Married Legally and in the Eyes of God and Our Fellow Church Members
Meet St. Stephen’s
Throughout our process of discussing who we are at St. Stephen’s, where we hope to go as a congregation, and what qualities we seek in a new rector, many parishioners repeatedly described our congregation as a “family,” with each person playing a unique and valuable role in our church family’s life together. So, in addition to describing the communal aspects of our congregation, we have decided to include several brief personal profiles of various members of St. Stephen’s to illustrate the many ways people of our congregation are living out their faith both within our church and in the world around us.
Although her mother was Episcopalian and loved the Episcopal church, Maggie grew up primarily as a Methodist. “There was no Episcopal church anywhere near where I grew up in Arkansas,” she explains. “I started attending Episcopal services on occasion in about 2003 whenever my mom came to visit in Longmont. I had known Father Max from my small business. I’ve always enjoyed going to church, but the church I attended at that time left me feeling empty, so I decided to go to St. Stephen’s.”
It took Maggie awhile to learn how to handle all the different books in the pews at St. Stephen’s. “Still, I was drawn to everything about the Episcopal service — the liturgy, the robes, taking communion,” she notes. “It was exactly what I wanted, and I finally figured out the books. After a couple of years, I decided I wanted to become a Eucharistic Visitor, but then I learned I had to go through confirmation to do that. I was probably the oldest person in my confirmation class. I had to learn ‘Episco-speak,’ with words like chasuble (which I called the ‘Holy Poncho’). I also discovered an Episcopal ‘girdle’ was not what I had known as a girdle!”
After confirmation, Maggie went through instruction classes to become a Eucharistic Visitor, and she has served in that capacity for about 10 years. “Eucharistic Visitors often work with people toward the end of their lives, and one can often become very attached to the people we serve. When they die, I think to myself, ‘They have all the answers now. They can see the pure truth.’ Because I work at the altar as a chalicer, I also sometimes serve at their memorial services.”
One of Maggie’s greatest joys as a member of St. Stephen’s was her wedding at St. Stephen’s to her long-time partner in January 2017. Maggie’s wife, who was raised Episcopalian, currently serves on St. Stephen’s vestry. “We are so proud of this, to be acknowledged as a couple!” she rejoices. “We are married legally and in the eyes of God and our fellow church members in our home church.”
Together, they worked on the “Backpack Project” that provided backpacks containing basic supplies for women who were leaving prison — everything from nail-clippers to ponchos. During the summers, they have helped organize St. Stephen’s participation in the annual local Longmont Pride event. They also help coordinate St. Stephen’s outreach with Longmont’s Agape Family Services, hosting people experiencing homelessness on Friday nights during the winter.
Outside St. Stephen’s, Maggie has discovered another ministry — work that builds on her long experience as an insurance agent. “I moved from selling private insurance to a public-service agency that provides free counseling to seniors about Medicare services, including supplements and prescription plans,” she says. “I love what I do now. I don’t have to look at someone’s checkbook to know whether I can spend time helping people. This job was truly a gift from above!”
Her clients would surely agree.
