West Seattle, Washington
16 Thursday
Story and photos by Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“God’s animals inhabit the skies, the land, and the sea; we share the Earth with them, and like them rely on God’s blessing to sustain and preserve us.”
Those were the words spoken by Rev. Elise Johnstone marking today’s “Blessing of the Animals” at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral, where a wide menagerie gathered. Around 35 people came together with their families and their pets to receive the blessing, which customarily occurs around the day marking the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. This year, the blessing coincided exactly with the date of the feast, which occurs every year on October 4th.
Rev. Johnstone and Fr. Robert Stevens presided, delivering a small sermon. We recorded her reading Psalm 104 along with the crowd:
After the readings, the presiders then blessed a basket of St. Francis medals meant to confer the blessing onto the animals as the annual blessing is in honor of the patron saint of animals’ feast day. They then went out into the crowd to hand out the medals.
The event drew a variety of animals with their people. Many brought their canine companions:
We also saw someone who had brought their cat along:
Robbie, age 7)
A guinea pig was in attendance too:
(Boba)
One person even brought their stuffed dog Ginger, which they said had kept them company through many difficult times for more than 40 years.
Reverend Johnstone wanted to emphasize that the event is for all animals, no matter the size or species. She said unique highlights of past years have included people bringing stick bugs, and even a multiple-feet-long python.
The event ended with a fairly traditional and formal recitation, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord … Thanks be to God.” Before ending, Reverend Johnstone added: “But let’s go out with a good bark as well.” And as soon as she finished speaking, the chorus of dogs started up.
In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals (and ecology), many churches offer “Blessing of the Animals” events this time of year. The longest-running one in West Seattle is at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral, which is offering theirs tomorrow afternoon – here’s their announcement:
Saint John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California Ave SW) is holding the annual Blessing of the Animals this Saturday, October 4th at 2:00 pm. Bring your furry, feathered, or scaled friend (leashed or in a carrier, please!) to the SJB Parking Lot Saturday afternoon to honor the companionship our beloved pets provide us. Pets will receive a blessing, head scratches, and we will have St. Francis Medallions to add to your best friend’s collar! We hope you can join us!
Tomorrow (October 4) is St. Francis’s feast day.
(Wednesday sunset photographed by Tony Tschanz)
Sunsets like that one are a reminder of our region’s beauty mixed with danger, like that posed by wildfires. So what can you do? This Saturday, find out! Originally inspired by Pope Francis‘s environmental encyclical, this is the third year Our Lady of Guadalupe is hosting the West Seattle Ecology Fair, in partnership with other peninsula faith communities and environmental/sustainability organizations. The Eco-Fair is coming up Saturday (September 27) at OLG’s Walmesley Center gym:
Organizations from throughout Puget Sound will be at this fair to answer your questions on what we can do to stabilize our rapidly changing natural world. Our keynote speaker is Nicholas Bond, Emeritus Washington State Climatologist. He will discuss implications of climate change on human health, as well as broader impacts on wildlife in our region, and he will offer ideas of actions we can take.
Some exhibitors will be;
Beyond Plastic Puget Sound
Climate Reality Project (King Coungy.)
Puget SoundKeeper
Save The Wild Salmon
WA Climate Impacts Group
The keynote presentation is expected at noon. Admission is free; Walmesley Center is on the northeast side of the OLG campus at 35th/Myrtle.
You’re invited to First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (4105 California SW; WSB sponsor) this Sunday for a special service and lunch. Here’s what it’s all about:
On Sunday, September 21st, the West Seattle community is invited to celebrate musical transitions at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle. Luncheon is being served after the 10:30 a.m. morning service, to introduce Dana Robinson as our new Organist and Choirmaster, and honor Deacon Emeritus Dean Hard as our retiring Choirmaster.
Dean Hard began singing in the First Lutheran choir as a West Seattle High School student in the 1950s. It seems that he found his calling, because he went on to serve as Choirmaster, along with Andrew King as Cantor/Organist, for the last 50 years, in addition to his academic career at West Seattle High School. After Andy’s death last year, Dean postponed his own retirement to help shepherd FLCWS through numerous substitute organists and our search for an individual who could serve as both organist and choirmaster in the tradition of excellence that we have enjoyed in our liturgy and church services.
