News

A Message from Bishop Harmon and Greg Albert

Beloved,

We are overjoyed to announce that after a faithful and prayerful search, The Reverend Canon Andrea McMillin has accepted the call to serve as the next Dean and Rector of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Canon McMillin has deep roots in our community. A native of Little Rock, she was ordained at Trinity Cathedral and served previously as its curate. She is a collaborative leader with extensive experience in parish and diocesan ministry. Her gifts and valuable insights about ministry and the Church will guide us into the next phase of our life together.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Search Committee for their dedication to the Cathedral and its future. Their efforts have truly borne fruit! We also want to extend our thanks to The Reverend Danny Schieffler for his leadership as Interim Vicar. We are grateful, as well, to The Reverend Thomas Alexander for his many contributions, especially as the only full-time clergy member during this transition. We have been blessed by the ministry of The Reverend Susan Payne and The Reverend Peggy Cromwell, along with Deacon Susan Lyons, all of whom have provided tremendous support pastorally, at the altar, and in the pulpit. Additionally, we recognize the committed work of the Cathedral staff, without whom none of this would be possible.

Finally, we are especially grateful to the Cathedral’s Vestry leadership and the unwavering support and prayers of the Cathedral community. May God continue to bless and guide our ministry as we strive to fulfill God's mission for our Cathedral in our diocese and community.

Faithfully in Christ,

Dr. Greg Albert

Senior Warden

The Right Reverend John T. W. Harmon

Bishop of Arkansas

Dean Pro Tempore

Dear Trinity Cathedral,

After many prayers, heartfelt conversations, and deep discernment, it is a joy to say yes to this call and to join you in the vibrant ministry ahead. I can see God’s fingerprints on every step of this journey. Returning to my home diocese and beloved Trinity Cathedral feels like both a homecoming and a fresh beginning, familiar yet new, and filled with promise and the joy of the Spirit at work.

I am deeply grateful to Bishop Harmon, the Vestry, and the Search Committee for your prayerful and grace-filled discernment and for the trust you have placed in me. The Holy Spirit’s steady presence is clearly at work in this place and we are truly blessed to share this journey together.  Watch for a message from me soon, with more dates and details. Please know that you are in my prayers daily and I ask for yours as well for me, my family, and All Saints' in Beverly Hills as we conclude our ministry together here.

Your sister in Christ,

Andrea

The Rev. Canon Andrea McMillin is a seasoned priest and diocesan leader with more than twenty-five years of experience in parish renewal, clergy formation, and organizational leadership.

A lifelong Episcopalian, Andrea grew up in the Diocese of Arkansas, St. Mark’s Little Rock, and Camp Mitchell. After graduating from Yale Divinity School, she was ordained at Trinity Cathedral and served as curate and chaplain at the school.

She currently serves as Priest-in-Charge of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, where she has guided the parish through a long period of healing, growth, and revitalization.

Previously, she served as Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Northern California, managing the diocesan staff and overseeing more than sixty congregations in clergy transitions, leadership development, and disaster recovery. She taught and directed the College for Congregational Development.

Andrea delights in planning beautiful worship and cherishes the depth of Anglican choral and liturgical music. She finds joy in connecting scripture to daily life and inspiring spiritual growth through preaching and teaching.   

Her ministry centers on forming leaders, nurturing vibrant worship, and helping congregations embody the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

The Gold Rush (1925): Silent film with organ improvisation by Jason Roberts

Friday, November 7, 7:00 p.m.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and the Arkansas Cinema Society co-present a screening of The Gold Rush. Organist Jason Roberts will improvise an organ accompaniment to this classic silent film. Visit www.arkansascinemasociety.org  for tickets.

Winner of the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Improvisation, Jason Roberts Roberts is currently the Director of Music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in NYC and keeps an active recital schedule, especially as a silent film improviser.

Costume Carnival (formerly Trunk-or-Treat)

Sunday, October 26, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Chancellor’s Hall (Gym)

Trinity’s annual Halloween celebration with ECEP! Join us for candy, games, fellowship, and a Haunted House hosted by the youth group.

Booth registration deadline: This Friday, Oct 17. If your family or ministry group can host a trick-or-treating booth, please email Tori Tackett at vtackett15@gmail.com

Trinity’s Birthday

Sunday, October 19
following the 10:30 a.m. service

Join us October 19, 2025, The Feast of Dedication, for a party in the Garth. We will have birthday cake, Loblolly Ice Cream & more.

Your completed pledge card* is your gift to the church
and your entry for a chance to win dinner at George’s in the Heights.

*cards mailed out October 13 and available in the church on October 19. The drawing will happen at the pledge in-gathering on November 2.

Students Offer Help to Seniors

The Cathedral Volunteer Initiative is a new program being run through the Episcopal Collegiate School chapter of the National Honor Society. The initiative's goal is to support the community of elderly Episcopal parishioners in Little Rock by having NHS members volunteer to help with any task they may need done.

Whether it is mowing the lawn, changing light bulbs, or moving furniture, NHS members are willing to help completely for free! If you are interested in using this program email Cameron Albert, albertcw91@gmail.com. Include in the email what you need done, what date/time you would like it done, and what location to send our members to. We are excited to provide this opportunity to the Cathedral, and hope we are able to expand to other churches in the future!"

An Opportunity for Financial Leadership

The Vestry is excited to announce an opportunity for the parish to exercise leadership over the direction of the Cathedral, even in this time of transition. This opportunity is for the congregation to pay off Trinity’s financial debt.

You likely have questions about this project. The first may be, how much is our debt, and where does it come from? Using round numbers, the debt is approximately $350,000. It mostly stems from mortgages on the buildings across Spring St. from the main part of campus, though a portion comes from a line of credit the church had during the early 2010s. The debt has existed in one form or another for decades.

Why Now?

The most important question to ask is, why should we pay this debt? There are two important answers to this question. First, it is time for us to move beyond it. The debt is holding us back. We pay nearly $50,000 per year in debt service, money that could otherwise be used to expand or create new ministries for the church to serve the parish, the community, and the diocese. We need to move past this debt and fixate our eyes squarely on the future. If not now, then when? If not us, then who?

The second reason is because of the timing of calling a new Dean & Rector. Anyone interested in answering our call to serve Trinity will take a close look at the financial condition of Trinity. Being a debt-free parish will make us much more attractive. Beyond having no debt, the Search Committee can communicate to those who may be interested that we came together as a parish during this search process and paid this debt just in time for our new Dean. The Search Committee would also be able to communicate that this frees up a significant amount of money in our budget that the new Dean would be able to help shape. The timing from that standpoint could not be better.

How Will We Do This?

The final question is, how do we make this happen? First, please know that every member of the Vestry has fully committed to participate. Further, the Vestry has already raised approximately half of the funds necessary to pay the debt off. In a way, that becomes a challenge to the parish to match what has already been raised to complete this work. A good benchmark for participation is for you to identify what your annual gift to Trinity is—whether through a pledge, passing the plate, a Christmas donation, or whatever the case might be—and then make a gift to the debt payoff fund of 25% of that annual amount.