I am delighted to let you know that the Reverend Lara Halsey will be joining Grace Memorial as our Curate. Along with her husband, Schuyler, Lara will move into Halsey House on September 11th. (I have told Lara that she can tell everyone that the house is named after her.) Her first Sunday will be September 24th.
Lara’s appointment was made possible by the Diocese of Oregon: Bishop Diana and her team recruited Lara, referred her to Grace, and provided generous financial assistance to us. Her Curacy will be supported in significant part by the Episcopal Bishop of Oregon Foundation as well as by a large anonymous gift to the Diocese. I am grateful.
I will pause here to note that, in a season in the wider church’s life in which retirements are outstripping ordinations and in which some parishes are even suspending search processes for want of applicants, Grace has been blessed with three wonderful Curates over the past decade or so: Jeanne, Dan, and now Lara. That is something for which we may be thankful. And – if we are allowed to indulge in a little pride – it is something of which we can be proud. Grace is the sort of parish that wonderful new ordinands want to be a part of.
I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with Lara – and to be neighbors with her and Schuyler. I am so looking forward to doing good and faithful work with her and with you. – Martin Elfert
And now, a message from the Reverend Lara Halsey:
My husband and I are so very excited to enter into community at Grace memorial. Even though we have only just met your lovely staff and congregation we can already tell that we are very lucky to be here. I was ordained to the priesthood this August in Washington, DC though we have been on Bainbridge Island for the last year. I am originally from Texas but have lived the last 10 years in the DC area. My family lives in Olympia now and we are enjoying making the PNW our home. I look forward to learning more about you and learning more about God through your community!