Enter Dana Robinson — who comes to us from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was an Associate Professor of Music (Organ) for 25 years, and has an extensive background as a church Organist and Choirmaster dating back to 1978. Dana has performed nationally and internationally, and is considered by many to be, “one of the finest performers of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in the United States.” (Music at 9th & Stewart, Seattle 2019)
How fortunate for us that when Dana retired from his professorship in Illinois last December, he intended to move back to Tacoma and find a local church that had a unique and excellent organ where he could make beautiful music and enhance worship for the congregation. Enter into the picture, First Lutheran Church of West Seattle! We so look forward to what joys will be heard from our Organs and Choir, Deo Gloria Santores, resonating in our church and surrounding us with lush tones that give us inspiration and delight as we worship every Sunday at First Lutheran. Soli deo gloria!!!
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday, September 21Following the service, you are invited to a luncheon in the Parish Hall, honoring Dean Hard’s many years of service as Deacon and Choirmaster at FLCWS and to welcome Dana Robinson as our Organist/hoirmaster
10:30 a.m. Eucharist Service
11:45 Luncheon in the Parish HallFirst Lutheran Church of West Seattle
4105 California Ave SW
206-935-6530
www.flcws.org
Larisa from Alki UCC asked us to let you know:
I just got word that our building’s water had to be shut-off, affecting toilet usage during today’s 10 am service, which will still take place.
We ask folks to kindly plan accordingly and apologize for the inconvenience!
On Monday, as news of Pope Francis‘s death spread around the world, we tried to reach local Catholic churches to see if any memorial were planned in our area. Today, we’ve learned of two: On Tuesday, April 29th, the West Seattle Catholic Community – Our Lady of Guadalupe and Holy Rosary – plan a memorial service together at 6 pm, at OLG (7100 35th SW). It will also be livestreamed -find the link on the OLG website. Then a week from tomorrow, on Thursday, May 1st at 8 am, Saint Bernadette Parish in Burien plans a dedication mass, at 1028 SW 128th St.
Toward the bottom of that rendering is a depiction of the future solar array planned by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral. The church is announcing the plan on Earth Day:
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, located adjacent to West Seattle High School, will be joining the ranks of other local, recently installed solar projects, such as South Seattle College and Highline High School, with an installation to go live later this year. Once complete, the solar panels will provide 100 percent offset of the church’s annual energy consumption while also delivering to Seattle City Light more renewable energy to meet the rising demand for power, especially during peak usage. The solar panels are one of several infrastructure upgrade projects to be funded by St. John the Baptist’s capital campaign – ‘Building Our Legacy of Hope’ – that kicked off earlier this year. The capital campaign, chaired by West Seattle resident and St. John’s member Jeana Frazier, was launched this month with the goal of raising $800,000. The campaign will conclude in early June.
“Installing solar panels, particularly given how much sun our south-facing roof receives, made so much sense and is consistent with our pledge to reduce our carbon footprint and be a responsible neighbor,” said Reverend Elise Johnstone, rector of St. John’s. “And improvements to our building mean we can continue to be a welcoming place for worship and community gatherings, contributing to this vibrant West Seattle community.”
Currently, the church provides space for Endolyne Children’s Choir, WSHS Friday Football dinners, Alcoholics Anonymous, and will become the temporary space for Admiral UCC Church as they redevelop their North Admiral property into housing and new church/community spaces.
St. John’s solar installation will be done by Solterra, after the church completes roof work that has to be finished first.
(WSB photo: Statuettes of St. Francis of Assisi, the pope’s namesake, at Our Lady of Guadalupe campus)
As you have probably heard, Pope Francis died this morning, less than a day after his Easter sermon according to a Vatican announcement. He was 88 years old, and the first Latin American and Jesuit to be elected Pope. We’ve checked with local Catholic churches and schools to see if any are planning special masses or vigils. By day’s end, we hadn’t heard back about any plans, due to closures today – but we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, the Archdiocese of Seattle posted this statement this morning expressing their sadness at the news.
