (especially keeping us on task). And we know his journey and training will take him to other parishes. Thank you and God-Speed, Demi.
Still, there are some wonderful points of continuity taking us into 2026, chief among them Father Joe and Mother Kay Ashby, who have so quickly become part of the St. Paul’s family, striking that wonderful balance of nurturing us as we are and encouraging us to move forward in our search for definition and clergy. They have embraced pastoral care and led our Christian education, and rolled up their sleeves at HOT, Courageous Conversations and anything involving food. Thank you, Joe and Kay.
Another wonderful point is the laity of this church, all of you who take up roles – and occasionally mops and brooms – simply because you know things need to get done.
​We have five nominees for Vestry this year. Courageous Conversations is working on new projects with new partners in new space in St. Paul’s. Our community room is being transformed. Daughters of the King is hosting local and regional gatherings. H.O.T. lunches celebrate birthdays with cake and icecream. And we continue to be the church on speed dial when other churches and groups – from the League of Women Voters to Crossroads United Methodist -- need space and support for programs.
All of this is more evolution than revolution. But we do face some more immediate changes in 2026. Chief among those is Peggy Neidig’s retirement as our office manager and the keeper of all things. Peggy gave us plenty of warning that her retirement was coming, but no amount of warning could fully prepare us to pick up with no hitches all that Peggy has done over the past nine years. Peggy has asked that we not have a special retirement event because she in no way wants to imply that she is leaving St. Paul’s. And that is clear. She is one of those five Vestry nominees, she’s the newest member of Daughters of the King, she’s joined choir and Altar Guild. And, yes, come audit time, she’s promised to be available. Again, Peggy, we thank you!
Fortunately, we are blessed once again with talent and willingness in a St. Paul’s member: Tammy Patterson is joining our staff as part-time office manager. Tammy has been running her own landscaping business and has been working with Peggy throughout the last few months to adapt her business background to the sometimes weird twists and turns of Episcopal church finance and St. Paul’s practices. With Peggy and David Lewis as mentors, she is picking up fast.
But we are making up some ground lost when health forced Peggy to take more time off in the fall than she anticipated or wanted. So our monthly financial reports, which are used to build the year end financial reports, have some big holes that we’re still filling. We will be sending out a completed year-end statement to you all by the end of the month.
In short, though, we ended 2025 with money in the bank. Bittersweet as it is, Mother Robin’s leaving saved us money in the salary and benefits required of full-time priests. Our investments, while easing toward a more-conservative bend because of uncertainty in the markets, have done very well, allowing us to make some bottom-line gains even as we made the expected withdrawals from our endowment.
But we worship in a more than 100-year-old building, and boilers get cranky and roofs leak. The drastically needed work on the south wall was completed this week, and that bill needs to be paid. The work also revealed some other places in the sanctuary that need some TLC. We need to address some neglected areas of our building, such as the downstairs restrooms, and upgrade others such as lighting in the sanctuary to meet needs and become more efficient. Our back diocesan assessments need to be paid, the kitchen needs further repairs, and utility bills, as we all know, are climbing.
We also saw a small drop in pledges this year for the first time in years.
For those reasons, vestry approved a conservative budget this year that still requires a draw-down from the investments of $77,500. If the market does what it’s been doing, we will benefit. But we are not counting on it.
I’ve saved the most important update for all of us for last. Discernment.
A committee originally intended to think about new missions and projects for St. Paul’s morphed very quickly with Mother Robin’s announcement. And yet in many ways, it is doing what it was designed to do – to map a future for St. Paul’s that – while respecting our past – hears how and what and why the Holy Spirit is calling us to do now and for years to come.
They’ve formed a subcommittee to fully absorb ways the building of St. Paul’s can be adapted to be used by others. And they’re working in multiple directions to see how the spirit of St. Paul’s can best be nurtured and expanded amongst ourselves and throughout our community. A very important part of that, of course, is calling a clergy partner. But a call to clergy is only one piece. If St. Paul’s is to not just survive, but thrive, in the future, it needs to envision and live out something that draws an increasingly isolated and isolating world closer together and closer to God.
So, any time you see Kelli Green and Linda Heitger, Demi and David Swope, Rick Enslen and Molly Weisel and Doug Colmery, please let them know your thoughts, but also give them your thanks. They’re shouldering a lot and we need to support them in every way we can.
Thank you all for all you are, all you do and for all the ways you show love of St. Paul’s.

Our MLK celebration began at Temple Israel's 39th annual Shabbat service

Members of St. Paul's were among the roughly 70 people who participated in the 39th annual Shabbat MLK service and reception at Temple Israel on Friday night, and heard Courtney Johnson-Benson, founder of The Cognition Collective, speak to the need to honor humanity.
The Shabbat, she said, is a weekly reminder 'that we are not all the same," but that everyone in every community must refuse "to treat anone's dignity as optional."
Photos courtesy of David Rotthoff

Canton's churches
​celebrate together

Hundreds of people from nearly a dozen Stark County churches gathered at Christ Presbyterian Church Sunday to celebrate a joint ecumenical First Sunday of Christmas on Dec. 28. And many stayed for a great cookie share following the service.

