From the Daily News of Newburyport:
West Newbury’s All Saints Episcopal Church may move to a spot just down the street from Amesbury’s existing Episcopal church, but the two churches are unlikely to merge, the assistant rector at All Saints Church said yesterday.
All Saints Episcopal Church wants to buy and move into the Sacred Heart parish building on Friend Street, which the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has offered for sale. It’s almost within sight of Amesbury’s St. James Episcopal Church, on Main Street.
The Rev. Michael Morse of All Saints said yesterday a merger of the two Episcopal churches is unlikely if the move happens. The leaders of All Saints have had “cordial” discussions with St. James officials about their possible move, he said.
Contacted yesterday, the Rev. Susan Esco Chandler of St. James declined to comment on the situation, saying she doesn’t know much information about it.
church stats:
All Saints – 250 ASA – was growing to 2001 – since flatish
http://12.0.101.88/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_615200743819PM.pdf
St James – 60 ASA – a little growth since 2003 -say an extra 10
people
http://12.0.101.88/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_615200744028PM.pdf
Interesting. I was baptised in St. James in Amesbury. I have to laugh when I think how conservative it was then under Father Pike. The very thought of a woman pastor would have sent men and women alike into conniptions. And now…. a lady pastor with three names. If you go west on Main St in Amesbury, you will be looking at the front door of the catholic church for the Irish. If you then turn right, 400 feet ahead of you is the front door to Sacre Coeur, the Catholic Church for the French – who still make up a sizable portion of the population. Just behind it is the parish house, a good sized building. Well. Are we going to have Sacre Coeur and TEC cheek by jowl? Odd. LM
I just found out that two of the Anglican Parishes here will be building new churches less than two miles away from each other and about two miles from the now empty Episcopal church another parish used to occupy.
One is associated with Uganda, the other with Nigeria. One is more Anglo-Catholic (with evangelical preaching), the other more contemporary/charismatic. So I can see where differences in style would be an issue.
Still one would think that to build less than two miles from each other is counter-productive (I know — avalibility of land is a big issue). I wish they could have worked something out where they could have had one larger plot of land, with one large building with two sanctuaries or something similar.