-Hayden Yu Andersen, WSB
With Easter just 10 days away, local churches are sending info for our seasonal list of services – including Holy Week – and other special events. If yours hasn’t, there’s still time; send the dates/times/brief descriptions to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! (Here’s what we have so far. Several plan egg hunts, which we’ll be cross-referencing in a separate list before this weekend.)
P.S. Passover starts this weekend and we’ll list any community events we get word of, too.
From pulpit to podcast, two local pastors are on an audio journey this season of Lent, and asked us to share their announcement:
Admiral’s Progressive Protestants Produce Podcast for Lent
The alliteration was just too good to pass up. Admiral Church United Church of Christ and Tibbetts United Methodist Church have chosen to collaborate again this year for their Lenten services with shared Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday services, as well as exchanging pastors in their pulpits during the season.
To enrich the worship experience, they are also co-producing a podcast called God Help Us (No, Really) in which they explore the weekly Scriptures through the lens of progressive, inclusive theology. Be warned: the podcast is explicit and unedited.
God Help Us (No, Really): “A Lent podcast wrestling with scripture and what it means to be a follower of Jesus in a country where Christianity keeps aligning with empire. Hosted by Rev. Sarah Casey she/her, Rachael Phelps she/her, and Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom he/him, with special guests. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!”
They’ve posted four episodes so far, the most recent one early this morning.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As Ash Wednesday starts worshipers’ journey through the season of Lent, two of West Seattle’s Catholic churches continue with another journey.
Unless you worship at Our Lady of Guadalupe or Holy Rosary, you might not have noticed signs of the two Catholic churches’ slow-motion merger.
But there are signs. Literally. Outside each church, you’ll find signage like this:
Since last July, the two have been one “parish family,” as part of the Archdiocese of Seattle initiative Partners in the Gospel. That initiative has turned 136 parishes around the region into 60 parish families, with eight stand-alone parishes (including Holy Family at the south edge of West Seattle), as announced in February 2024. By summer 2027, Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe must become one parish, with a new name; West Seattle Catholic Community is the current “working title.” They’re already sharing pastor Father Phuong Hoang and parochial vicar Father Tim Clark.
We sat down recently with both of them at OLG’s offices in High Point, along with parish administrator Michelle Scheving and pastoral associate Helen Oesterle. On behalf of both churches, they had contacted us asking to share a simple message to the community that changes were in progress, and we asked for the chance to talk in-depth.
At its heart, this is the Catholic Church’s way of dealing with challenges described in an Archdiocese-provided FAQ as “a decrease of engaged parishioners, fewer priests, dwindling finances, deteriorating campus conditions, and more.” Oesterle noted that the merger movement started on the East Coast and “the wave has worked its way across the country, so we’ve been able to learn best practices.” But, she observes, “we’re one of the easier parish-family pairings.” Like theirs, in most parishes, new pastors came with the new “families”; Holy Rosary’s previous pastor Father Matthew Oakland moved to another assignment, while OLG’s previous pastor Father Kevin Duggan had been “planning on retiring anyway,” Scheving notes.
As they work toward unification, the parishes are taking “baby steps,” as described by Fr. Hoang. “With a predetermined end goal,” adds Scheving. “The ultimate goal is one parish with two campuses,” continues Oesterle. Decisions on property, schools, buildings, etc., are being left to the parishes, not dictated by the Archdiocese.
So they’re eight months into what’s expected to be a three-year process. For the priests, there’s been a lot of “jumping back and forth,” since both have offices at both churches. Fr. Hoang previously served multiple churches on the west side of Puget Sound, “so that’s a gift for us,” Oesterle says, “he comes with wisdom and experience.”
“I know it’s not easy, but it’s doable,” Fr. Hoang adds.
Fr. Clark agrees, especially considering “we’re both West Seattle,” unlike some “families” with churches that are a ferry ride apart (Vashon Island and Tacoma, for example).
So what are these two “family members” doing together so far? we wondered.
To start with, in August, a parish picnic welcomed the two newly arrived priests. Since then: “We’re slowly starting to worship together,” replies Scheving. Fr. Clark mentions a November 2nd liturgy for remembering the dead. “We did that together.” They’re moving toward some consolidation of the daily Masses rather than redundancies; Oesterle sys times will change gradually, and not before talking with parishioners. Currently, the two churches have six weekend Masses.
