“‘This is not your grandmother’s Episcopal church… but there are some wonderful grandparents at this congregation.”
The Cleveland Scene profiles Trinity Cathedral’s dean, the Very Reverend Tracey Lind, in its July 27 issue, highlighting the ways she has brought the world into the church and the church into the world. It’s perhaps an appropriate week to profile her – in 2008, she gave the invocation prior to a Democratic presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (see Cafe story here).
Before coming to Cleveland, Lind, who holds a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from the Honors College at the University of Toledo, a master’s of community planning from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York, served as associate rector of Christ Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and then as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in multi-cultural Paterson, New Jersey. That work prepped her well for the move to yet another urban environment.
The cathedral holds themed masses with gospel, rock and jazz music; it works with a local concert promoter to bring rock bands into the space and even hosted comedian Sandra Bernhard. (The “early bird specials” refer to the more traditional 8:00 services.)
“We’re working with [the local promoter] Elevation on a project called Cathedral Concerts and the idea is to find the intersection between sacred space and popular music,” she says one afternoon from her spacious office that looks out on Prospect Avenue. “The world is changing and the fastest changing demographic among Americans is called ‘nones,’ people with no affiliation. The concerts for us are a way to introduce people to our sacred space and allow them to experience the holy on their own terms. Some people experience the divine in contemporary music and in traditional rock ‘n’ roll and jazz and bluegrass and Americana.”
Photo is from the Very Reverend Tracey Lind’s blog, Interrupted by God.
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I met the Very Reverend Tracy Lind in New York several years ago. Since then, I have followed her ministry to the broken city of Cleveland. For many, Cleveland is still in an economic depression.
At the cathedral there , she is providing nothing less than ‘in your face’ ministry to people of color and other communities still on the margins of the American Dream. The cathedral has become a center of activism and hope for many in Cleveland who feel left behind.
She is a steady and passionate disciple of Christ’s Word. I admire her a great deal.
Trinity is one of the biggest reasons that my husband, daughter and I could never leave Cleveland. It grounds us and guides us – and makes us smile and laugh. If you are in the area, come join us. All are truly welcome.