Old School: Rev. John Duke Eales

"And in the dream I knew that he was goin' on ahead. And he was fixin' to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold, and I knew that whenever I got there, he would be there..."

- No Country for Old Men

Reverend Eales became the twelfth rector of Gethsemane in September 1969 and oversaw massive changes to the church. The vestry no longer had to be male, and soon included its first woman. He reduced the number of services from three to two, and introduced Rite Two to one of them. Scholarships expanded the size of the choir. The Silent Night security system was installed.

Throughout all of this the church's financial woes continued, but so did the work of the church. A conference of Downtown Churches agreed that quality preaching and music on Sundays, and creative use of the church the rest of the week were vital to the health of a parish.

The second of the points became a springboard to action. Eales sought to reorganize the Downtown Foundation- and did so by partnering with Episcopal Community Services, with its focus on the elderly. Further, the women of Gethsemane started the Catacombs Coffee House in the gymnasium. Gethsemane also supported the Skyway 838, which offered Christian counseling services.

Eales himself began counseling; indeed Gethsemane hosted the Clinical Pastoral Training program. Traveler's Aid set up offices inside, and the Brotherhood took late-night calls.

On a different note, Gethsemane started a campaign to conserve energy throughout the Energy Crisis. Moreover, a new organ was purchased and installed, a new boiler put in, the roof finished, and the altar restored- all of which solidified Gethsemane's decision to remain, in spite of anxieties about falling attendance.

This concludes the Old School series. Any suggestions for another topic? Please write and let me know.