“These are two parishes still growing,” observes Fr. Clark, which is counter to the trend in some areas of the country. But, he muses, “Each parish has its own feel” – including architecturally – and each has its own history – Holy Rosary dates back to 1909, Our Lady of Guadalupe to 1960 – created, in fact, notes Oesterle, from parts of Holy Rosary and Holy Family‘s then-parish territories.
As they “deal with the reality of coming together,” there’s a leadership team with not only the four people who talked with us but Holy Rosary reps too, meeting twice a month. And as of a few months ago, they now publish/distribute a combined bulletin each week (see the current one here); Scheving says that’s been really helpful, because any questions/concerns that arise regarding the consolidation can be addressed there, along with the standard kind of announcements you’d find in a church bulletin.
They’re also forming a Parish Family Advisory Council with “members of both communities, who will create this one-parish plan, who do we want to be, where are we growing,” Scheving explains. That’s expected to be up and running by early April. There are still many details to work out over the next two-plus years, but “it’s not an option NOT to do it,” Oesterle reiterates.
How has this been received by parishioners? Mixed feelings, according to the leadership. Some sadness and anger, some confusion, some going through a “grief process,” but also some excitement, especially about the possibilities opened up by shared resources. Church leaders hope the “re-visioning” will help people adjust, as will synergy and support for both churches/schools’ traditions – “We supported WestFest, they’re supporting Loop the ‘Lupe,” offers Oesterle as an example.
Speaking of schools, they’re not planning to consolidate; Fr. Clark observes both are “very good schools.” (Both serve students up to 8th grade; Holy Rosary’s enrollment is about twice that of OLG’s.) The Archdiocese’s FAQ affirms, “Joining together does not necessarily mean any church building or schools will close.”
And of course they’ll eventually have to work out the parish’s combined finances and staffing. So far, they say, they’re not expecting layoffs, but some positions might eventually be lost to attrition. “There’s enough work for everyone!”
They hope the consolidation also will lead to more involvement in, and with,the wider West Seattle community. They’re also hoping community members from outside the churches will participate in the upcoming listening sessions, “even if they’re not Catholic.”
Oesterle observes, “It’s a unique moment – it’s been so ‘top down’ for so long.” Scheving has appreciated the chance to talk with parish families; this one has learned it’s ahead of the curve in some ways – for example, few others have moved to combined bulletins.
And in this week’s combined bulletin, you’ll find an update on what the “parish family” members are supposed to be doing right now: “… welcoming and getting to know each other, assessing the current parishes, and developing a current understanding of each parish’s gifts, needs, and hopes for the future.”
ORIGINAL SUNDAY AFTERNOON STORY: If you see Holy Rosary Catholic Church‘s bus sometime soon, it’s not on a church outing – it was stolen early today. Here’s the report and photo sent to us:
(Image from Google Maps)
Early this morning (Sunday, February 23), the Holy Rosary Church bus was stolen while parked on 42nd Ave SW. We do have surveillance video and have contacted the Seattle Police Department … The bus has been used for multiple activities – transporting parishioners who do not drive to Mass, senior outing events, some school activities, and for many years to transport homeless women to our shelter until that was closed during Covid.
Other info
– 2015 Ford E-350 Micro Bird bus
– WA license C52784N
– Color white with “Holy Rosary Catholic Church” lettering on sides and back of busWe are hoping one of your readers has seen the bus since it was stolen and can provide information on its whereabouts.
Call 911 if you see it. (We’ll add the theft video if and when we receive it.)
ADDED MONDAY: As noted in comments, Holy Rosary got the bus back today. It was found in Burien and they were having it towed to a shop there, to repair damage including the torn-up steering column.
One week from today, Tibbetts United Methodist Church in West Seattle plans a tribute to the organist who’s been at their keyboard for 44 years – here’s the announcement, with some history:
(Photo courtesy John Van Lierop Jr.)
On Sunday, March 2, for the 10:00 am service, Tibbetts United Methodist Church, 3940 41st Ave SW, will honor John Van Lierop Jr’s 44 years of service as their organist. The church was not able to recognize John’s 40th year of service due to the Covid outbreak.
