From the Rectors: An Update on Our New Altar

Dearly beloved,

We are pleased to share with you an important update regarding the commissioning of a new altar table for our worship space. The proposal, which went to the vestry this month and received unanimous support, is the fruit of three years' hard work and reflection by five faithful lay leaders and two clergy.

The Background

In the summer of 2023, we began use of the freestanding walnut altar (otherwise located in the chapel on the third floor of the PLC) to facilitate the celebration of Holy Eucharist with the clergy facing the people. The reasons for this were three-fold:

• The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which Anglican leaders attended as observers,  profoundly shaped the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and our theology around the Eucharist. Practices rooted in the medieval traditions of the church, such as corporate prayers offered exclusively in Latin and altars designed and built to face Jerusalem, were retired in order to return to practices more faithful to the practices of the early church. The role of the lay worshiper was also recast from that of spectator (where the priest does and says everything, and everyone else watches or listens) to full participant. One of the most marked shifts between the 1948 Book of Common Prayer and its 1979 counterpart is the sheer increase in the number of liturgical prayers (including parts of the Eucharistic Prayers), assigned to the people.
• One important way Anglican Eucharistic theology differs from that of Roman Catholics is in the role of the priest. In the Roman Church, the celebrant is understood to be standing in the place of Christ. In the Episcopal Church, however, Christ is present in the whole community that has gathered together to celebrate the Eucharist. Facing one another, as we would at any shared meal, reminds us that we are all guests at God’s Table with Christ at the literal center of our prayer.
• When Rev. Imogen arrived at Good Shepherd, she was tasked with creating an environment where all people, including new Christians and new Episcopalians, would feel welcome. There is no greater expression of welcome and love than in the giving and receiving of Christ's body and blood during the Holy Eucharist. In this moment of intimacy and connection, our clergy have a precious opportunity to embody that love by facing the congregation as they speak the Words of Institution, a practice that feels more in line with our time and culture.

The Committee

Having received a positive response to the trial use of the freestanding altar, Rev. Imogen then convened a group of lay leaders to address the logistical and aesthetic issues that it raised. In the fall of 2025, Rev. Justin began serving as the Altar Committee’s clergy facilitator, continuing the  work that the Rev. Andrew Phillips began three years ago. The lay members of the committee are:

• Caryl Fuller (Altar Guild Director and longtime Parishioner)
• Ed Sharp (Livestream Coordinator and longtime parishioner)
• Elizabeth Gant (Godly Play Coordinator and longtime parishioner)
• Gregg Knepley (former Parish Treasurer and newer parishioner)
• Gretchen Ginnerty (church architect and newer parishioner)

The Proposal

The Altar Committee was tasked with addressing the following issues:

• The current location of the freestanding altar creates a bottleneck inside the altar rail, prevents the altar gates from being closed, blocks the congregation’s view of the high altar, and compels the clergy to celebrate while standing on a narrow step.
• The freestanding altar does not match the sanctuary’s existing aesthetic.

After meeting several times last fall to examine the space and discuss potential solutions, it was agreed that a new altar table should be constructed to take the place of the freestanding altar currently in use. The new design would need to achieve the following goals:

• Eliminate the logistical issues caused by the current arrangement.
• Seamlessly match the aesthetics of the chancel and sanctuary.
• Improve the visibility of the high altar from the pews.

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Gretchen Ginnerty, an architect who has extensive experience working in Episcopal churches, graciously agreed to design the new altar table for our sanctuary. In January, Gretchen presented her final design to the Altar Committee who unanimously agreed that it was not only beautiful but satisfied all the criteria the committee had established.

As you can see in the accompanying rendering, below, the new altar table will be the same height and length as the high altar, allowing for the continued use of our frontals and other altar clothes  Rather than sitting on the floor, however, it will be attached to the first two altar steps, allowing the clergy to celebrate from the wider platform at the top of the stairs and eliminating the bottleneck on the floor.

The new altar’s brass legs will mirror the slender, scalloped pattern on the altar gates. The top of the altar will be a thin piece of reinforced cherry strained to match the wood used elsewhere in the sanctuary.

The Altar Committee solicited bids from three design firms and is moving forward with a bid from Trig Modern, a local firm that both Gretchen Ginnerty and Ed Sharp have worked with in the past. Now that this project also has the full support of the vestry, we are moving forward with this project, and it is our sincere hope that the new altar table will be in place by Rally Day (September 13).

We would like to offer our profound thanks to Gretchen, Elizabeth, Ed, Gregg, and Caryl for all the thought, care, and hard work they have put into this process, the vestry for their thoughtful discussion and support, and you, the people of The Church of the Good Shepherd for your  continued prayerful support. We believe that this Altar will glorify God by restoring the beauty of our sanctuary and improving the quality of our liturgy.

In Christ,
Imogen+
Justin+