Finances and Resources
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church is blessed to be a financially stable parish with a keen eye towards both future stability and sustainability. Oversight and planning are done by our extremely talented treasurer and the Vestry. We have many gifts at our disposal, including a strong investment portfolio and a generous giving community that allow us the flexibility and ability to achieve these goals.
Financial Overview
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The merger of the former St. Andrew’s and St. John’s churches gave Holy Spirit more strength
financially. Once the vote was made to move into the St. John’s property as Holy Spirit, it left the St.
Andrew’s property as an asset for the newly created church. The property was managed by the Diocese
for our benefit and was initially put up for sale. It was on the market for almost two years when we were
approached by the Town of Grafton asking to rent the property as a remote location for their library,
which was going under reconstruction. The rental greatly helped our finances during the two-and-a-half-
year lease. The property was again put up for sale at the end of the lease term and sold almost
immediately. After paying expenses and a donation to the Diocese and paying off the balance of the
parking lot loan, we had a very sizeable profit from the sale that went to our account managed by the
Trustees.
In addition to the St. Andrew’s property, there was a merger of previous account balances that are
managed by the Trustees as well as local bank accounts. Our available cash balance remains very strong.
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We had a deficit balance in our operating account in 2022 but only need to draw $5,000.00 from a
reserve savings account. The deficit was less than what we had budgeted for the year, however. We
anticipate a deficit in 2023 also as we navigate the search for a new priest. Due to the uncertainty of the
search process, we have had to review our budget periodically and adjust accordingly.
In addition, we have been renting the rectory for a little over four years now. However, that would
change if the new priest needed rectory housing.
Pledges and general offerings have remained strong, even through the pandemic. Our congregation has
been faithful in their giving. We do not tend to talk a lot about money at Holy Spirit, but we do
encourage giving periodically, as each person feels blessed to do so.
More detailed financials will be available during the interview process.
Buildings and Grounds
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Holy Spirit Episcopal Church fully owns both the church building and a rectory next door.
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church
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Our lovely church building was originally built in 1828, with a renovation in 1972. A second significant renovation occurred during the early 2000s including the organ, removal of choir pews and changes to the altar area, balcony stairs, a lift, and classroom changes. On the ground floor, we have an inviting and attractive worship space. During the merger process, the vestry voted to replace the traditional pews with chairs, to increase the flexibility to use this space for meetings, classes, events, etc., in addition to worship. The ground floor also includes a rector’s office and parish office.
On the lower level, we have a large community space with an open area, two offices, a full-service kitchen and a stage. There also are two bathrooms for use on that level. This space allows us room for parish events, but we also host local group meetings for outside organizations (e.g., Girl Scouts). Outside, we recently resurfaced our parking lot (which doubles as outdoor worship space!) and have been renovating the building with new paint, a new roof, repairs to the steeple and a freshly gilded cross.
Holy Spirit Rectory
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Our rectory was built in 1900 and is a 3 bedroom/1.5 bath home situated on a quiet, wooded plot with a sizable yard adjacent to the church. The home has a recently renovated kitchen and hardwood floors throughout and a large outdoor porch. The area is close to schools, shopping, and many major highways. More photos of the home can be seen on the Zillow page here.