John started his organ playing in the church that his Father was minister of in Portland, Oregon, Hope Presbyterian Church, in the mid-’60s. His first official organ position was at Centenary-Wilbur Methodist Church in 1966 while he was a student at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. From there, John played the organ in churches in Spokane and Seattle, with his previous organist position prior to coming to Tibbetts being Mt. Baker Park Presbyterian Church in Seattle, where he served 7 years.
When John came to Tibbetts, the organ was a 2 Manuel Balcom & Vaughn pipe organ. Due to upkeep costs on that organ and other issues, Tibbetts decided to replace it with an electronic organ. After a successful fundraising campaign, a 3 Manuel Allen Digital Organ was purchased and installed in late 1989. The Dedication Recital was held in 1990, with John at the organ.
In addition to his usual organ playing in church and choir accompanying, John enjoys doing piano/organ duets during the church services. His piano partner is the talented Shirley Lindberg, who happens to be the director of the bell choirs at Tibbetts, in addition to directing the Bells of the Sound, a professional bell group based in Seattle. During these last 44 years at Tibbetts, John has worked under 7 ministers and 10 choir directors. He enjoys using the Tibbetts sanctuary with its 7-foot Steinway grand piano for his student piano recitals in Winter and Spring. Also, the Annual Guild Piano Auditions are held in church’s sanctuary.
John doesn’t plan on retiring quite yet from being the organist at Tibbetts but hopes to stay a little while longer.
Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, First Lutheran Church of West Seattle. New sponsors have the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – so here’s a message from FLCWS’s Pastor Bryon Hansen:
We want you to know that all are welcome at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (4105 California SW).
First Lutheran has been in West Seattle since 1918. For more than a century, the people of First Lutheran have gathered for worship and we have carried out our ministry and mission. The congregation has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the neighborhood and community of West Seattle.
We worship every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to worship at First Lutheran, whether you’ve been a church member all your life or you’re new to the church, or a seeker who is searching for a faith community and a deeper connection with the mystery of God. All are welcome! Nursery care is available for families with small children. Holy Communion is celebrated each Sunday.
First Lutheran has a long tradition of rich music. Congregational singing is ably supported by the Deo Gloria Cantores choir and, since 1976, the Noack pipe organ. Hundreds of musicians from far and near have visited the organ that has brought joy and comfort and many more who have experienced its beauties in the worship life of the church.
All are welcome to our coffee hour every Sunday. We meet in the parish lounge after the service, for coffee and cookies and conversation.
For those who desire formation in faith, an adult class takes place most Sundays after the coffee hour. Currently we are exploring “Life in Christ.” This is for all and especially geared toward those who are new and seeking to get connected to the people and ministry of First Lutheran.
One of the features of First is our commitment of care and compassion for the poor and hungry. We support the West Seattle Food Bank/Helpline, Mary’s Place, and the ministry of Riverton United Methodist Church offering shelter and support for asylum seekers and refugees.
First is part of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran church body in the United States. 
For more information, see elca.org or our church website at flcws.org.
I’ve been with First Lutheran since March of 2024. It is such a blessing to be with this incredibly loving community. My hope is that we will continue to open our doors wide and to be a place of prayer for all people, and that we will continue to engage the people of West Seattle in meaningful relationships and service to our neighbors in need.
God’s Peace in this new year,
Pastor Bryon Hansen
Thanks to First Lutheran Church of West Seattle for sponsoring community-collaborative news on WSB. Is your business/organization/church/school/etc. interested in becoming a sponsor too? Please call 206-293-6302.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
By dusk tonight, all candles on the Torah Learning Center of West Seattle‘s giant menorah at Alki Beach were lit. On the last of Hanukkah’s eight nights, it took Rabbi Eli Duban two tries to get the flames to take – facing toward the south finally worked.
(WSB photos/video from here by Tracy Record)
The rabbi noted that the Hanukkah story shows that even a “small light can dispel a great darkness.”
More than 50 people gathered for the waterfront ceremony organized by Ilana Duban, with music, crafts, and donuts.
After the menorah-lighting, everyone was invited to stay for a “fire show” – a performer dancing with small torches on the promenade.
