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MISSION & VISION STATEMENT
"We the congregation of
Holy Cross affirm that our
mission is to restore all
people to unity with God
and each other in Christ.
We promise to give
willingly of our time,
talent, and resources,
and to commit our
lives to God’s service
by going out into the
community and the
world to seek and
serve those in need
and to share with them
the Gospel of Christ."

The Rev. Dr. Brian Jemmott - Rector

2005 S Columbia Place
Decatur, Georgia 30032

404-284-1211
Fax 404-284-7706

Email:
office@holy-cross.org

 

Quick Links:

Diocese of Atlanta

The Episcopal Church

The Lectionary Page

 

Rector
The Rev. Dr. Brian A. L. Jemmott

Rector's Email:
rector@holy-cross.org

 

 

FROM THE RECTOR:
Welcome to the Website of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross, Decatur, Georgia, in the Diocese of Atlanta. Thank you for visiting with us. I am extremely delighted that we can share some information about ourselves with you.

Our parish was founded on June 20, 1954 by some of the members of the parish of Holy Trinity also in Decatur. Since then, we have grown to be represented by persons from 21 nations and 26 States of the USA, making us one of Atlanta’s most culturally diverse congregations. Holy Cross is therefore a place where you can encounter a variety of diverse cultures, the wonderful rainbow people of God, and the profound and enduring spirit of the Creator. The camaraderie is exceedingly infectious.

We currently enjoy both traditional and contemporary styles of worship on Sundays. From the second Sunday in September, until the second Sunday in May of each year, our service times are 8:00 and 11:00 AM. Our summer schedule (from the third Sunday in May until the first Sunday in September), we worship at 8:00 and 10:00 AM. Christian Education, both for children and adults is offered each Sunday at 9:30 AM, except during the summer. On  major Feast days as well as on other significant Sundays we have combined worship services, usually meeting at 9:30AM.

Additionally, we recognize and commemorate events like: Black history month in February; Home Coming – the second Sunday in September, when we observe our Feast of Title or Holy Cross Day (September 14); Harvest is also another feast which we celebrate on the second Sunday of November. This is a time to give thanks to God for the many blessings bestowed on God’s people by bringing to the church the first fruits of our harvests as symbols of our blessings. On these Sundays of special observances, we again have joint services, thereby enabling our church family to gather and celebrate God’s love as one people.

Here the love of God also finds expression in our outreach programs. On the evening of the last Friday of each month, our community ministries volunteers gather to assemble the food boxes which we distribute to the needy the following day, beginning at 8:00 AM. Each month this glorious ministry provides food to as many as 100 families in South Dekalb County. In the near future, we anticipate an after school program for elementary and middle school students. In the meantime, however, our parish hall serves as a venue for the meetings of local organizations, as well as a place for receptions and parties for the wider community. If you are ever in the neighborhood, we will be blessed by your presence, and particularly pleased to serve you.

 

RECTOR'S PROFILE:

The Rev. Brian Jemmott was born in Tunapuna, Trinidad, West-Indies. Fr. Brian is the 6th of 7 children. He attended Tunapuna Anglican Primary and Tranquility Government Secondary School in Trinidad & Tobago.

He immigrated to the USA in 1977 on a Track Scholarship to attend Eastern Michigan University. He however graduated from Tougaloo College, Jackson, Mississippi in 1982, with a B.A. in Psychology. At Tougaloo College, he was also a member of the Track team and co-Captained the Soccer team. In Spring, 1980 he was initiated into the oldest Black Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, as a member of the Gamma Upsilon Chapter at Tougaloo.

Fr. Brian has been married to Michelle (nee’ Colastic), since September 5, 1987. They have two sons: Tsekani who attends Morehouse College, Atlanta, and Jelani, a student at Shiloh High School in Snellville, GA, in the Gwinnett County School System. The Jemmotts reside in Snellville, GA.

After graduating from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston Illinois with his M. Div. degree (Master of Divinity) in 1993, Fr. Brian served as curate at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. He also served as the Episcopal Chaplain/Director of the Absalom Jones Student Center & Chapel at the Atlanta University Center.

From December, 2003, to July, 2006, Fr. Brian was the Priest-in-Charge at St. Timothy’s, Church, Decatur, GA, a congregation he also served from 1997-2000 as a non-stipendiary Assisting Priest while he was Chaplain at Absalom Jones. He has also served as priest in the Dioceses of Chicago and Southern Ohio in the last several years.

Prior to his “call” to sacred ministry, he worked in the Government Service of Trinidad & Tobago both as a Social Welfare Officer and an Administrator in the Office of the Prime Minister’s until 1990. Fr. Brian was recently awarded the D. Min. (Doctor of Ministry) degree in Anglican, Global and Ecumenical Studies, from the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA. His doctoral thesis is entitled: Other Sheep I Have: Recognizing God’s Kingdom Beyond the Margins by Celebrating Diversity in the Black Episcopal Church. In May 2011, Father Brian successfully completed the Clergy Leadership Project administered by Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York.