Ministry, Marriage, and the Second Half of Life: Joe and Amy Rose
By Christina C. Gordon
When Joe and Audrey Rose talk about ministry, they begin with stories: stories of surprise, hesitation, and moments when God showed up in ways they never expected.
By most accounts, their story should have been winding down. Joe had retired after a 40-year career in the propane industry. Audrey had spent years in business and doing volunteer work, and for a long stretch, away from church altogether.
Instead, what unfolded was a shared calling that is reshaping small congregations and quietly but dramatically renewing community life.
“I was not going,” Audrey says, laughing as she recalls the Episcopal Revival that changed everything. A friend kept encouraging her to attend. “No, absolutely not,” she insisted. But she went anyway.
There, listening to Bishop Michael Curry, Audrey experienced something she still struggles to describe. “It was probably the first time in my life I totally felt the presence of God.”
That moment changed the course of her life. Later, at a conference in Atlanta, she encountered interactive worship exhibits created by experiential worship curator Lily Lewin. Standing in a quiet ballroom filled with prayer stations and liturgical displays, Audrey felt a clear call: this is what you are meant to do.
“I didn’t have any background,” she says simply. “I just started.”
Audrey did complete her lay preaching certificate through the NH School for Ministry (SFM), a member of the Iona Collaborative network. Today, she preaches regularly in congregations across the region and is known for creating worship experiences that invite participation and connection: prayer trees open to the wider community, large-group puzzles tied to liturgical themes, interactive prayer stations that draw people in rather than asking them to sit passively in the pews.
“It is lighting that little spark and letting it burn into a flame,” Audrey says.
Joe’s call unfolded differently.
For years, he says, he kept putting God off with humor and excuses. Retirement finally changed that. While preparing to begin coursework through SFM, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld called him into his office, slid a business card across the desk, and then handed him a key.
The address belonged to what is now the Episcopal Mission in Franklin, NH: a church building that had sat closed for nearly twenty years.
Joe’s first initiative was a simple weekly meal called “Lunch with Jesus.” Worried nobody would come, he invited two friends to help fill the room. Twelve people showed up.
Soon, others began returning too, including the church’s former organist, who arrived carrying the church’s crucifix she had safeguarded for years. Week by week, more people brought back items they had been keeping safe, waiting, perhaps, for the church to live again.
Today, the Episcopal Mission of Franklin hosts weekly worship and serves as a vibrant part of the community.
Joe later entered a three-year formation program through SFM and was ordained in December 2023. The next day, he began serving as vicar at St. John the Evangelist in Dunbarton, a congregation that had been without clergy for seven years.
Average Sunday attendance hovered around eight people. The church looked closed. When Audrey contacted the town about adding St. John’s to local webpages and social media listings, she was told Dunbarton didn’t have an Episcopal church.
“They were in a liturgical desert,” Joe says.
The work of rebuilding was slow and sometimes difficult. Congregations shaped by years of decline and uncertainty often carry grief, fear, and resistance to change. During a NH Episcopal Diocese workshop hosted by Iona Collaborative's Thriving Congregations program, Joe encountered a framework for understanding congregational transition that helped him name those emotions more clearly.
“It all made sense,” he recalls. “They were angry, fearful, disoriented.”
Back at St. John’s, Joe shared the resource with the congregation and spoke openly about grief, change, and hope.Once the congregation began finding stability internally, Joe encouraged members to look outward.
“I’m not telling you what the mission is,” he told them. “What is in your hearts? How do you want to serve God?”
At a town meeting, Joe heard leaders discuss growing isolation among seniors. Back at church, he looked around: a parish hall, a kitchen, and people with time and a gift for hospitality.
The answer became a monthly senior lunch. Free meals. No pressure. Just a place where people could gather, talk, and feel known. The lunches quickly grew. Community members with no connection to the church began showing up, not only to eat, but to volunteer. Flowers appeared on tables. Donations exceeded costs. Relationships formed.