The Torah Learning Center sponsored other Hanukkah-related activities in the days and weeks leading up to tonight’s gathering, including a story hour and a crafts event.
(Concept for what you’d see turning off California onto Hill)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Before the West Seattle Big Band‘s Christmas concert Sunday (WSB coverage here) in the Admiral Church sanctuary, the church’s pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom told the full house that it had special meaning: This is the church’s final Advent season before moving out so its half-acre site can be transformed into housing and a “new church,” including space for the many community groups that gather there.
We followed up to find out the newest details about their moving plans, as nothing specific was mentioned when last we updated the future Homestead Community Land Trust project after a community open house in June.
The church will be co-housed with another Admiral congregation, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, during construction, Rev. Conley-Holcom told WSB. “St. John’s is a warm, loving community with which we have been developing relationship for years, so this will be an easy, comfortable arrangement even as it represents a drastic change for both congregations.”
Admiral Church expects to move out of its current site this summer, the pastor explains, “for a few reasons, the greatest of which was made abundantly clear last night during the deluge. The building is facing pretty serious water penetration issues that can be linked to original design flaws with the current structure (downspouts concealed within the walls of the sanctuary which cannot be unclogged without risking rupture into the walls of the building). We are engaging with professionals for mitigation, but are not going to make major repairs for obvious reasons.”
The “rolling” move will start once the preschool that shares the church’s site, A Child Becomes, finishes its 2024-2025 school year – that’s when, the pastor says, “we will begin shutting the building down until HCLT is ready to take possession and begin demolition.” (A Child Becomes has its own new location.)
If you need to catch up on the backstory – Admiral Church chose redevelopment as the best path toward a sustainable future; trying to fix the (as mentioned above) deteriorating old building was not an option. They finalized a partnership plan with Homestead CLT in 2023. They plan 21 for-sale housing units – 13 townhouses and 8 condos, a mix of affordable and market-rate – as well as a new mixed-use building for the church and its programs. Kathleen Hosfeld of Homestead CLT tells WSB that they still hope to complete construction in 2026, but “construction start times and completion depend a lot on funding.” (Earlier this year, a city grant was announced for part of the funding.)
(Image from Google Street View)
The former Trueliving Church site in southeast High Point – long eyed for redevelopment – has new ownership. We checked into its status after multiple questions from readers. Records show the church sold its site at 2900 SW Myrtle for $3 million less than two weeks ago, and dedicated its new location in Burien today. The church had been in West Seattle for more than 30 years. But change for its site had long been in the wind – three years ago, we wrote about a proposal for 34 residential units on the site. A version of that application is still alive in city files, although it’s not clear yet what the current plan is for the site: The new owner is another church, Debre Menkirat Kidus Georgis Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Two readers report activity on the site, including clearing brush. We’re working to contact them to find out about their plan for the site.
This was the first week of classes at Hope Lutheran‘s new middle-school campus on the north edge of The Junction – the 2/3-acre campus at 4100 SW Genesee that was Seattle Lutheran High School for 44 years, until 2022. This morning, “Hope North” was officially dedicated after a procession from the main Hope Lutheran church/school campus a block south.
Hope’s senior pastor Peter Mueller first spoke to congregants and school families on the church’s main steps, recalling the almost four-year odyssey to reach this point, and the continuing capital campaign to help with the $1.6 million purchase and renovation costs. Likening it to the biblical journey of Joshua – he had everyone walk to the newly opened school, singing along the way.
Then outside the “Hope North” gym, after an invocation from the pastor and words from 15th-year Hope principal Kristen Okabayashi about the “amazing journey,” student body president Benjamin cut the ribbon:
For a look inside some of the 14 newly reopened classrooms, see this WSB story from an open house back in June.
(WSB photos)
In the midday Sunday sunshine, Alki UCC offered visitors the chance to create art with a message – the message someone has tried to obliterate by damaging and/or stealing banners hanging over its entry five times. As noted in our first story about this, they also collaborated with an artist to design a new banner:
The banner will soon hang with what’s out front now at the building Alki UCC shares with Kol HaNeshamah:
The individual art pages created by visitors today were theirs to either take home or leave behind as contributions to another art work, possibly a collage.
