Episcopal Service Corps Maryland was officially founded in 2010 and launched an active program in August 2011. But we really began several years earlier in conversations among those serving with teens and young adults in the Church in Maryland. At the 2nd Summit on the City , the group formally coalesced with a challenge from Bishop Suffragan John Rabb to serve the vulnerable of Baltimore and help change life with them. With affirmation from the Maryland Diocesan Council and a generous grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street, we began planning in earnest and were accepted as a member of the Episcopal Service Corps https://www.episcopalservicecorps.org.
St. Mark’s Church on the Hill, Pikesville https://www.stmarksonthehill.org/, welcomed us to our first home, and interviews and the search for service site partners began. In August 2011, our 5 Pioneers arrived to help bless Gilead House. In August 2012, we welcomed 9 young adults for their Gilead year. It soon became clear that transportation from St. Mark’s to service sites in the City was extraordinarily difficult and at the urging of Bishop Eugene Sutton, conversations began with St. Michael and All Angels https://www.smaa-baltimore.com/ in the Station North neighborhood of the city. In summer 2013 Gileads 2.0 helped to bless the newly refurbished St. Michael House and class 3 began their Gilead Year in August. Gileads 4.0 and 5.0 continued the work in Station North. Gileads 6.0 moved in to a new house in the Mount Vernon neighborhood for a one year partnership with Catholic Charities/ Project Serve. Gileads 7.0 were first residents at the new Gilead Residence at Memorial Church https://memorialepiscopal.org Gileads 8.0 were all young adult professionals living in community at the Residence. Gileads 9.0 included some members of Project Serve, partnering again with Catholic Charities. Gileads 10.0 were called together and served in the middle of the pandemic! Each year is a new chapter with new Gileads and their stories.
Some of our legacy also remained at St. Mark’s Church – as they partner with Episcopal Refugee Immigrant Center Alliance (ERICA) https://www.erica-baltimore.org/, Gilead House at St. Mark’s is now home to refugees and asylees coming to the Baltimore area.
Stories from the Gileads:
