Rector’s Ramblings – May 23, 2024

Last week I traveled to Atlanta to help celebrate and honor one of the most gracious and generous members of our parish. Rees Sumerford, who has served as our volunteer parish Chancellor (legal counsel) for nearly fifty years, received the Greater Good Award from the Georgia Planned Giving Council. The Greater Good Award has been given annually since 2005, and Rees is the first recipient that doesn’t live in and around Atlanta. It recognizes those who have “spent their career advising and advocating for charitable individuals and organizations to increase the quantity and quality of planned gifts to Nonprofit organizations in Georgia.”

Rees was presented by several speakers before receiving the award. I was one of them. We heard a bit about Rees’ life story, his work as a leader in trust law in the State of Georgia (he served on a small working group that met monthly for fifteen years to overhaul GA trust laws!),service to his church, and leadership in the wider community where he has chaired and served on numerous boards and foundations. Reflecting on what was shared, it quickly became evident that many of the wonderful things that have happened in our community in the non-profit and philanthropic world in recent decades have Rees’ fingerprints on them somewhere. It was also clear that he is very highly regarded across Georgia, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

As I reflected on Rees’ service to Christ Church in preparation for my small part in the festivities, I was deeply moved by the realization of his service to this parish. As I shared above, Rees has served as our Chancellor for nearly fifty years. That means that he has advised countless Rectors, Wardens, Vestries, and other leaders over that time. His counsel is always wise and well-considered. He is often a conciliatory voice of reason, and in some very tense circumstances of the years, he has managed to help keep the peace. There cannot be many in the long history of Christ Church who have been able to have such a steady and consistent positive influence on the life of this congregation. 

Rees has also been at the table, often the head of it, when it came to establishing and managing our endowment at Christ Church. Between our general fund and our cemetery fund, we have nearly $12 million under management. Rees has helped parishioners make planned gifts, helped us write our policies to protect the funds, and been an advisor to Endowment Committees for decades. His efforts have ensured the long-term health of the mission of this parish, to say the least. 

I was also able to share my personal appreciation for Rees. He is also a good mentor and guide in subtle and humble ways. I told the crowd in Atlanta that I still consider myself a younger Rector, but that eleven years ago when I arrived at Christ Church, I was truly young. Rees was kind enough to offer me advice when I needed it in those early years, advice that helped me navigate some of the pitfalls of parish ministry in this context. He continues to be someone that I reach out to when I need feedback on certain ideas or issues. In his role as Chancellor, Rees has advised this parish on a host of legal matters, from land acquisition and sale, to human resource matters, to our parish bylaws, cemetery matters, and in recent years, road building! 

I give thanks for all of the work Rees has done in our community, but I am so very grateful for Rees’ leadership and the shared ministry that he and Brooke have had at Christ Church for such a long time. As he said to the gathering at his award ceremony, Brooke is a big part of how he’s been able to do so much. I was so pleased to have been given an opportunity to convey publicly how thankful we are for them, and I wanted to make sure we all had a chance to share or thanks. So, the next time you see Rees and Brooke, please continue the celebration. Rees has truly been someone who has pursued the Greater Good throughout his life and career, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of such an honor. Congratulations and thank you, Rees!

Tom+

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the
needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for
your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the
account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards
of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with
you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.