St. James' Episcopal Church

Beginning January 1, 2009 the schedule for lay ministers, readers, greeters, and others, will be filled on a voluntary basis. A sign-up sheet will be located in the narthex before the Sunday service for you to indicate your preference of duties, dates, and times.

Contact the parish office at 574-533-4984 if you have questions or need to schedule a time to serve.

This Christmastide the parish family of St. James’ Episcopal Church feels that God has answered their prayers, in the form of a devoted priest and caring pastor.


Fr. Larry Biller, St. James Episcopal Church, Goshen, IN. Dave Zollinger photo.

Father Larry Biller began his ministry at St. James’ on December 7, 2008 as Priest-in-Charge. Fr. Biller, who is also Priest-in-Charge at All Saints’ Episcopal Church at Lake Wawasee says, “It was God’s plan from the beginning”.

Fr. Biller was ordained priest in the Diocese of Northern Indiana two years ago, after having served as Senior Warden and Deacon at All Saints’ for 12 years. All Saints’ had been without a priest for some time. After Bishop Edward S. Little suggested to Larry that he consider seeking ordination, he began studying for the priesthood. Five years later he was ordained and became pastor of All Saints’.

Fr. Larry Biller was born and raised in Goshen, Indiana, and was baptized and confirmed at St. James’. He and his wife, Irene, were married at St. James’. Their children, Mike, Don, and Kristan, and their grandson, Tyler, were all baptized at St. James’.

During the last few years St. James’ has been without a full time priest, and has relied on “supply” clergy for their Sunday services. Earlier this year, the St. James’ congregation held it’s annual parish picnic at All Saints’, and at that time Fr. Biller says he, “felt God telling me to do something” but he didn’t know what it was. Then in October St. James’ parish secretary Katie Craig found herself sitting beside Fr. Biller at a Diocesan Convention. She told him about the situation at St. James’ and asked if he would be interested in helping out. When Katie was talking to him, Fr. Biller says,”a light came on” and he said “yes, I think I can help you out”.

But some things still had to be cleared first. The bishop had to give his approval, both churches would have to change their times of Sunday services, and most importantly, Fr. Biller had to have Irene’s approval!

Fr. Biller went home from convention and said to Irene “I have something to talk to you about”. Instead of waiting for him to tell her what it was, Irene simply said, “You are going to help St. James”.

Service times at both churches were changed to allow travel between Syracuse and Goshen. The service at All Saints' is now at 9:15 a.m. and Goshen’s service is at 11:00 a.m.

During the week Fr. Biller is at St. James on Tuesday mornings and all day on Thursdays to be available for pastoral care and to attend to other duties. He is also available at any time for home visits, for sickness and hospital visits, or to help whenever needed.

You can reach the St. James Parish office at 574-533-4984.

“God has placed me here to serve, not to be served”, says Fr. Biller. He brings love and compassion for the Lord and His people at St. James’.

Reporter Monica Joseph filed a fine article titled "One Pastor, Two Churches" that appeared in last Saturday's Goshen News.
The piece is about, of course, about our new parish Priest, Fr. Larry Biller.
If you missed the article you can read it here: One Pastor, Two Churches

St. James' has received a Christmas greeting from Fr. Arthur Hadley. It looks like the Hadleys are enjoying pleasant weather in Texas.
Webmaster

A 2008 Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year from the Hadleys

We are beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The large tree topped by a new Moravian start lantern is up and decorated in the atrium, and the smaller tree lights up our bedroom. The smaller tree has 150 of Pauline's tatted snow flakes, the other 100 are hung in the living room - atrium windows. The Nisser and Tomtens are smiling from the clock tops.

On December 17th we hosted Art's Master Gardener thirty-five friends holiday party; so not only did we have to have the house ready but the gardens too. The gardens have expanded this year. We constructed trellises for bougainvillea all the way around the back garden with a citurs tree arbor separating the formal four raised bed garden from the informal desert stroll garden. The really new garden is a ramada. A ramada is a covered resting place with one protective wall to block the wind. Our ramada is built on top of the back end of the 25 foot wide concrete drive way.





The other major project was building a fountain in the courtyard with a mirrored wall behind, and on the other side of the courtyard a matching mirrored wall above a bench. The 6 x 6 foot mirrored walls are framed with Mexican tile. From the family room looking into the courthyard, the mirrors reflect the garden beyond the courtyard. We all enjoy sitting in the courtyard and watching the humming birds, mocking birds, doves and all the others feeding and using the bird bath.

Art has been celebrating Sunday services at Epiphany, Kingsville last spring and this fall, and in the summer he went to St. James', Goshen.

We migrated to North Twin Lake in mid-May and enjoyed our lake side home. Family and friends joined us at the summer house many weekends. In late October we visited farms and friends, arriving in McAllen November 3, just in time to watch the election returns.




Our family will gather here to celebrate Christmas.

Art and Jane Hadley

Phone & Fax: 574 533-4984
E-mail: stjamesparish@frontier.com
Web: stjamesparishepiscopal.blogspot.com

December 11, 2008

Brothers and Sisters in Christ

May the Love of God be with all of us as we begin this time together at St. James’. I am
Father Larry Biller, and began my ministry here as Priest-in-Charge on December 7, 2008,
doing God’s work and seeing that His will is done at St. James’.

I have been an ordained priest in the Diocese of Northern Indiana for two years, and am also
the Priest-in-Charge at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Syracuse, where I was Senior Warden
for 12 years.

Born and raised in Goshen, Indiana, I am a graduate of Goshen High School, Class of 1960.
I was baptized and confirmed at St. James’, my wife, Irene, and I were married at St. James’, and my children, Mike, Don and Kristan, and my grandson, Tyler, were all baptized at St. James’.

God has placed me here to serve - not be served, and I bring love and compassion for the Lord
and His people to St. James’. Besides the Sunday service at 11:00 a.m., I will be available on Thursdays, and I would like to have a lunchtime service where we could eat a sack lunch and visit together after Noon Day Prayer. I will also be available on Thursdays for consultations and to talk about your needs and will be available for home visits, for sickness and hospital visits, and help whenever you need me.

My office door is open to everyone who visits me, so please let me help you with any problems
or concerns and we can work it out. I feel very honored to have been called by God to pastor to the congregation of St. James’ Episcopal Church.

Peace and Love in Christ,

Father Larry R. Biller
Home Phone: 260- 856-4732
Cell Phone: 574-457-6315