Parsonage Vote Reminder

Hello Salt House,

We are so grateful for the ways our community has shown up to discern the future of our parsonage. This has been a big decision for us as a congregation to make. The care and creative brainstorming has been such a joy to work through.

This Sunday, March 10th, we will hold a congregational meeting after worship to vote on the future of our parsonage. The meeting will be held in person and on teams immediately following worship. Find the link to this meeting on our website.

If you have not been a part of the conversation, here’s a quick recap.

• Salt House has a parsonage (a small house) on our property. This came with the building and the land when Trinity gifted their parish to Holy Spirit. At the time, it was rented to a tenet. She continues to live there and pays Salt House rent for that housing. This money is factored into our annual budget.
  
  
• Over the years, the housing has fallen into disrepair. There are a few major improvements needed, including a new septic system, a new roof, and some rewiring of the electrical. Making these repairs would significantly tax Salt House’s savings. At the same time, providing subpar housing does not seem to fit with our core values as a community.
  
  
• We have a wonderful relationship with the county. They are very willing to work with us to reimagine possibilities for both the parcel of the land that the parsonage sits on, as well as potential expansion of our own building. Through this partnership, we would have some influence on who our neighbors are—and ways the property could support our ministry with homelessness, queer folx, and racial reparations.
  
  
• We are working as a council and community to develop a financial 5 year plan for the growth of our community. Various endowment and investment opportunities are available to churches. These would provide us interest that can be included in future budgets.

On Sunday, the vote will be “Do we as a community begin the process of selling our parsonage?”

• A “Yes” vote means… yes, we begin this process! We form a parsonage committee to work with the county, realtors, and our council to dream and envision possible futures for this. We explore optimal timing for the sale and investment opportunities for the proceeds. We coordinate with the city on meaningful ways to develop this parcel of land in ways that are consistent with our ministry.
• A “No” vote means… no, we keep the parsonage! We consider ways to either improve the livability of the parsonage as a rental, or we explore ways to repurpose it under the ownership of our church. 

Both “yes” and “no” options will lead to further conversations as we continue this work together.

You will need an internet connected device in order to vote. Online, the ballot will be posted in the chat on Teams. In person, the ballot will be available via a QR code on the screen. If you’re attending at Salt House in-person and you don’t have a device, we will have an extra device set up for voting near the sound booth. Voting will last for a few minutes, and then the voting will close.

As a reminder, you must be a member to vote on this matter. If you are interested in becoming a member, please visit this link, and submit a membership application by midnight on Friday 3/8. We are on the honor system. If you are not a voting member, please do not vote.

I give thanks for the wisdom and discernment of this community. If you have any questions leading up to the meeting, please feel free to contact President Sarah Urie via Email.

Peace,

Sarah Urie
Council President