The Diocese of Ohio remembers its 10th Bishop, an advocate for inclusion

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Updated funeral arrangements: The service will be Saturday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. at Emmanuel Church in Boston, Mass.
ishop Grew to God’s eternal care.Bishop Clark Grew went to be with the Lord on December 22, 2025. He was surrounded by his beloved wife, Wendy, and all of his family, including his newborn great grandchild.
Bishop Grew was born in New York City. He graduated from Harvard College and then served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy for five years, commanding the USS Constitution for nearly two years.
Following active duty, he taught in two independent schools outside of Boston and was assistant headmaster and dean of St. Mark’s School (where he went to school as a boy) before entering Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge MA, from which he has received both a M.Div. and a Doctor of Divinity degree. Bishop Grew was ordained to the priesthood on December 20, 1978 (his birthday!). 
Bishop Grew served as Rector of two parish churches, St. John’s in Westwood, MA, and Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, IL. He was elected as the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio on October 9, 1993. He was consecrated on March 5, 1994, by Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning.
uring his episcopate, Bishop Grew promoted ecumenism, spoke out for greater inclusion of women and those who are LGBTQ+ in leadership in the church. He retired from the active ministry in 2004, after over ten years of diocesan, national, and international Church involvement as Bishop. He also served on many non-profit and educational boards throughout his career.
​He and his wife Wendy were married on December 27, 1972. They have three married children and have many grandchildren. 
We in the Diocese of Ohio are grateful for his faithful ministry with and for us during his episcopacy. He will always be remembered and honored here. 
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.  

Christmas at St. Paul's

For video of the special music and service, click on this link.

Mapping the path of St. Paul's discernment

Despite the busy-ness of the holiday season, the Discernment process at St. Paul’s has been far from forgotten. In the last two weeks, we’ve had two meetings of significance as we look toward 2026. The first was on Dec. 6 with the Rev. Alan Cowart of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Cuyahoga Falls; Fr. Alan is our consultant for the Discernment process. The second was on Dec. 14 with the Rev. Audra Abt, canon for innovation for the Diocese of Ohio. From those meetings came the following launch-points for 2026.
  • How to better support the Ashbys, who have agreed to remain our interim clergy and a part of the St. Paul’s family throughout 2026.
  • Determining which vicarious relationships St. Paul’s should strengthen first with our wider community and within ourselves.
  • Exploring how to deepen our spiritual lives through Episcopalian tradition.
The next meeting of the Discernment committee with Fr. Alan is Jan. 11. We welcome any questions, suggestions and other input you have before then. And please, keep the St. Paul’s Discernment Prayer in your hearts and minds always.
 
O Lord our God,
May we, the parish of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, embrace your commandment of loving our neighbors as you have loved us while we discern who we are and how best to serve you.
We ask that you quiet our souls, so we may listen to you.
We ask that you grant us wisdom as we seek new leadership.
And lastly, we ask for the courage to follow wherever you lead us.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.​

Demi begins traveling his path
toward the diaconate

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We congratulate our junior warden, Demetrious Carrothers, as he formally steps onto the path of becoming a deacon in the Episcopal Church. Just what that means for him and for St. Paul’s is best shared by Demi himself in this letter:

Diocese of Ohio adopts resolution affirming the dignity of immigrants

About 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 grows

People 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 faith

A 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.

Planning our future and recognizing God's call in ourselves

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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.

Ideas pour in and out as we discern our future together

Thanks 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
WEEKLY
AA and NA meetings are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in the community room and library.

Sunday, Feb. 8
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Holy Eucharist at 10:30 followed by coffee hour

Wednesday, Feb. 11
Bible Study, Stories of the Old Testament,
10 a.m. in the library.
and
Christ Presbyterian Church, 530 W. Tuscarawas St., Taizé contemplative
​ prayer service, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 12
Choir rehearsal, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 14
DOK cleaning day, 10-noon

Sunday, Feb. 15
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Liturgy of the Word with Preacher Demetrius Carrothers, 10:30 a.m., followed by bake sale and launch of our Lenten/Eastertide service project to raise funds for Episcopal Relief and Development
and
Discernment Committee meets after bake sale

Tuesday, Feb. 17
Shove Tuesday pancake supper with Courageous Conversations on Race Relations discussion of redlining and its impact on Canton today, dinner begins at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 18
Ash Wednesday, services at noon and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 22
First Sunday of Lent, Rite 1 Holy Eucharist, 10:30 a.m. followed by confirmation classes

Tuesday, Feb. 24
Social Justice Book Group, "This Thing of Ours," 6:30 p.m. in the Guild Hall

Saturday, Feb. 28
HOT lunch with our neighbors, 11-12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome!
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 has returned to:
[email protected]

Discernment Prayer
for St. Paul's

O Lord our God,
May we, the parish of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church embrace your commandment of loving our neighbors as you have loved us while we discern who we are and how best to serve you. 
We ask that you quiet our souls, so we may listen to you. 
We ask that you grant us wisdom as we seek new leadership.
And lastly, we ask for the courage to follow wherever you lead us.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Our Mission
​​​St. Paul’s is an exceptionally welcoming Episcopal community in downtown Canton, grounded in faith, called by God’s Love to minister to the world.

