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Gail Bindley-Taylor
Nominee for: Standing Committee, Lay Person
Please describe your current involvement in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut using first person, narrative language.
I have been a member of St. Paul’s on the Green in Norwalk for almost twenty years and during that time have served in a number of leadership and ministry roles within the parish community. Most recently, I completed three years as Co-Warden and stepped off the Vestry following a significant transitional period in the life of the parish. During that time, we experienced the retirement of our beloved rector of twenty-six years, the calling of a Priest-in-Charge, and eventually the calling of a new rector. While this period brought challenges, adjustment, and loss for many within the congregation, our strong lay leadership helped sustain the parish community, which is now thriving and continuing to grow in new and different ways.
During my time as Co-Warden, I also chaired the Stewardship Committee, where I worked with others to rethink and strengthen our culture of giving. Together, we built an active and committed stewardship team, developed a narrative budget process, organized three successful stewardship campaigns, and helped move the parish from deficit budgeting to a balanced budget. Equally important to me was helping to cultivate new leadership within the committee so that the work could continue successfully after my tenure.
In addition to these leadership roles, I continue to serve in a variety of ministries within the parish. I am a lector, usher, anointer, and member of the healing team and pastoral care team, and I currently serve as Chair of the Justice Ministry. With the support of our new rector, I helped establish the Justice Ministry and cultivate a leadership team that has continued to grow and expand its work. Among other initiatives, the ministry has established seven Sacred Ground Circles and has engaged in work related to housing insecurity, support for unhoused members of our community, prison ministry re-entry efforts, and, more recently, immigration support efforts. Beyond Sunday ministry, I volunteer weekly in the church office, assisting with nametags and the card ministry, which sends birthday and anniversary cards to parishioners.I value deeply the relationships formed through these ministries and enjoy helping ministries grow, adapt, and flourish.
At the diocesan level, I am also an active member of the Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Ministry Network and have participated as a presenter at the last two ECCT Spring Trainings.
Overall, I care deeply about collaborative ministry, strong lay leadership, and helping communities navigate change in thoughtful and faithful ways. I would welcome the opportunity to bring those experiences to this committee.
Our church borders two other faith communities, the Congregational Church and the Jewish Beth El Synagogue. In recent years, through the work of the Justice Ministry, we have intentionally reached out to these congregations, as well as to Grace Baptist Church, in an effort to move our work beyond the walls of our own church and to embrace the wider community in which we live.
Together, we have invited participation in celebrations and educational events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Red Dress Day, Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month, among others. I believe these collaborations provide important opportunities for shared learning and celebration across our different faith traditions while strengthening relationships within the broader community.
Our Justice Ministry under my stewardship has also developed partnerships with Glory Bound and Open Doors Shelter, two local organizations that support individuals who are unhoused or experiencing homelessness in our community. In March alone, we donated more than 400 pounds of food to the Open Doors food pantry during a period when supplies are traditionally low. I also organized hat, glove, and scarf drives for Glory Bound, and created three teams of parishioners who prepare food bags for distribution on the streets and at local train stations on the first and fourth Saturdays of each month. In addition, we invite members of our congregation to assist with distribution efforts on the fourth Sunday of every month.
The Justice Ministry has also become engaged in issues surrounding affordable housing through our support of Open Communities Alliance, a civil rights organization that works to address generations of discriminatory housing policies and practices based on race, ethnicity, and income. Their work seeks to create more open and inclusive housing opportunities in historically exclusionary communities while promoting investment and equitable policy change in under-resourced communities of color.
In recent months, we have also begun focused work on immigration issues, forming a substantive ministry group to address the many challenges facing immigrants in our midst. This work became especially personal for our congregation after our assistant sexton was detained and deported by ICE. Since then, we have worked alongside human rights organizations, community activists, lawyers, and civil rights groups — including Good Trouble — on initiatives such as court accompaniment, family preparedness, and advocacy for immigrant families within our community.
We have also been reaching out to other like-minded justice ministries in neighboring parishes, including St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, where members of our Sacred Ground groups have begun participating in quarterly “Courageous Conversations” focused on difficult and often divisive issues. Most recently, with the rector’s support, I invited Braver Angels to help members of our parish engage more deeply in constructive dialogue across differences. We expect this work to continue and expand over the summer months. I have played an active role in all of these initiatives, facilitating dialogue, fostering connections, and participating directly in our work across these different areas of ministry and outreach.
I believe I am well suited to this position for a number of reasons. First, I am a cradle Anglican with deep roots in both the Anglican and Episcopal traditions, having grown up with a father who was a parish priest and a stepfather who was a bishop. As a result, I have a strong understanding of the canons, culture, and traditions of the Church, as well as a deep respect for its values of inclusivity and its belief that God’s love has no exceptions. I also value the Episcopal tradition of encouraging thoughtful questioning and discernment in matters of faith.
At the same time, I feel deeply grounded in the Anglo-Catholic tradition in which I was raised. My mother’s roots were in the Roman Catholic Church, and she raised her children with a respect for both traditions and the richness they bring to spiritual life.
I feel strongly called to serve the Church as a way of honoring my baptismal covenant, particularly the call to “serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself,” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” These are values I seek to live out daily through both my faith and my work in the community.
Professionally, I worked for the United Nations for thirty years in the field of public information, both at Headquarters and in the field in Ethiopia and Eritrea. That international experience broadened my worldview and strengthened my communication, administrative, and interpersonal skills. As a woman of color, a feminist, and someone from a small island developing state, I bring a perspective shaped by lived experience, cultural diversity, and a deep commitment to human rights, integrity, and respect for difference.
I believe I would bring to this position not only strong administrative and communication skills, but also the ability to listen carefully, discern thoughtfully, collaborate effectively, and continue learning where there are areas in which I do not yet have expertise. I am comfortable working consultatively with others and offering thoughtful guidance when needed.
In addition, I have served on at least three parish discernment committees for individuals exploring a call to ordained ministry, an experience that has deepened my understanding of the Church, the discernment process, and the importance of careful and compassionate listening.
I am also always willing to learn and grow through the positions I take on. I value collaboration, work well as part of a team, and believe I have both the faith perspective and the life experience to contribute meaningfully to this role.