Sitting in the choir section of Grace and St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Marianna McJimsey can’t help but get excited when she talks about the history of the place.
The former Colorado College professor and head of the church’s archival project can spout off facts for hours if given the prompt. She’s not the only one who finds the church significant.
The church was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places….
[blockquote]This church has always been about more than just us who go here.[/blockquote]
Too bad they don’t know what they are about… their audience of One does.
[i]The former Colorado College professor and head of the church’s archival project can spout off facts for hours if given the prompt.[/i]
I know the feeling! I’m a weekend guide at a historic site here in DC, and my ability to work it into almost any conversation is a bit frightening.
wportbello, that phrase struck me too – like a two by four!
Being a congregant of a church where we were dispossessed of our building and our foundation money (but taken in by a wonderful congregation of fellow Christians in another denomination!) I feel sorry for CSEC. One tornado, one blizzard collapsing the roof, one forest fire and the building could be gone. Will the congregation’s faith be strong enough to show them that they are *still* a church?
Nobody’s mentioned it yet, but one wonders how they’re getting along with their new rector after the ugly, cataclysmic church fight and schism (complete with property dispute) of a few years ago, leading to the indictment of the former rector, who affiliated with ACNA taking parishioners with him.
One prays that this historic building will never be used for SSBs and other defiling rituals.
The new rector is apparently a loyal Jefferts Schori-TEC priest…although the rumblings are growing
[blockquote]but one wonders how they’re getting along with their new rector[/blockquote]
View the [url=http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/research/109378_107383_ENG_HTM.htm]chart[/url] by selecting Diocese of Colorado, Grace and St. Stephen’s, and you can see for yourself.
In other words a long journey back from old windows to a compelling ministry
Interesting. More than 300 ASA.
Remember they count AA meetings now…still way less than half it’s former glory
Sarah,
300 ASA would be impressive at most TEC parishes. Not so much when you note that they’ve lost 500 a week, and their pledge and plate has halved. This is a text book example of a pyrrhic victory.
If you look at the Diocese chart, you’ll see that the Diocese as a whole has lost almost a third of its ASA since 2000. In anywhere but TEC, these figures would be perceived as disastrous.
RE: “Not so much when you note that they’ve lost 500 a week, and their pledge and plate has halved.”
I’d agree [i]if[/i] the Anglican Grace and St. Stephens actually had 500 ASA leave TEC, but since they didn’t [there’s plenty of people who noted what ASA the Anglican church had when it relocated], then I can only assume — as was long long pointed out — that the original 800 ASA was not accurate.
In other words, the TEC parish didn’t lose 500 ASA by any standard other than the apparently inaccurate chart.
RE: “This is a text book example of a pyrrhic victory.”
I’m afraid that this [i]particular[/i] parish is anything but a “text book example.” But if you maintain that, then we disagree on a matter about which no amount of discussion will render agreement; I’ve simply had too many face to face discussions with thoroughly orthodox — and non-TEC — Anglicans about this with first-hand observations.
RE: “If you look at the Diocese chart, you’ll see that the Diocese as a whole has lost almost a third of its ASA since 2000. In anywhere but TEC, these figures would be perceived as disastrous.”
There I agree — even in TEC these figures are disastrous as they are in almost every single diocese.
Sarah,
What was there was a vital TEC parish, visited by two ABC’s and hosting hundreds of TEC clergy at its conferences. If we claim their numbers were inaccurate then we have to declare that about every parish as a basic assumption.
It was, by the way, the very woman who speaks in the article who was the clerk of the vestry since the 1980’s and prepared and signed the parochial reports thus presenting those attendance numbers.
The bishop moved in with accusations against the rector that have since been shown to be false, primarly to undermine his leadership and take control of the property and congregation.
The reality behind the drop in numbers is that in the ensuing struggle a third of the original congregation now possess the building with their beloved windows, a third went off to less hostile environments (including Starbucks to read the New York Times), and a third started what is now a new and vital parish in the still standing original 1872 episcopal church building that had become a notorious night club.
This was not a usual circumstance. This was one of the first congregations to depart and occupy it’s property through a long multi-million dollar legal battle. It was the home of the ACI and in the eyes of 815 (this was proven in court) needed to be silenced once and for all.
Not a great moment for building up the body of Christ or witnessing to the love of God for TEC.
The new church owns its building, has totally restored it to its former gothic revival glory, and is filled to the brim for its worship and programs. Sort of a natural and necessary cleansing in the cycle of life, somewhat similar to the current the forest fires now raging in Colorado.
Just too bad in the short run and very expensive that the bishop lit the match.
Nosey parker that I wandered about on the internet to find out what happened to the part of the congregation that departed and became St George’s Anglican. In a few years they bought the derelict original St Stephen’s last used as a nightclub, and completely rebuilt and refurbished it. No original windows that I can see on their video of the restoration, but a remarkable story.
Prayers for both the churches. May they be used solely for His glory.
That is nosey parker that I am!