Frequently
Asked Questions:
Where is St. Martin’s by the Lake and how do I get
there?
How do I join St. Martin’s by-the-Lake?
Who do I call for weddings, baptisms, hospital
and shut-in calls, funerals, etc.?
What is the history of St. Martin’s by-the-Lake?
What is the Episcopal Church?
Who was St. Martin?
Where is St. Martin’s by the Lake and how do
I get there?
St. Martin's by-the-Lake is located on
County Road 15, at the corner of Westwood Road, about 4½ miles
west of Wayzata and about ½ mile
east of Navarre. For a map from your location, please click
here.
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How do I join St. Martin’s by-the-Lake?
One becomes a member of St. Martin’s by being baptized into the Christian
faith, or
received or confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Baptism is the basic entry into
Christian
faith, and any baptized person can join S. Martin’s by indicating their
intention to join to
the Rector. We ask you to fill out and submit the “I Want to Join” form
to have your
membership recorded at this parish. If you have not been baptized or confirmed
elsewhere, speak to the clergy. We regularly do baptisms throughout the year,
and hold
confirmation classes for youth and adults annually.
In addition to filling out the form, we ask adults to participate in one of
our Joining or
Inquirer’s classes.
Membership is maintained by attending Sunday worship and contributing to the
financial
support of St. Martin’s, usually through making a pledge (a commitment
to donate).
Friends are persons who wish to be associated with St. Martin’s, receive
mailings, etc.,
but who do not attend or contribute regularly.
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Who do I call for weddings, baptisms, hospital and shut-in calls, funerals,
etc.?
To schedule baptisms, weddings, sick calls, funerals, or any other pastoral
care,
please call or e-mail the church office. One of the clergy will be glad to
discuss any
questions you may have and help in making arrangements. Baptisms and weddings
do
require preparation, so please allow time to meet with clergy.
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What is the history of St. Martin’s by-the-Lake?
St. Martin’s by-the-Lake was built in 1888 by Major and Mrs. Camp. It
was the direct
result of a presentation by the assistant bishop, Mahlon Gilbert, at the Lafayette
Hotel,
now the Lafayette Club. Bishop Gilbert noted that there were large numbers
of people
spending summers on the lake, and he advised them that they were not to take
a vacation
from Christianity when they went on vacation from the city. He directed them
to build a
place of worship. Major Camp was so moved by the presentation that he immediately
donated the land for the chapel.
As weeks passed his generosity continued to grow, and he eventually donated
the entire
building as well. He and his wife were also inspired to this work because they
had had
three children die in infancy. The fourth daughter, Lou, survived into adulthood
and
that autumn was going to be married. The Camps decided to dedicate the chapel
to the
memory of the three children that had died, and in celebration of the marriage
of the
daughter that lived. It was a sign of their faith in God made manifest. We
remember that
faith when we worship here as well.
The architect, Cass Gilbert, was the designer of the Minnesota State Capitol,
the George
Washington Bridge, and the U. S. Supreme Court building, as well as the cousin
of
Bishop Gilbert. He designed the building in “the seaside style of New
England” and
modeled the interior after that of a Stave Church in a museum in Oslo, Norway.
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What is the Episcopal Church? The Episcopal Church is the
American portion of the world-wide Anglican Communion. There are nearly 70
million members of the Anglican household spread
among 38 self-governing churches made up of over 500 diocese, 30,000 parishes,
and
64,000 individual congregations in a total of 164 countries. Historically
the Episcopal
Church comes from the Church of England and a tradition that is considered
to be both
Catholic and Protestant. As such it is often called the via media, or “middle
way.”
St. Martin’s by-the-Lake is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota,
and our diocesan
bishop is the Right Reverend James L. Jelinek.
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Who was St. Martin?
St. Martin was born in what is now Hungary about 316, the son of a Roman military
official. His family was pagan, even though Christianity was growing more popular
with
the conversion of Emperor Constantine. He was drawn toward Christianity as
a child,
and by the age of twelve had told his parents he was interested in becoming
a Christian.
They were not supportive.
At about the age of 15, Martin was enrolled in the Roman army, according to
the standard
recruiting laws. His regiment was transferred to Gaul, now France. It was there
that we
have the story illustrated in our beautiful window. In France, Martin decided
to become a
Christian and entered the catechumenate, the three-year process during which
candidates
were taught the faith in preparation for baptism. Seeing a naked beggar, Martin
was
filled with compassion. He took his sword and cut his cloak in half. Remember
that a
cloak was not the stylish accessory we consider it today. It was your coat
by day and
your blanket by night when you camped out with your fellow soldiers. That night
in a
dream, Jesus appeared to Martin, saying, “When I was naked, Martin clothed
me, and
him only a catechumen!” Martin was baptized and, when his regiment was
to be sent to
war, he asked for release from military service because of his Christian faith.
When he
was accused of cowardice, he offered to go unarmed into the front lines of
battle, putting
himself between the two opposing armies as a soldier for Christ. He was released
from
service and became a follower of St. Hilary, one of the bishops of Gaul. He
became a
hermit, living a strictly disciplined and primarily solitary life, although
he did travel to
preach the Gospel in rural Gaul.
Martin lived a pious and holy life that was so celebrated that in 372 he was
chosen by the
people of Tours to be their next bishop. Although he initially refused, the
people tricked
him into coming to Tours to prepare a sick woman for death, and when he arrived,
they
had him ordained bishop. As bishop he took the often unpopular stand of asking
for
mercy for heretics, rather than demanding their execution. Unlike many of his
episcopal
contemporaries, Martin maintained his monastic lifestyle to the end of his
life, living
simply and tending the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting those in prison,
pleading mercy
for the condemned.
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