Fifty-one Winnipeg churches, representing Anglican, Baptist, Mennonite, Presbyterian and Pentecostal denominations, as well as various evangelical groups, closed their doors Sunday morning, encouraging their members to attend the worship service at the downtown hockey arena instead.
“We had an 8:30 a.m. service and our main service is closed,” explained Rev. Ken Turnbull of St. Aidan’s Anglican Church from his seat in the arena. “I think it’s very important to do things together and to gather together for worship.”
“One thing I really like about this is a lot of Christians coming together and standing up and being counted as Christian and not hiding that,” said Cathie Chapman, who skipped services at her own church, which didn’t officially participate in the service.
I was at the “service” and wasn’t impressed. It was much more an evangelical rally then a service. I understand the purpose of the service is to create unity, and in that it utterly fails. Meeting together once a year to sing a few songs, cheer when your churches name is called, watch a puppet show, hear a brought in speaker, and then partake in a communion that used some Anglican elements and some evangelical elements, doesn’t build unity. It’s a show for cameras, to say that something is being done. Unity is hard work that happens throughout the year.