For the past several months I have been visiting a local Anglican mission parish. They are good folks and I was already acquainted with some of the membership. It's a struggling work with about twenty regular attendees and no ordained minister. They meet in the afternoon in a Lutheran church. For a parish its size there is an excellent music program, but, interestingly, it appears over 90 percent of the church is in the choir. This parish has only been in existence for about three years and has already been through a split.
Also in the same community (though located a few miles outside the city limits) is another small Anglican parish with comparable attendance. This parish, however, has its own land and building and a full-time ordained minister. This church was founded over twenty years ago.
I already know some of the reasons and suspect others, but it is a wonder these two bodies do not get together to form one strong, local Anglican parish. I have observed both, and where one is weak, the other is strong. They would compliment each other so well. The newer parish could invigorate the more established parish with its youth and excellent music program. The older church would provide a solid foundation and the facilities for both to grow as one. Even though they belong to different Anglican groups, these two groups are in communion with each other.
Humanly speaking, it is unlikely these two groups will ever come together, but I am going to make that my prayer for this community and these two bodies of believers. All things are possible with God.
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