(Alki UCC photo: Celebration for newest banners, March 14 – before yet another act of vandalism)
The church Alki UCC and the synagogue Kol HaNeshamah have shared the building at 6115 SW Hinds for more than 20 years. Both hold not only regular services but also do community work as part of their commitment to social justice. And they’ve been dealing with a recurring problem: “In the past nine months, the Pride/Trans and Black Lives Matter banners hanging from the front of our building were vandalized and replaced multiple times. After the fifth recent vandalism, we began to imagine together the possibility of a different response.” You’re invited to be part of that response; details shortly, but first, here’s what’s happened so far:
August 7, 2023: Rainbow Pride Flag and Trans Pride Flag torn down by unknown perpetrator. A police report was filed; we immediately replaced the flags.
February 18, 2024: Rainbow Pride Flag and Trans Pride Flag torn down; report filed.
February 27, 2024: Black Lives Matter Flag torn from its frame and security camera cord severed. Police report filed.
On March 10, higher-quality Pride Progress Flag and Black Lives Matter flags installed on sturdy frames and dedicated on March 17.
March 23, 2024: Black Lives Matter flag removed from its frame and later found in the street. The Progress Pride flag was partially removed from its frame. The security camera cord had been severed. Police report was filed, and the flags were replaced the same day.
March 29, 2024: Black Lives Matter flag ripped, removing 2/3 of the image, and not recovered. Police report filed.
Rather than immediately replacing the Black Lives Matter banner after that last incident, the congregations “consulted with a local artist to collaborate on how to best transform the sign into a statement of love and justice. The words of the prophet Amos, quoted by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., called to us: ‘Let justice roll down like water.’ The scripture text will be highlighted with a river of grace flowing from the torn edge.”
As part of that, the congregations invite the community to join them in front of the building on Sunday (May 19) between 11:15 am and 12:30 pm: “50 days after the tearing of the flag, we will gather together to paint the prophetic words and evocative image on the sign.” The community is invited “to join us to add their personal expression to this community collaboration by painting a letter or splash of river. We’ll have art tables with materials for all to imagine what justice looks like.” They promise it will be an “all-ages joyful event” also including refreshments and “a sing-along to songs of love and justice with Alki UCC Music Director Stephen Anthony Rawson.”
With the weekend approaching, a few updates if you hadn’t checked our lists lately:
(WSB file photo)
EGG HUNTS: Four parks, one church, and one beer garden (Ounces, which is also bringing in the Dick’s Drive-In burgers-and-shakes truck) on Saturday, six churches on Saturday – here’s our updated list.
SUNRISE (AND OTHER) SERVICES: On Easter Sunday, our list now includes three sunrise services – on Alki Beach at 6:30 am with the pastors of all three local UCC churches, at Forest Lawn at 6:30 am with the West Seattle Ministerial Association, and at Westcrest Park at 6:45 am with All Souls. A variety of other services are on our list (which also includes Holy Week services in the days ahead of Easter); if your church hasn’t yet sent information, it’s not too late – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
With Easter just a week and a half away, more than half a dozen local churches have sent info for our seasonal list of services – including Holy Week – and other special events. If yours hasn’t, there’s still time; send the dates/times/brief descriptions to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! (Here’s what we have so far. Several plan egg hunts, which we’ll be cross-referencing to this separate list too.)
(Photo by Joanne Murray for Admiral Church)
For four years, we’ve been reporting on Admiral Church‘s soul-searching over how to best ensure its future viability, while utilizing its half-acre campus for community good, ideally including affordable housing. In April 2022, the church announced it had decided what path it would follow, working with Homestead Community Land Trust “to gift them the total of our real estate for the development of permanently affordable, ownership-focused housing (including) a flexible use space exclusively for Admiral Church’s ministries …” Now, a year and a half later, the church and Homestead have just announced they’ve formalized the plan. First, the announcement:
Homestead Community Land Trust and Admiral United Church of Christ have signed an agreement that will lead to the development of permanently affordable homeownership on church land in the Admiral neighborhood of West Seattle.
Under the terms of the agreement, Admiral Church will convey its land in exchange for the ability to continue its ministries in the Admiral neighborhood in a newly constructed gathering and worship facility in the new development, representing a cost that is significantly below the market value of the property. Admiral Church and Homestead’s agreement makes it possible for most of the homes developed to be made affordable to those who make less than 80% of area median income.
