Who We Are
In Christ, we are a welcoming and inclusive community that knows and shares the love of God and serves those in need.
St. Mary’s is…
a progressive Anglican Church, in the heart of Kerrisdale (Westside of Vancouver). For over 112 years St. Mary’s has been a steady presence in the community, as a result, several generations of families have called St. Mary’s home. We are a community of communities, people come from all over Greater Vancouver from a variety of postal codes to be a part of St Mary’s. We are connected through our common worship, our call to seek and serve others, our commitment to reconciliation and radical hospitality, and our deep desire to form what Martin Luther King Jr. called the beloved community, "a community in which everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger, and hate.”
Through transformative worship; regular opportunities to study, learn, and serve (for all ages), and sharing in intergenerational fellowship we grow in faith and encourage one another in our commitment to be Christ in the world!
We look forward to welcoming you wherever you find yourself on your spiritual journey.
We believe…
As Anglicans, we belong to the Anglican Communion which forms one of the largest Christian communities in the world with tens of millions of members in over 165 countries. Anglicans don’t define our beliefs in a single ‘confession’ or statement. In fact, if you asked three Anglicans the question ‘what do Anglicans believe’ you might just get five answers! What we do agree on is that we are a people seeking to know, love, and follow Jesus as we serve God’s mission. And we are grounded in our common ways of worship.
Anglicans, also agree that our beliefs and practices come from an integration of Scripture (the Holy Bible), Reason (the intellect and the experience of God) and Tradition (the practices and beliefs of the historical church). Anglicans use the image of a ‘three-legged stool’ as an image of the ‘balance’ we aim for in the Anglican approach to faith. Using Scripture, Reason, and Tradition we seek to understand the work of the Spirit here and now in the life of our community, allowing us to respond to the world’s needs.
Meet the Team
Clergy & Staff
Wardens
Message from the Wardens…
Parish Council
Deborah Spafford
Dave Howard
Robert Macdonell
Anna Gebauer-Morden
Ron Kessler
Pam Whittall
Lea Starr
Diana McHardy Schmidt
Jan Rups Levett
David Wood
Roma Palmer
(and Clergy)
Stewardship - A Way of Life
All of life is a gift from God. Stewardship is about being grateful, responsible stewards of those gifts we receive from God. Stewardship rejects the scarcity mindset that society lures us towards and encourages us to embrace a theology of abundance that is life-giving. Financial giving out of the abundance that God has given us allows us to grow deeper in our relationship with God and one another. The tradition of giving back to God and to the church comes from the Biblical practice of “tithing,” which means to give back a tenth of our financial earnings to God (Numbers 18:26). Many people who have taken on financial stewardship as a spiritual practice, have found it a rewarding and life-giving practice.
God has endowed each of us with talent and skills. Sharing these God-given gifts for mission and ministry allows us to be co-creators with God as we thrive to build up the Kingdom here and now.
St. Mary's relies on charitable donations to fund its mission and ministry in Kerrisdale and beyond. Some might be surprised to know that our budget is not funded by the Diocese or the larger Anglican Church. Each fall we invite members to submit a financial pledge or a promise of financial giving so that we can plan how best to allocate our resources for next year. Pledges allow us to:
offer opportunities for fellowship and community,
educate future generations of Christians,
launch mission and outreach endeavours,
provide pastoral care,
share with others the good news of God’s love, and
continue as a place of worship for all.
There are many opportunities to volunteer your talents at St. Mary’s. Your generous gifts of time enable us to:
provide worship online and in-person
provide fellowship to youth, families and seniors
learn and grow our faith
reach out to address the needs of those less fortunate
support those who are sick, lonely or less abled
be a community of faith
Your generous donations of talent, time, and treasure can help us continue these important works.
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