Since I joined this church over a decade ago, I have thought of myself as a member. When did I become a member? It was at my first Spring Mysteries seeing the Gods appear at Parade to the Sea. Tears started streaming down my face, and I knew that I had found my Wiccan family. It wasn’t about paying a membership or doing a certain service. It was about what happened in my heart when I saw the Great Work to which I could devote myself. It was my own decision that this was the family for whom I had been looking.

In the great struggle that all Wiccan institutions face of keeping the lights on and paying the bills, this church has been through many incarnations of membership and what it means. In this endeavor, I have learned something really important about membership to a church. It’s not about how much money you pay, or how often you attend, where you live, or even the people involved. It’s about how you feel about the work being done and your desire to be a part of that Great Work. It’s a commitment you make in your heart. It’s something that can’t be given or taken away.

Membership to a church is between you and your Gods.

So, we have reorganized the membership program, where we asked for you to offer $10 a month to the church. By making membership based on a flat $10 a month rate we have discouraged those that would give more from giving more, and caused those that found $10 a month to be a hardship to feel undervalued. It was another great attempt at solving a huge problem. It’s just not working.

Instead, what I am asking you now is to donate what you can to the Mother Church and her many affiliates and subsidiaries. There are so many hands doing the work of the Gods, and so few dollars to support this work. Most of our Priests and Priestesses have no other choice but to fund their ministry completely out of their own household budgets. The average Christian family donates $80 monthly to their church. With those kinds of donations we could create budgets that would allow us to host more open circles, and public temples, and in the future provide schools, women’s shelters and hospital ministries.

Let me introduce what I hope is a solution: a website that allows you to donate on a level that is comfortable for you. You can give easily online – a dollar now, and a dollar later, or a monthly donation that fits into your own personal budget. If all you can give is a few dollars here and there, then please consider that if everyone who reads this letter gives a few dollars here and there, we will have the funds to operate the church for another month. Give what you can, anything you can.

With a little financial planning you will be able to choose a monthly gift and work it into your budget. $5 or $10 dollars a month goes a long way when there are many people doing it. Larger donations go even further. Many of you support the church’s ministry, but don’t have time to serve. Instead, support those who do. Let those who do have time know how important their work is to you by giving financially, so that our generation of witches can do more for the Goddess and Her people.

Here’s the link: https://aquatabch.infellowship.com.

If you’re not already signed up as a member, please do so. We need the information should you need the proof in the future (such as for taxes). This software makes it easy to received a tax letter, and allows you to choose to donate your money to several different ATC ministries. If your ATC Ministry isn’t listed and you would like it to be, please email me.

Guys, this transition has been difficult on all of us. The bank accounts are showing it. Please help us out.

Thank you for your generosity, and thank you so much for being a member of this great family.