By Sean Jecko
Have you ever felt like the Sunday morning drive to St. Peter’s is a bit overwhelming? I know my family and I often feel that way…but our drive is 635 miles one-way and takes nearly 10 hours to complete–assuming I-95 in South Carolina isn’t backed up…again!
Let me explain.
We are the Jecko family – Sean, Christine, Ann Elizabeth, and Jonathan. We live in Durham, North Carolina, and are regular attenders of St. Peter's (usually online, but we do visit-in-person throughout the year). But more than long-distance attendees, we are financial supporters of the cathedral – we give joyfully through a regular monthly tithe to St. Peter's.
You might be wondering what would make a family like ours “attend” and support a parish that is so far away…especially considering that we have at least four other Anglican churches within close proximity to our home.
Well, it’s complicated.
Part of it is that we’ve tried other local churches (Anglican and otherwise) and have found their worship to be lacking. They just don’t measure up to the worship at St. Peter’s.
Another part is that we have deep roots in the St. Peter’s family. I was on staff at St. John’s in the late ‘90s and I met and married my wife, Christine, in that historic church. More recently, though, both my father and father-in-law were buried in St. Peter's, and my mother-in-law, who was just elected to the vestry, is an active member of the church. These are all good things, but these reasons are tenuous at best.
When I asked my family why St. Peter’s feels like it is our home church, their answers were clear and consistent – there’s just something different about this church.
The leaders and the people of St. Peter’s are committed to scriptural authority. The leaders and people stand boldly and steadfastly in a cynical and changing world. The church is authentic and real when so much of our society is not. Even as the leadership has changed over the years, the church’s focus and commitment have not. St. Peter’s is a rock, and that’s precisely the kind of faith that my wife and I want modeled for us and for our children.
So, while we don’t get to participate in the daily life of the church as much as we’d like, we want to ensure the church has the financial means to continue its mission of serving and supporting the Tallahassee community and the world as Christ commanded. That is why we pledge our support and tithe to St. Peter's.
Sean, Christine, Ann Elizabeth, and Jonathan Jecko