The idea came out of the blue.
It was a crazy idea, holding church in a rock-‘n’-roll club. But the leadership at St. Andrew’s Church-Mount Pleasant had been thinking for a while about extending its reach, not by purchasing land and building church buildings, not by transforming their Old Village campus into a megachurch, not by investing money in things.
No, the goal was to reach people where they live, to delve deeply into the urban landscape, to leverage existing assets, foster communities and tie them together.
It’s the old way of “doing” Christianity, said the Rev. Steve Wood. It’s what the Apostle Paul did when he left the synagogue in Ephesus for the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
Imagination and creativity are not restricted to the business community. Steve Wood and his leadership are impressive for the willingness to follow the Holy Spirit out of the box. I am a Christian because of generations of believers who passed on the faith and often in places very unlike our modern worship facilities. May God bless your work.
“without formal liturgical barriers.” I wonder how Anglican such a church can be. Do they follow the BCP?
Probably just about as Anglican as HTB or St. Aldates.
#3 Then I guess “nominally” would be the answer.
Wow, so, Evan, does your self-righteousness come naturally or is it something you cultivate?
Steve, I’m not sure where my comments could be considered “self-righteous,” though you’re certainly welcome to disagree with them.
I’d begin with the manner in which you arrogate unto yourself the prerogative to define that which is fully Anglican vs. nominally Anglican. I’d find is more than curious that the good folks at St. Andrew’s, St. Aldates, HTB (not the least of which, Bishop Sandy Millar and Jane Williams), are in your determination nominally Anglican.
Opinionated perhaps, but hardly self-righteous.
again, you prove my point.
Glad you think so, because you’ve certainly proven nothing. I think in the interests of civility and since this is going nowhere, we should bring our little exchange to a close.
Blessings
Very curious, Evan; having initiated this thread by questioning my/our Anglicanism – YOU now raise the question of civility?
Notwithstanding the banter, Evan does bring up a good point. If following the nationally-approved BCP is a sign of being a good Anglican, then Evan’s correct. Holy Trinity Brompton as well as a good number of Church of England parishes wouldn’t past muster.
[sarcasm]I personally think that anything less high than St. Clement’s Philadelphia is “nominally Anglican.”[/sarcasm]
Church of the Cross’s Buckwalter campus, in Bluffton SC, does not use the BCP. I was there yesterday and heard one of the best sermons in recent memory, and the place was packed. Rev. Chuck Owens has figured some things out, much like Rev. Steve Wood, though they are (for now) on opposite sides of the ECUSA/ACN fence….
The quality of preaching has nothing to do with whether a church is Anglican or not. I’ve heard excellent sermons from Luthern, Roman Catholic, and Southern Baptist pulpits. Fortunately, my ACNA rector (low-church evangelical) is one of the three finest preachers I’ve ever heard. The others were my former TEC rector (high-church charismatic evangelical) and the rector of a nearby AMIA parish (hard to describe). Though very different churches and styles, all three parishes are self-evidently Anglican.