The Rev. Alexis Chase asked to lead Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in east Atlanta because it is where she finds God. Half of the parishioners of this small congregation in Ormewood Park have a mental illness. “God has called every member of our congregation to do something awesome and my goal is to figure out what that might be,” said Chase, who was ordained a priest in June and took over as Holy Comforter’s vicar a month later. The first few weeks have been a bit like drinking from a fire hose, Chase said, meeting people, figuring out her logon, etc. But her enthusiasm for the job comes across loud and clear. “This is a very special place,” she said, “and I am pumped to be here.”
Q: How did Holy Comforter come to draw so many people with mental illness?
A: First and foremost, we welcome anyone and everyone to be a part of our community. In the 1980s, the church created a day program called The Friendship Center. The priest at the time realized that a lot of the day centers for people struggling with mental illness would be closing. He said, something needs to happen and I think it can happen here. That was amazing and so cool.
Q: What does The Friendship Center offer?
A: We have two nurses on staff who provide support. We offer food, an art program, woodworking, a gardening program, yoga and music. We have this massive organic garden which I mostly appreciate because I can walk out and steal tomatoes.
Q: Are most of the people who come to the day program members of your church?
A: The overwhelming majority are. A lot of our members live in group homes. We do have a number who transition to living by themselves.
Q: Are you trained to deal with people with mental illness?
A: Beyond being trained as a priest, no. I don’t have a mental health background. But we have lots of people on staff who do.
Q: What is your role?
A: I provide the spiritual support that our parishioners need. I am here for counseling. I do the worship services, the preaching and the teaching.
Q: You officially are called a vicar. What is that?
A: A rector is what we often call a self-supporting and self-sustaining head of a parish. I am a vicar because I am the head of a mission church — the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta gives us a lot of financial and other types of support.
Q: Are you a traditional Episcopal church in other ways?
A: Our worship is very much Episcopal in terms of our liturgy. It is very different in other ways. It is very laid back. It is not always quiet — when I hear children and adults shuffling around, I hear the Holy Spirit at work. This is one of the most diverse congregations I have ever been to.
Q: How many parishioners do you have?
A: Our average Sunday attendance is anywhere between 70 and 90 people. We have a lot of families with no connection to mental illness. They are here because this is where they find God. What we can do, and what we haven’t been dong, is reaching out to the neighborhood and saying, “You are welcome here.”
Q: Are outsiders intimidated when you tell them about your parish’s mission?
A: Yes, that can be intimidating for a new person walking into this church. It is intimidating for a new person to walk into any church. Often we are afraid of what we don’t know. We want to create a welcoming environment where people can ask questions. Often times, we don’t create space for people to wonder together.
Q: What do parishioners with mental illness offer your church?
A: They offer the same thing any other parishioner does — their friendship, their joy, their compassion. All the people here really, really care about being the hands and feet of Christ in the world. They give to the community what they can give.
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