Back Row (left to right): Mr. Robert Schoelle, Rev. Lynn Sullivan, Mr. Peter Bee, Dr. Robert Scott, Bishop Orris Walker, Jr., Dr. Frank Banta, Dr. Robert Feirsen, Mr. Peter Osroff, Ms. Jennifer Pettas, Mr. Sonny Bishop, Rabbi Stephen Wise Goodman Front Row (left to right): Rev. Jill Bowden, Fr. Joseph Pae, Rev. Bill Harmon,Rev. Debbie Low-Skinner, Deacon George Browne, Rev. Wanda Lawry Hughes, Fr. Rudy Pesongco, Rev. Jim Adelmann, Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz Last month, an illustrious group of Garden City officials and other special guests met with local clergypersons at the annual Garden City Clergy Fellowship (GCCF) holiday breakfast meeting. The meeting took place on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at the Garden City Hotel.

After some time was allotted for the attendees to informally get to know one another, GCCF President, the Rev. Debra Low-Skinner, called the meeting to order and offered a prayer. She let the guests know about upcoming GCCF events in 2008. These include an interfaith study series in January called "MICAH and Hungry Long Islanders," which will look at what the Scriptures say about poverty and what we can do together to alleviate hunger and poverty on Long Island. She also talked about the monthly GCCF "Faith in Action" events, where volunteers from local congregations gather together to assemble hundreds of sandwich lunches, which then are delivered to the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead.

The attendees then introduced themselves and shared their hopes and prayers in 2008 for their loved ones and for the community. Some looked forward to spending more time with their grandchildren. Others mentioned deferred maintenance items they will need to address. Some of the clergy mentioned their thankfulness for the collegiality and support of GCCF members. Others stated how wonderful it truly is to live in a community like Garden City.

The Village officials in attendance were: Mr. Peter Bee, Mayor of Garden City; Mr. Robert Schoelle, Village Ad-ministrator/Treasurer; Dr. Robert Feirsen, Superintendent of Schools; Dr. Frank Banta, Principal of Garden City High School; and Mr. Peter Osroff, Principal of Garden City Middle School. Other special guests were Dr. Robert Scott, President of Adelphi University and The Rt. Rev. Orris Walker, Jr., Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.

The GCCF members in attendance were: The Rev. Debbie Low-Skinner, GCCF President and Rector of Christ Episcopal Church; Deacon George Browne, GCCF Vice President and Deacon at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church; Fr. Rudy Pesongco, Pastor at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church; The Rev. Jim Adelmann, GCCF Treasurer and Senior Pastor of the Garden City Community Church; The Rev. Lynn Sullivan, Associate Pastor of the Garden City Community Church; Rabbi Stephen Wise Goodman of the Garden City Jewish Center; The Rev. Bill Harmon, Senior Pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection; The Rev. Joseph Pae, Canon Pastor of the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation; The Rev. Wanda Lawry Hughes, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Garden City; Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz, Jewish Chaplain at Adelphi University; and The Rev. Jill Bowden, Director of Pastoral Care at Winthrop University Hospital. Chaplain Bowden invited everyone to the dedication in early 2008 of the new interfaith chapel, which will serve both Winthrop University Hospital and the local community.

Some of the clergy noted that they were celebrating special ordination anniversaries. Bishop Walker is starting his 20th year as Bishop of Long Island. Fr. Pesongco has been ordained 25 years. Pastor Adelmann has been ordained for 30 years, of which 28 years have been at the Garden City Community Church. Rabbi Schwartz has been ordained for 35 years.

The Garden City Clergy Fellowship sincerely thanks the management of the Garden City Hotel for generously hosting and providing breakfast for this special meeting, especially Conference Service Manager Jennifer Pettas and Assistant Banquet Manager Sonny Bishop. This is the seventh year in a row that the Garden City Hotel has hosted the December breakfast meeting of the GCCF. This tradition started in 2001, as the Hotel's way of showing thanks to the local clergy for their many good works benefiting the local community.