Rector plans to return to school; last day July 31
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The Rev. Rich Martindale, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, has resigned after nearly six years leading the historic downtown parish.
He resigned Monday night at his church’s Vestry, or board, meeting. A letter went out to parishioners Tuesday.
“For the last several months, the Vestry, the Wardens and I have been working and praying very hard to discern how best to meet the needs of the Parish and do the work we have been given to do in the name of Christ. At times, that discernment has been exhilarating; other times it has felt like a struggle,” Martindale wrote. “After consultation with the Bishop of Atlanta, the Wardens, and of course, my dear wife, my own portion of that discernment has led me to understand that the time has come for me to conclude my ministry to and with my friends at Trinity.”
In the Episcopal Church, the vestry is led by a senior warden, followed by a junior warden. A vestry typically has between nine and 12 members.
Martindale, 53, said he didn’t want to comment beyond the content of his letter.
The priest’s last day is July 31, after which he will take a paid sabbatical through the end of January. The letter states his sabbatical would have happened next year anyway, as Episcopal priests typically receive one every seven years.
“I am considering returning to school to complete graduate studies I began several years ago,” he wrote.
After July 31, an interim rector, which has not been named, will serve the church until a replacement can be found.
Joe Smith, Trinity’s senior warden since January, said a recent assessment of the congregation, involving an outside consultant, looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the church. About 40 people were interviewed, he said. They included current and former members, and of varying ages. One component Trinity looked at was membership.
“The demographic most people are interested in is the 20-40 year olds with children. ... and not just that group but (recruiting) new members across the board,” he said.
A result was that Martindale resigned.
“The vestry cannot ask the priest to resign,” Smith said. “Rich is an excellent preacher and rector, and we wish him well.”
Martindale began his ministry in Columbus in September 2005. He followed Trinity’s interim rector, the Rev. Jim Yeary, who was there for 18 months. Yeary led the recent evaluation.
The Rev. Tom Jones, the church’s last full-time rector, served 17 years until his retirement in 2004.
In the wider community, Martindale served two consecutive terms as president of the Muscogee County Clergy Association.
Brinkley Pound, a Trinity member since 1986, said Martindale was “always supportive” of outreach ministries she was involved in, notably the Uptown Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity. She was named the local Habitat director earlier this year. Pound characterized the conflict between Martindale and the church as one of personality clashes and miscommunication.
“We’ve been through a lot,” she said of the church. “I think some of it’s residual from the New Hampshire bishop.”
Beginning in 2003, Trinity experienced turmoil over the election of the denomination’s first openly gay bishop, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander of the Diocese of Atlanta, which includes Columbus, was among those who voted to ratify Robinson’s election. Most of Trinity’s leadership at the time took Alexander to task for his decision.
Pound said this latest situation troubles her further.
“I’m just sad for us,” she said.
“In the Diocese of Atlanta we have delighted in Father Martindale’s ministry among us,” Alexander said in a statement Wednesday. “He is a gifted priest who is faithful both to his Lord and his church. He has led Trinity Church with commitment and grace. I shall miss him.”
In his letter, Martindale gives thanks to the members for his time at Trinity.
“I cannot begin to express what an absolute privilege it has been to have had the opportunity to share in ministry with you for these six years,” Martindale wrote. “Your welcome willingness to allow me to minister to you, your consistent challenge to me to participate and sometimes lead our mutual ministry to our community, and your grace-filled ministry to me day by day, has sometimes surprised me and has often filled me with the joy of seeing the face of Christ in each of yours.”
Martindale is married to Jenny Martindale. They have two grown sons. Prior to moving to Columbus, Martindale served as dean of St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral in Hastings, Neb. He graduated from The Virginia Theological Seminary in 1995.
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