Stewardship Witness: Finding Community

BENNY: Why do we love St. Paul’s and why do we choose to be generous? For my brother and me, it’s about finding a church that respects us enough to let us find our own path – and about finding a community of people who support one another along the way.

 GABE: We came from a denomination that on the one hand taught peace, social justice and giving to the poor but during the last elections actively supported laws such as Prop 8 that would take rights away from others. When my brother and I spoke out against what we saw as the church’s hypocrisy–-- and I must confess, going so far as to tear down the church’s Prop 8 signs --– sorry mom --– we were made to feel like outsiders. 

 BENNY: When our views became known at the religious school I attended, kids started to bully me. I was constantly tormented and verbally abused my fellow classmates including being hit in the face by basketballs leading to broken braces and a bleeding mouth. Just because we supported the rights of all people, they got other kids at church camp to torment me and call me “gay” – even though I’m not. Although one of the bully’s was taught a lesson -- thanks to my brother – when the church administration refused to do anything about it, my parents decided to send me to public school. I walked out of the school and the church that ran it and vowed never to return. 

GABE: Our family began searching for a different faith community and finally found St. Paul’s. The very first Sunday I visited made me feel at home when I heard the words: there is no such thing as a visitor or a guest, but rather everyone is in the building is in the family. I instantly felt at home. I was greeted by Robert Heylman, who listened to my story and gave me his Equality California pin, which I proudly wear on my Scout uniform to this day. 

Gabe and Benny Hulbert inspect
the organ restoration project

 BENNY: So while my mom, dad and brother were happy at St. Paul’s, I wasn’t ready to trust a church quite yet. I could not be hurt and tormented like that again. A couple more months went by and after hearing over and over how different St. Pauls was, I finally agreed to check it out for myself. What a difference! St. Paul’s spoke the prayers in a language that I could clearly understand, taught lessons in a detailed yet entertaining way, had homilies that were relatable to my life, music that does not bore my ears to death, and most of all, did not force any beliefs on me, giving an open and inclusive learning environment where I could find my own path.

GABE: If there was any lingering doubt that we had found a new home, it was erased when my family faced its greatest time of need: Two years ago, our father suffered a near fatal heart attack while biking. By some miracle a policeman found him on the side of the road and got him to the hospital. After the doctor informed us that he might die, she told us to call a priest, and our beloved Dean came straight to the hospital with faith and love. He prayed with us and made us feel better despite our very real fear that our father might not make it.

 BENNY: In the following days and weeks, more and more people from the Cathedral – some of whom we barely knew -- came to the hospital and took care of my brother and me with food and help and rides. The kind of compassion that we received was unlike any other on the face of the Earth. You were there when we needed you most. You helped revive my father and in the process, revived my faith in God through my new church.

 GABE: We’ve also been given many great opportunities to give back through the church. In fact, just the other day, the Bishop saw me and introduced me as the “genius” who re-landscaped the Cathedral with drought tolerant plants. Well actually WE ALL did that thanks to your labor and financial support, but it’s still cool that the Bishop knows who I AM! What a switch – we came from a church where we got in trouble for tearing down their Prop 8 signs to a church where the Bishop calls me a GENIUS!

 BENNY: Because of the love we have for St. Paul’s and all that it has done for our family, my brother and I have decided to pledge this year. We are each going to give a portion of our allowance to St. Paul’s every week because we want everyone to know what it’s like to be at a church were ALL people, no matter where you are on your journey of faith, even if it’s been temporarily derailed, are welcomed and affirmed. That’s the Jesus that I want to follow, and one day, the Jesus I want my own kids to know as well.

Gabe Hulbert
Benny Hulbert