To our readers,

I listen to a lot of public radio. Mostly because of the programming but partly because radio advertising drives me nuts. And in metropolitan New York there are many choices. I can listen to NPR, classical music, blues or jazz commercial free. Given many of the alternatives, this is a great blessing. But it occurred to me that in the three years I’ve lived here, I’ve never donated to public radio. When I lived in Baltimore I used to give every year. But between having two young kids, a stimulating but demanding vocational life, and the fact that whenever there’s a fund drive I switch stations, I’ve just never gotten around to it. I enjoy the benefits but I’m not contributing my share. I’m a public radio leech.

As with public radio, it’s easy to take The Episcopal New Yorker for granted. It shows up every two months full of interesting news, well-written feature articles, challenging viewpoints, and stories about your work of ministry in New York and throughout the world. It is the one communication tool received by every member of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Its pages help bind this diverse diocese together, serving as a source of unity for us all.

And like public radio, we need your financial support to continue excellence in communications. A portion of your diocesan assessment is allocated to The Episcopal New Yorker. But this only covers your core expenses. Additional contributions enable us to better tell the story of this diocese and offer a compelling local take on national issues. I bid you to prayerfully consider making a generous donation to The Episcopal New Yorker, using the enclosed envelope.*

In the Episcopal Diocese of New York we are blessed with a strong Director of Communications, a gifted Editor, and a dedicated and talented volunteer Editorial Advisory Board. The Episcopal New Yorker is an award-winning publication – we received nine awards at the 2005 Episcopal Communicators Conference this year – and your donations will empower us to make this
newspaper even better.

I’ll even make you a deal. You send in a donation to The Episcopal New Yorker and I’ll finally make a pledge to public radio.

In Christ,

The Rev. Timothy E. Schenck, Chair
The Episcopal New Yorker Editorial Advisory Board