“You can just see the Holy Spirit at work,” Audrey says.
The congregation itself began to change as well.
On Easter Sunday, 27 people filled the pews. A young man in his twenties sat at the church’s historic pump organ, keeping the pedals moving just as his grandfather once had.
“A couple weeks ago, someone asked, ‘What else can we do?’” Audrey recalls.
Joe smiles. “You can just see the church coming alive.”
The Future
That movement – from maintenance to mission – is at the center of Joe and Audrey’s shared ministry.
Audrey now leads Bible studies, preaches regularly, and hosts online evening prayer four nights a week. What began during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into an online ministry reaching people from Texas to California to France.
“I think that’s part of the future of the church,” she says.
Together, Joe and Audrey embody a model of ministry that feels increasingly important: collaborative, locally rooted, and open to the gifts of both lay and ordained leadership. “Lay leaders can have just as much calling,” Audrey says. “We need to make it easier for them to pursue it.”
For the past two Christmas Eves, a neighbor who does not attend St. John’s has quietly arrived before worship to line the church driveway with lanterns.
Nobody asked him to do it.
He simply comes, and the light is there when the congregation arrives.
That is the kind of ministry Joe and Audrey Rose are building: not ownership, but stewardship. Not a finished picture, but something still unfolding.
And that something can serve as inspiration and a blueprint for the broader Episcopal community in New Hampshire and beyond.
Theology for All - Expands Learning Across the Diocese
It’s a Thursday night, and twenty people have gathered on Zoom to discuss theology and ethics. Participants – mostly lay people – join from across New Hampshire. The conversation is lively, thoughtful, and often punctuated by laughter.
This is the Seminar in Theology and Ethics, part of a new initiative from the Diocese of New Hampshire’s School for Ministry (SFM): Theology for All – a series of courses open to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Christian faith and practice.
Led by the Rev. Joe Pagano, one of the Deans of the School for Ministry, the 10-week course reflects an intentional broadening of the SFM’s mission. For the past five years, the School has focused primarily on training those preparing for ordination or lay preaching certification. Theology for All expands that work – creating space for anyone in the Diocese who is curious, engaged, and eager to grow.
Participants say the experience is already making a meaningful impact.
“As a result of the class, I’ve found myself looking at familiar things in a different way,” said Karla Tolomeo of Church of the Good Shepherd. “It’s enriching how I understand both Christian ethics and my role in the church community.”
Others note how the course is shaping their experience of worship.
“Last Sunday’s Eucharistic prayer took on extra meaning,” said Ray Morton-Ewbank of Church of the Transfiguration in Derry, “recalling our recent discussion and seeing how it connects to our shared spiritual story.”
For some, the course offers a chance to re-engage with theological study after many years.
“The class has been enormously stimulating,” said the Rev. John McCausland, a retired priest who worships with St. Andrew’s in Hopkinton. “It’s been hard to keep up with academic theology since seminary, and this fills a real gap. The readings and discussion are just what I need.”
Participants are even joining from beyond the Diocese.
“I’m grateful to be part of this learning adventure,” said Gary Yacono, a deacon in formation from the Diocese of Newark. “It’s been informative, engaging, and a pleasure to connect with people from New Hampshire.”
For Dr. Pagano, the course affirms something important: that serious theological engagement is not limited to specialists.
“We are reading works by two of today’s leading theologians,” he said, “and our experience shows that we can read serious theology, seriously. It’s not just for ‘experts,’ and it doesn’t need to be simplified. People can learn together and grow together.”
That spirit of shared learning is at the heart of Theology for All – and it’s just beginning.
In the words of Karla Tolomeo, “Since the class, I have found myself looking at familiar things in a different way, enriching how I view both Christian ethics and my role in the church community. Joe is an extremely knowledgeable and organized facilitator who presents thoughtful questions for discussion based on the readings.”
For those who have taken part so far, the impact is clear: deeper understanding, renewed engagement, and a stronger connection to faith, worship, and one another. The next Theology For All course, What on Earth Should I Do? Useful Pastoral Care Techniques for Lay People, begins June 1. Find out more here.
Photo: the Rev. Joe Pagano teaching.
Micah 6 Commission: A Year of Building Relationships for Local Justice
When the Most Reverend Michael Curry, 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, travelled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire last February to speak along with Bishop Rob at the Black Heritage Trail of NH’s celebrated “Tea Talk,” it was a perfect example of the power of the Micah 6 initiative and how it brings people and organizations together in the name of social justice. The event was held in a synagogue, was open to all, and drew a large audience who were thirsty for wisdom and encouragement. The Bishops didn’t disappoint. Their vastly different experiences growing up, their bond of friendship, and their shared faith made for interesting conversation, storytelling and ways to further racial justice. The crowd was mesmerized. This is one example of how the Micah 6 Commission – just one year into its existence – is shaping how the Episcopal Church of NH is taking action with partner organizations.
Now just one year since its formation in April 2025, the Micah 6 Commission is making strides. The Commission was formed as a way to streamline and empower parishes to take action against racism, economic inequity, and environmental degradation. The work is guided by the principles of Micah 6:8, which emphasizes the importance of doing justice, being kind, and walking humbly with God.
“Micah 6 is a guiding call for how we live our faith and baptismal covenant,” says Commission Chair Derek Scalia. “Our world is hurting, and people are yearning for points of light and relief. Through this work, we seek to embody the call to do justice.”
Created to combine our local efforts around reconciliation, earth care, educational equity, and reparations, Micah 6 has found a sibling in the Global Missions Committee, which focuses on international social justice work, while Micah 6 focuses on New Hampshire organizations already doing critical justice work.Rather than creating new programs, Micah 6 focuses on building relationships with these current initiatives. These partnerships reflect shared learning, mutual respect, and a commitment to long-term impact. Among its early collaborations:
Supporting Black Heritage Trail of NH “Tea Talks,” fostering dialogue on race and history
Partnering with the NH Fair Funding Project to advocate for equitable education
Advancing environmental stewardship through the New England Episcopal Path to Creation Justice initiative
John Rowntree, parish treasurer at Good Shepherd Church in Nashua, urges Episcopalians to consider joining churches in Claremont, Keene and Londonderry that are currently participating in the New England Episcopal Path to Creation Justice , a program which provides support and tools to parishes committed to addressing the climate crisis. Rowntree says the Micah 6 Commission contributed a three-year grant to support them. Says Rowntree, “We have done multiple projects to reduce our 148-year-old church’s carbon footprint, including insulation, improving our historic church windows, changing lightbulbs and implementing 35 solar panels. It feels really good to make a difference and helps us be strong financial stewards because we have reduced our energy costs.”
The Commission is made up of 12 members in addition to Bishop Rob. The Commission meets monthly and has held two major planning sessions over the last year.
It has also helped distribute $85,000 in Coit House funds, administered through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, to support a wide range of community organizations – from childcare centers and summer camps to youth programs and family services.
At its core, the Micah 6 Commission is grounded in the belief that justice work begins in relationships.
“We are not here to solve every problem,” Commission leaders note. “We are here to listen, to accompany, and to support the work already unfolding in our communities.”
This relational approach is already strengthening parish life across the Diocese. By sharing stories, connecting congregations to opportunities, and deepening engagement, the Commission is helping Episcopalians live out their call to justice in tangible ways.
As the Commission enters its second year, it is building a more intentional structure to sustain and grow this work: strengthening communication, aligning resources, and supporting parishioners in integrating justice, mercy, and humility into every aspect of ministry.
