Note: This article first appeared in the November 2025 version of This Month at St. Paul’s.
Click here to read it.
During our 2025 vestry retreat, the Rev’d Matt Babcock challenged us to “Make Church Medieval Again.” He had in mind the role parish churches played in Medieval England. Certainly, they functioned as houses of worship, but they were also the place where social connections were cemented, community identity formed, and a sense of place was established. Churches were at the center of community life—physically, economically, and socially. Fr. Matt was making the case for restoring that sense of the centrality of the Church in making connections and being a center of community life.
While we cannot reorient all of Greenville to have St. Paul’s as its center, we can help foster community in the places that we live. Chances are you live within walking distance of other St. Paul’s parishioners. During this fall and winter, we will be facilitating gatherings within your neighborhood for you and other St. Paul’s parishioners. The only purpose of these gatherings is to create space for building community with your fellow parishioners—right where you live. We are calling this initiative Love your Neighbor(hood).
On the surface, Love your Neighbor(hood) groups are an opportunity to build connections with others in our Church. But at a deeper level, they are an opportunity to share in the same connection that we experience when we gather around the altar—also known as the Holy Table—every Sunday morning. They are an extension and reflection of that fellowship that we share in the Holy Eucharist.
Your Neighbor(hood) Shepherd will be reaching out via Realm, so now is a great time to make sure your contact information is up-to-date!
You can do that by visiting our Realm page
, or by going to www.stpaulsepiscopal.com, hovering over “Connect” in the top bar, and clicking “Go to Realm.” This will take you directly to the login page.
You are a part of what makes St. Paul’s a unique and beautiful community, and our gatherings will be at a loss without you! We hope that you will join your Love your Neighbor(hood) gathering and consider hosting one, as well.
Christ’s peace,
Fr. Josiah Daniels
View profile for The Rev’d Josiah Daniels
The Rev’d Josiah Daniels
Associate Rector
View profile
for The Rev’d Josiah Daniels
The Rev’d Josiah Daniels
The Rev’d Josiah Daniels
Associate Rector
Josiah was raised as a pastor’s kid in the Church of the Nazarene. Sensing a call to ministry early on, he studied theology, philosophy, and Greek at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City. He received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in 2015; joined the Episcopal church at St. Peter’s (Charlotte) in 2016; and received his diploma of Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2022. He was drawn to the Episcopal Church’s liturgy and its commitment to including those who are often excluded from the fullness of the Church’s life. Josiah and his wife, Riley Beetner, love listening to live music, spending time outside, and debating how many treats their 10-year-old rescue pup, Nilla, deserves.
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