Sally Fox Looks to the Future with Hope

Sally FoxSally Fox has led a life of purpose, focus, and balance. Her relationship with The Christian Community began over 30 years ago, when she was living in New York City and searching for a spiritual path.

Sally generously invited a new friend, who had just returned from Emerson College, to use her apartment while Sally went on a business trip to Africa.  Later, that friend invited her to attend a Eurythmy performance.  “I couldn’t believe it but at the concert I ran into a woman, Beverly Burns, who had been my best friend at summer camp many years ago.  We became fast friends again. Beverly was a teacher at the New York City Waldorf School and introduced me to Steiner’s work and to The Christian Community.”

“I was skeptical about Christ,” Sally admitted. “But during my first experience of The Consecration of the Human Being I found myself rising up from my seat and walking up to the altar to receive the Sacrament.  The moment of receiving the Sacrament was very powerful for me – I knew there was a presence in the room.  I surprised myself by discovering that I wanted a relationship with Christ.  I decided to check out the Church more and started attending services.”

Over the next year as Sally attended The Consecration of the Human Being, she sat quietly and meditated. “I was very concerned that the priests not turn out to be hypocrites,” she said. “I watched everything. No one ever pressured me to believe anything.  And the more I watched, the more respect I had for the humility and wisdom of the priests.”

Eventually, Sally left the city to pursue an MBA at Yale.  “Living away from the City made my desire to be part of The Christian Community even clearer.  After a conversation with Gisela Wielki, one of the New York City priests, Sally chose to become a member.

“Ever since those days in New York, I’ve not had the luxury of living in a town with a Christian Community church.  I live near Seattle now and attend services when I can in Vancouver, and feel a part of that congregation. Sometimes Susan Locey, the priest from Vancouver, celebrates The Consecration of the Human Being in Seattle.  It means so much to me.”

Sally really appreciates the community and loves the priests.  “Through all these years, I have never lost my feeling for what is happening at the altar.” Sally said. “My husband, Steve Brown, isn’t much of a church-going guy, and when we attend services together it is primarily for me, but he really respects The Christian Community, enjoys the Vancouver community and has become quite a supporter.”

Currently Sally works as an independent consultant coaching mid-career professionals to communicate and lead through her firm Engaging Presence.  “I try to help people feel a renewed sense of purpose at work – to find an empowering story that helps them make sense of their work.  I never say this publicly, but if I can help the light of Christ come into the world, even a little, through my work, I’ll be happy.”

When it came to creating a will, Sally and Steve included The Christian Community in their planned giving.  “We both know that the Church is not affluent, and will use resources carefully and well. Every dollar counts. There is no excess.”

Writing a will was challenging, Sally admits, because it forces you to address your own mortality.  However, it also gives you an opportunity to have conversations about what is important to you and what impact you would like to have after you are gone.

“Steve and I have a simple will,” Sally said. “We’ll leave part of our estate to his kids.  I don’t have children so in deciding where to give, I considered what in my life has had the most meaning to me.  The Church was an obvious choice because it has been an anchor in my life, a constant over the past 30 years.”

In donating to The Christian Community, one isn’t just giving to an organization. “I like to think that we are also planting seeds for the future,” Sally said. “I hope that by giving money to the Church we can further the opening for Christ’s work here.  That means so much to me.”

If you are interested in having a conversation about how you can plant seeds for the future, please contact: Trish Mooney, Giving Coordinator at giving@thechristiancommunity.org, 301-996-5656

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