Ultimately, the Micah 6 Commission is an invitation: to listen more deeply, to partner more intentionally, and to participate more fully in the work of healing and justice across New Hampshire. Commission members believe that justice takes root most fully when nurtured in parish communities that pray, learn, and serve together. They are committed to ensuring that the wisdom gained becomes a resource for congregations seeking to deepen their own ministries of justice. These faithful committee members believe that sharing stories and opportunities strengthens parish life and inspires local action rooted in the Gospel.
To share your stories of social justice work at your church or to find out more about Micah 6 please email Derek Scalia at dnascalia@gmail.com.
Top - Micah 6 Committee members at a planning meeting; bottom left - solar panels on the roof of the Good Shepherd complex in Nashua; bottom right - Tea Talk with Most Rev. Michael Curry, in Portsmouth.
In the News: “Episcopal church transforms sanctuary into immigrant-focused art gallery.”
As reported in the Union Leader: A new art exhibit showcasing the immigrant experience goes on display at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Londonderry tonight. “We’re turning the church into an art gallery,” said the Rev. Colin Chapman.
As reported in the Union Leader: A new art exhibit showcasing the immigrant experience goes on display at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Londonderry tonight. “We’re turning the church into an art gallery,” said the Rev. Colin Chapman.
The exhibit, entitled “Our Neighbors, Ourselves,” is part of a string of programs designed to draw attention to the state of immigration in New Hampshire and nationwide, Chapman said. The spark for the idea came last summer from Chapman and seminarian Kathy Boss, who were inspired in part by some of the news stories about family separation at the southern border the year prior…
Bearing Witness at the Border in El Paso
Less than one week before the August 3 killing spree at Walmart in El Paso, I participated in a “Moral Monday” vigil at the border, coordinated by Rev. Dr. William Barber and several local organizations. I arrived in El Paso on Sunday, July 28, answering a clarion call to witness at the border.
By The Rev. Canon Gail Avery, Canon for Transition and Community Engagement
THREE MASS SHOOTINGS IN A WEEK — Gilroy California, El Paso Texas, and Dayton Ohio. In our culture of hate and violence, how does one follow Jesus?
Less than one week before the August 3 killing spree at Walmart in El Paso, I participated in a “Moral Monday” vigil at the border, coordinated by Rev. Dr. William Barber and several local organizations.
I arrived in El Paso on Sunday, July 28, answering a clarion call to witness at the border. My sense of urgency to visit the border between the US and Mexico had been growing since being waved through a Border Patrol checkpoint in North Woodstock, NH two years ago. A white woman driving alone, I was literally waved through the checkpoint, with no stopping. I couldn’t help but wonder, what if I had been traveling with my daughter-in-law (who is Salvadoran) or my two beautiful biracial grandchildren? I suspect that if I had been, we would have been noticed. We would have been stopped and asked to answer many questions.
VIGIL AT THE BORDER
At a mass gathering the night before the vigil, we heard from a number of faith leaders. The message of Inman Omar Sulelman was particularly powerful. He said we need to be listening to our holy texts. The Quran says “We are called to welcome those who migrate to us.” In the Hebrew Bible there are 36 passages that speak of welcoming the alien in our midst. “Our faiths are on trial,” he said. “So is our nation and our humanity.”
Who do we want to be as a country? And how can we get there, together? Inman Sulelman concluded by saying that we need to SHOW UP, STAND UP, and VOTE UP.
Monday morning, over 500 people from across the United States, including Steve Ekerberg, a parishioner of St. Steven’s Pittsfield and Candidate for Holy Orders to the Diaconate, and I took part in the vigil.
Approaching a US detention center and speaking through a small call box, clergy asked permission to enter the detention center to offer pastoral care to our people. Clergy’s request to visit with those detained was denied. Anticipating this, the organizers of the vigil had crossed the border into Juarez, Mexico earlier to visit migrant families living in a nearby refugee camp. What they saw and heard was horrific as well as illuminating.
In our US detention centers, children as young as four years old are cutting themselves (often understood as a coping mechanism for people under extreme emotional distress) and shoe laces are being removed from people’s sneakers to prevent strangulation. Men in the El Paso detention center are participating in a hunger strike to protest human rights violations and the poor living conditions.
