By Jessica Gurnsey
Sunlight streams through the multi-colored stained glass windows as Mac Baldwin sits comfortably on a wooden pew. He looks over the 98-year-old brick church building with satisfaction and reflects on his life since retirement.
Baldwin is now senior warden of St. Mary?s Episcopal Church in Provo and its relatively small flock of 90. He describes his role as being three-quarters of a bishopric in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A senior warden in the Episcopal Church is the administrative head of the parish, a leader and a coordinator.
For 35 years, Baldwin worked for the Navy on a nuclear-powered ship. With bright eyes and animated speech, he described his love of service and leadership in his experiences as a naval captain.
His ship was stopped outside Tunisia, a country that at the time was very protective of its sovereign rights. With his crew, he threw a party for American children, mostly those of embassy workers, in the country. Peanut butter sandwiches, hot dogs and movies delighted the children, Baldwin recalled.
?It was fantastic,? Baldwin said of his time in the Navy. ?I was in the nuclear power program and I thrived in that. It was very stimulating and very exciting and very rewarding.?
After 35 years in the Navy, Baldwin retired. He moved to Utah 11 years ago, when his wife, Joan Baldwin, became a professor in the College of Nursing at BYU. After the move, Baldwin decided to get involved in the community.
?You know what happens when you retire?? Baldwin asked. ?Your workload doubles and your pay goes to zero.?
He said leadership skills he learned in the Navy help him in his current church position as well as in his role as city council member of Woodland Hills.
?Leadership is not telling people what to do,? Baldwin said. ?It?s getting them to want to do it. Leadership is the art of earning followership.?
His ability to lead has earned him a valued place in his church and the community he loves. His wife, who is also active in leading the congregation, said she supports him in his church role.
?It certainly keeps him off the streets and busy,? Joan Baldwin said of her husband?s role as senior warden. ?He?s one of those folks that is a very kind and caring person. It?s a good thing for our church.?
Jaynanne Meads, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and the secretary of St. Mary?s Episcopal Church, said Baldwin?s perspective is different than some members of the Episcopal congregation because his wife?s position at BYU gave the couple status in the community.
Some of the non-professional members of the congregation seem to feel mistreated or misjudged, Meads said. Members of the LDS church try to proselyte to the non-LDS members of the community and it can be upsetting to some, she said.
?I think members of the Church need to be more discerning in choosing those people that are ready to hear the gospel,? Meads said. ?Not everyone is and you don?t want to cram it down their throat because it gives a negative feeling.?
Baldwin created a guide he calls ?Living with the Mormons,? which he distributes to members of his congregation. In this guide he said it is important to love ones neighbors. He encourages members of his congregation to be confident in their beliefs, tolerant, avoid debate, learn the language of the LDS Church and to live an upright lifestyle. Baldwin believes all these things help in learning to enjoy the unique culture of Utah Valley.
It worked for Baldwin, who loves life in Utah.
?There?s just a lot to like here,? Baldwin said.