Find out more about the Episcopal Church

​We at St. Paul's welcome you. If this is your first contact with St. Paul's or any Episcopal church, we invite you to explore the Seekers Center, which offers a detailed look at our traditions, practices and the application of our beliefs in today’s world. Please join our church family to see us firsthand in all-encompassing, loving action.​​​​​​
Activities at St. Paul's are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube
​​​Giving made easier
​The Diocese of Ohio has partnered with Giving Tools to help with online stewardship for St. Paul's and other parishes. Please click on the church icon at left to visit our Online Giving page.​​

Bishop Anne's pastoral letter ​on the church and politics

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Dear Ones, 
This week’s news of the IRS’s break in decades of tradition on churches and political endorsements has stirred a great deal of conversation, and understandably so. In a time already filled with political anxiety and social fragmentation, this development adds another layer of uncertainty. As your bishop, I want to offer not just a response, but a reminder — of who we are, what we are called to, and how we will move forward together. 
I want to be clear: we are defined by what Christ has called us to be, not by what others may now permit us to do or think we should do. 
The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Ohio is a people centered in relationship — with God, with one another, and with the communities in which we are called to serve. At our core, we are a spiritual body shaped by the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the One who fed the hungry, healed the broken, welcomed the stranger and outcast, and challenged unjust systems — not to advance a political platform, but to reveal the Kingdom of God. 
Our Baptismal Covenant asks us, “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” and “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” 
We answer together: “We will, with God’s help,” and then, by God’s grace, I hope we do. 
We will proclaim the Gospel. Boldly. Lovingly. Clearly. 
And we will do so from our pulpits and with our lives — as people committed to the truth and grace of Christ, not as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents. 
Let me again be clear: The pulpit is for preaching the Gospel — not endorsing political candidates.  
While the IRS may now allow political endorsements from religious leaders, that is not the path we will walk. We believe the Gospel is inherently about the people — it speaks into our real lives, systems, choices, and relationships. It will necessarily challenge the status quo and structures that seek to marginalize or harm people. It will often be political in the truest sense — of and for the people — but it must never be reduced to a party line, platform, or partisan agenda.
Our preaching, our teaching, our ministries and daily lives will continue to call us to feed the hungry, to welcome the stranger, to lift up the vulnerable and speak the truth in love. These are not partisan acts. They are Gospel imperatives. 
 Our diocese and nation are home to parishioners and visitors from diverse backgrounds with different political viewpoints. Even in moments of division and fear, we are one Body. We are united not by agreement on every issue, but by our common baptism and our commitment to walk this way of Jesus together. That unity matters more than ever right now. We are a church that boldly proclaims and lives the truth: God loves you, no exceptions. 
Our churches will remain places of refuge, connection, and grace. We will continue to be a central voice in our communities — not for polarization, but for the transformation that comes through the abundant love of Jesus, compassion, and relationship. 
Preaching and living the gospel is never easy – Jesus was clear about that. Thanks be to God, we are given to each other to walk this journey together. I’m tremendously grateful that we are serving at this time together. 
With gratitude for your faithfulness and courage, 
+Anne  
 The Rt. Rev. Anne B Jolly 
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio 

Welcome to our Sunday breakfast and luncheon guests

Each 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.
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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.
Lots of ways you can serve at St. Paul's
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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.
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We are currently looking for people to serve in the following ways:
  • Greeters on Sunday Mornings
  • Grant Committee to assist with securing funds
  • Christian Formation Committee to assist with the growth and spirituality programming of the congregation
  • Lectors to present the lessons on Sunday
  • Choir members
  • Acolytes: Crucifer, Torchbearers, Eucharistic Ministers
  • Lay Eucharistic Visitors to help visit the sick and homebound and provide communion
  • Audio/Video
There are so many more ways to be involved at St. Paul's. Please consider how you might serve. For more information or to sign up for a particular area, please email the Church Office with your contact information at [email protected], or call 330-506-6647.
Remember, every member is a minister!! 
The joy of celebrating Easter ​and Baptism 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Photos by David Rotthoff
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
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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,
the Revs. Joe and Kay Ashby

Kay and Joe Ashby joined St. Paul's Sunday for their first service  as our long-term supply priests. Joe's sermon encouraged us to hope and aim high as we take our next steps.
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
PictureBishop 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.
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PictureClergy 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
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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.
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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
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.
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