A congressman later told me that while conditions aren’t great in Mexico, they are far better than what’s being provided in the United States. When asked why the difference, a Mexican authority said, ‘In your country you fear immigrants. We don’t. We’re happy to have them.” I also learned that the US Government is not providing any aid or support. We are depositing the people we’re deporting into Mexico and expecting Mexico to care for them. Independent shelters and faith communities are an integral part of that care since immigrants in Mexico are not looked upon as criminals.
Ready to do my part, I also attended a non-violent civil disobedience training offered by the vigil organizers. I was willing to show up and stand up — not necessarily to be arrested, but to arrest the injustices that our nation is committing. Arm bands were handed out — green for those who chose to witness and yellow for those prepared to participate in civil disobedience. Using a black sharpie, I even wrote the number for jail support on my arm.
At the last moment, before embarking on our vigil, we were instructed to take off our armbands. The shooting in Gilroy had happened the night before and there were concerns about counter-protestors. Fear was even building that our civil disobedience would be looked upon as possible treason, carrying a 5-year minimum jail sentence.
But in taking off the armband, I could feel something change in the room…it felt like we were unified — truly and finally one. One against the injustice and inhumane treatment of God’s creation. This is not a question of political right or left, but of following Jesus on the path of right versus wrong.
MURDER IN EL PASO
I returned safely to New Hampshire four days before the mass shooting. The Custom Border Patrol detention center where Steve Ekerberg and I gathered with hundreds of others was just 2.3 miles from the Walmart where Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old white male, had openly fired upon “Hispanics,” citing genocide as a pathway to sustainability. Our hotel was only 2.2 miles away.
After the President’s speech declaring that hatred has no place in America, I noticed words cascading down the right side of my computer screen. The black ribbons of words were chats coming from the YouTube feed I was watching. I was appalled and saddened by the hate that the chats were spewing. Most were blaming the “democRats” for the violence and hate in our country.
The vitriolic rhetoric was uncannily similar to the anti-immigrant manifesto that the mass-shooter in El Paso had posted minutes before firing into the crowds at a Walmart, killing 22 people and wounding 26 others. The 4-page document said that politicians from both parties were to blame for the United States “rotting from the inside out” and that “the heavy Hispanic population will make us a democratic strong hold.” He concluded, “If we can get rid of enough people [the Hispanics] then our way of life can be more sustainable.”
Clearly, this attack was a response to what the shooter called “The Hispanic Invasion of Texas.” If carried out fully, my son, his wife, and their two biracial children — an Air Force family stationed in San Antonio, two hours away from the shooter’s home — would have been targeted. My daughter-in-law’s entire family lives in Houston, fleeing El Salvador in the 1980s after being targeted there. They are now US citizens, but would have been a target as well — again. Today, if they approached our border seeking political asylum, our nation would tell them — GO HOME.
BACK HOME: PRAYER AND ACTION
A week later, back home, I attended another vigil: the Interfaith Prayer Vigil and Jericho Walk for Immigrant Justice.
This is a regular vigil that occurs bi-monthly at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office located at the Norris Cotton Building in Manchester. We gather on days that immigration cases are being heard. We begin in prayer and song, and then walk seven times around the building praying for the walls of injustice to come tumbling down.
That day, the vigil was attended by more people than usual. I believe each of us is seeking hope and justice — hope and justice that I’m convinced more than ever can only be found together, which our closing song expresses so well:
Rise as One
by Aaron Fowler
We will march as one
We will stand as one
We will rise as one (repeat)
REFRAIN
We will rise as one. We will rise as one
Working hand in hand, we will rise as one.
We will dance…sing…, REFRAIN
We will laugh….cry…., REFRAIN
We will fight…..win…, REFRAIN
May our country find inner strength to be one, and work hand-in-hand in taking care of each other, including those who migrate to us.