“Admiral Church seeks to open the neighborhood to households that have historically been disadvantaged and excluded from homeownership,” said Reverend Andrew Conley-Holcom, pastor of Admiral Church. “We selected Homestead as a partner because their model creates generational wealth for its owners and Homestead is committed to partnering with us and the surrounding community in imagining and developing the homes.”
Admiral Church has served the North Admiral neighborhood in West Seattle since its founding over a century ago and is partnering with Homestead to continue that service well into its next century. The church conducted significant outreach with the neighborhood to gauge support for the concept of an affordable-housing project, including hosting neighborhood meetings, doing one-on-one meetings with interested individuals, and conducting an online survey through a neighborhood association. Over 80% of the 200+ respondents supported an affordable-housing project on the church’s site.
“By donating a significant amount of their land equity to this project, Admiral Church is going the extra mile to achieve its social and racial justice mission. Thanks to the members’ generosity, people who have been historically excluded from owning a home will have that opportunity in a lovely, walkable neighborhood with great schools and a thriving business district” said Kathleen Hosfeld, Homestead CEO and Executive Director. Hosfeld herself lives in the Admiral district.
Affordability at the site will be achieved through lower-cost land and the investment of public and private subsidy. The church, which will be temporarily relocated within West Seattle during construction, will return to a newly constructed gathering and worship facility co-located at the site.
The partners conducted initial feasibility to substantiate the terms of a purchase and sale agreement for the land. However, the site plan and project pro forma has yet to be finalized. The partners will host a community meeting to discuss their partnership and listen to the community’s vision for homes at the site on October 22, 1:30 pm at the Church, 4320 SW Hill Street.
Affordable housing timelines are subject to change, but the partners hope that construction will begin in 2025 and be completed in 2026.
Homestead is a classic community land trust, following the model created by Civil Rights era leaders in the 1960s and 1970s to prevent displacement and allow people to build wealth through ownership. Homestead builds new homes, fundraises to reduce the price of homes to what is affordable to a lower-income household, and keeps homes affordable permanently through agreements with our homeowners and post-purchase support. Homestead lowers barriers to homeownership for those excluded by discrimination, and has nearly 60% ownership by people of color. Typical home prices through Homestead range from $240,000 to $330,000. Homestead has 245 homes in trust and has created over 300 first-time homebuying opportunities for income-qualified buyers.
Admiral Church has been serving the people of the North Admiral neighborhood in West Seattle since its founding in 1899. The church is welcoming to all, having voted to be explicitly “open and affirming” decades ago. The church is a congregation that is God gifted, love centered, open to the future and extending Christ’s footsteps into the world. The church is committed to reach out to the un-served and the unseen in our community and seek diversity, peace, and justice in our world.
Homestead currently has 70 homes in West Seattle, said Hosfeld in response to one of the followup questions we asked her. Also:
How many homes will be built on the Admiral Church site? No estimate yet. What type? “They will not be single-family detached for sure. We have run studies to make sure the project was feasible but haven’t come up with the final mix. We do want to be sensitive to surrounding structures and homeowners and make sure the project fits in well.”
How affordable? “Affordable to below 80% AMI. The AMI levels for our homes in recent years have been 60% to 72% AMI. We will seek subsidy to get the prices as low as possible. There may be several “market rate” homes in the mix. We include market rate homes in projects to provide an internal form of subsidy so we can lower the prices of the homes for income-qualified buyers. We haven’t determined how many yet. We set the initial price of market rate homes to be at or below local comps at the time of sale.
Finally, we asked about terms of the agreement between Homestead – which is a nonprofit – and the church. “There is a technical purchase and sale agreement, and the payment from Homestead involves a limited amount of cash that serves as a bridge for the church while the project is completed. Payment also includes building and conveying a new church facility. The assessed value of the church property, according to King County Records, is $4 million. What the church might have received by selling it to a for-profit developer would be considerably higher. There isn’t a precise dollar amount value of the church facility at this point.”
P.S. For a bit more on how Homestead’s model works, see our summary in this past WSB story.
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