The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio is embarked on a new venture in Avondale, and I want to enlist the wisdom and the support of the community as we move forward. We intend to develop a ministry center on the site of historic St. Michael & All Angels Church, 3626 Reading Road. This center will preserve and revitalize the beautiful landmark church, while extending established ministries and developing new ones in the surrounding neighborhood.
As some know, the parish of St. Michael & All Angels has been closed, owing to dwindling numbers. This is understandably a sad time for those who are losing their accustomed weekly gathering for worship in a place they love. But this is not the whole story. The Episcopal Church is not leaving Avondale. On the contrary, we are convinced that now, more than ever, we are called to stand with those who seek peace and justice and the possibility of common life in the inner city. God has provided us in St. Michael’s with a strategic location for such a ministry, and we intend to move forward as quickly as possible to make this a reality.
I know there are Episcopal parishes in Cincinnati who stand ready to pledge financial and personal resources to create an effective urban mission at St. Michael’s. I dream of a powerful ministry to children in Avondale – providing a space on St. Michael’s ample property for tutoring, athletics and after-school events. A focus on children would make great sense, given the proximity of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Why couldn’t this plea have been done to help keep the congregants in their worship home? It seems like it is okay that they are out and gone so that TEc can make this into something else?
Something doesn’t feel right about this picture. Financial help from:
[blockquote]”Episcopal parishes in Cincinnati who stand ready to pledge financial and personal resources to create an effective urban mission at St. Michael’s.'[/blockquote]
For [b]”tutoring, athletics and after-school events”[/b] so that’s great but why can’t they congregants keep the church and do this as well?
We did this in Baltimore with the former church of St Mary, Hampden. Its daughter parish, one of the largest and wealthiest in the diocese and a mile north, took over the building.
It has met with mixed results. You make a good point about the congregation-so far, attempts to create a new congregation in the building have not met with much success, though people are using it for a thrift shop, services, and the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival.
Randall
I know Jesus felt the most important things were tutoring, athletics and after-school events. Like how he helped the children with their math, coached soccer and directed community theatre. I’m glad the bishop is following his footsteps.
paradoxymoron . . . when preaching a false gospel fails, there’s not much left but some community service activities.
I want to make it clear I think DioceseMD made the right decision given our resources. There are a lot of churches in this immediate neighborhood: 3 UMC, 1 Lutheran, 1 RC, 1 Baptist, plus a couple of evangelical congregations. The thrift shop has served well. The old congregation was a burden to the diocese, and there are two other parishes within a mile that have a lot of resources. The use of the nave as a theater helps balance the books for the other good things we are doing there. I think they would do things differently now, but we are all learning and trying to figure out how best to deal with redundant parish buildings.
Randall