In less than two years, founders of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church have not only managed to fill the pews, they have raised enough money to buy the former St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church property outright.
Christ the Redeemer, which broke away from Christ Church in Hamilton over what they saw as “moral drift” in the Episcopal Church as a whole, had been leasing the former Catholic church since 2009.
On Feb. 16, the Anglican church paid $1.6 million for the property, after raising $800,000 for a down payment in just six months. The deed was placed on the altar.
I hope we continue to hear stories like this across the country. Praise be to God.
Call me a fuddy-duddy … well, OK, I am old-fashioned, but a home-brew ministry?
If nothing more it shows how the word and concept of ministry has been stretched to nonsensical lengths.
Christ Church in South Hamilton was in part an evangelical parish because of nearby Gordon College and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. The parish in turn sent many on the Canterbury Trail (myself included).
I wonder if either, Christ Church or Christ the Redeemer, will have the same impact . . .
Fr. Gray at Christ Church is a well know Orthodox priest in DioMass. He was previously the curate at The Church of the Advent in Boston and was a big part of young adult growth there.
I am well acquainted with Fr Gray, as I was a parishioner at Advent and Christ Church before that. There is no one better to continue the evangelical presence at Christ Church than he.
What I’m wondering, somewhat rhetorically, is whether Christ Church will continue to be an evangelical voice in the Diocese and if it (or Christ the Redeemer) will continue to attract evangelicals from Gordon and Gordon Conwell to Anglicanism.
I’m afraid that the departure of the conservatives prevents Christ Church from having that voice in the diocese and the ability to attract evangelicals to the Episcopal Church. I pray that I am wrong.
There are a lot of Gordon and Gordon-Conwell people at CTR. I’m not sure about Christ Church at this point. (I showed up at CTR almost a year after the split.) And for what it’s worth, from this newbie’s perspective, this was one of the more amiable splits one could imagine. While I’m sure it was painful for many, there are also quite a few relationships that have continued.
Personally I think the home brew ministry sounds awesome. With all the monks that brew beer, they’re not in bad company. (If don’t want to call it a “ministry”, how about a home brewing apostolate?)
Also: CTR is probably the only “evangelical” parish I’ve ever encountered that sang a Victoria requiem complete with black vestments on All Souls day. Needless to say, this is not straightforward evangelicalism — there are very strong Catholic elements in the parish, and these are deeply connected with some of the more charismatic elements. (It is a little confusing to me, a definite Anglo Catholic, but I like it!)