St. Alban’s of No. Providence merging with Trinity of Scituate
[Ed. Note: Rhode Island is electing a new bishop in June. This is the second notice of merger/closing in the diocese this spring. The Cathedral in Providence closed after Easter. For more information see the website www.trinityepiscopalonline.org Cheryl M. Wetzel]
http://www.valleybreeze.com/2012/05/22/north-providence/st-alban-s-of-no-providence-merging-with-trinity-of-scituate
Two local Episcopal churches that trace their roots back to the mid-1800s will merge together into one.
With shrinking memberships and greater financial and operational challenges facing them than ever before, they will be stronger together than separately, say leaders of St. Alban Episcopal Church of Centredale and Trinity Episcopal Church of Scituate,
In a rare feat for an Episcopal church that is often laughed at for disagreeing about the smallest things, say church leaders, the process to this point has been a remarkably smooth one. That can be credited, they say, to a leadership team that is all on the same page and working very well together.
Trinity rector the Rev. Pam Gregory will lead the new combined church at 251 Danielson Pike in Scituate, an easy decision since the St. Alban rector retired some time back.
This merger has been a stark contrast to ones tried in years past, say leaders. It was some 40 years ago when leaders at St. Alban Church combined with St. James Episcopal just up the road on Fruit Hill Avenue, only to separate two years later.
The conflict back then centered on St. James wanting to keep their building, meaning church members were traveling back and forth between the two each weekend.
This time around, St. Alban leaders had worked with four different church bodies in an effort to find the best fit. Ultimately they settled on Trinity Episcopal because it matched up best with the goals and outreach-centered approach taken at St. Alban’s.
“This just felt like it had the fingerprints of God on it from the beginning,” said Gregory.
Trinity and St. Alban’s are a part of the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which numbers some 70 million members. Worship is centered in Holy Communion.
The wheels on this merger started turning more than a year ago, according to St. Alban church leaders. It was spring of last year when they realized just how much work was going into keeping the doors open and how few resources were going to the greater good of the community.
St. Alban leaders say that if all goes according to plan, communicants will spend their last service worshipping in Centredale on July 21.
The first half of the service that day, to start at 4 p.m., will be held at St. Alban’s. Communicants will then caravan over to Trinity for the second half, followed by what will essentially be a big party.
“It will start out pretty sad, but end up being joyous,” said David Schmitter, senior warden at St. Alban’s. “As joyous as it can be when you’re ending a church.”
Following the move, church leaders plan to sell the St. Alban building, which is located on the Smith Street roundabout in Centredale.
A joint leadership team is currently devising a merger plan, to include the steps they’ll take as well as they agreements they’ll make as a combined church. The plan must be approved by the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese, the legal entity that considers such matters in the absence of the bishop.
According to Schmitter, “about four million things” led to the realization that St. Alban’s needed to find a partner church to latch onto.
“We were able to see the direction we were headed,” he said.
Trinity Episcopal Church currently maintains a list of about 324 active members, according to Gregory. Between three services, one on Saturday evening and two on Sunday, the church draws on average between 120 and 150 total, she said.
St. Alban Church currently has about 100 “pledging units,” or families, said Jill Shurtleff, junior warden at the church. The total number of families who actually attend is about 60, she said, a number that “has decreased dramatically since we announced.” The attendance decline has been going on for years, said Schmitter, as a decade ago there were about 120 families attending St. Alban’s.
A lack of people not only makes it more difficult to run a church financially, said leaders, but in running church services and the many ministries that St. Alban’s has been known for.
“Many of the people who do come, come to church on Sunday and leave,” said Schmitter. “If the doors are open, they think we’re good. From a leadership position in the church, you see so much more of what’s going on.”
The planned merger of St. Alban’s and Trinity does not come without its drawbacks. St. Alban’s has lost a few members who don’t want to make the longer hike to Scituate, said Shurtleff, but most have been very open to traveling the eight miles to the new location.
Many at Trinity and St. Alban’s have already offered to give elderly residents a ride to church, said June Guglieomi, senior warden at Trinity.
“We are a family and we know it,” she said.
Schmitter said the goal is to transition as many people as possible either to Trinity or another church of similar persuasion.
“We’re doing our best to make a concerted effort to make sure that the people who aren’t going to Trinity with us are going somewhere,” he said.
Leaders will also do their best to maintain the services of a St. Alban food closet that currently serves about 77 families.
Trinity and St. Alban’s share two very key goals as they merge into one, loving and serving Christ and the people around them.
St. Alban leaders say they’re excited at the many opportunities at Trinity, especially the many resources for children. A banner at Trinity declares, “Kids matter here.”
For more of the many services offered at Trinity Episcopal Church, visit www.trinityepiscopalonline.org .
http://www.valleybreeze.com/2012/05/22/north-providence/st-alban-s-of-no-providence-merging-with-trinity-of-scituate
By ETHAN SHOREY, Valley Breeze Staff Writer
Two local Episcopal churches that trace their roots back to the mid-1800s will merge together into one.
With shrinking memberships and greater financial and operational challenges facing them than ever before, they will be stronger together than separately, say leaders of St. Alban Episcopal Church of Centredale and Trinity Episcopal Church of Scituate,
In a rare feat for an Episcopal church that is often laughed at for disagreeing about the smallest things, say church leaders, the process to this point has been a remarkably smooth one. That can be credited, they say, to a leadership team that is all on the same page and working very well together.
Trinity rector the Rev. Pam Gregory will lead the new combined church at 251 Danielson Pike in Scituate, an easy decision since the St. Alban rector retired some time back.
This merger has been a stark contrast to ones tried in years past, say leaders. It was some 40 years ago when leaders at St. Alban Church combined with St. James Episcopal just up the road on Fruit Hill Avenue, only to separate two years later.
The conflict back then centered on St. James wanting to keep their building, meaning church members were traveling back and forth between the two each weekend.
This time around, St. Alban leaders had worked with four different church bodies in an effort to find the best fit. Ultimately they settled on Trinity Episcopal because it matched up best with the goals and outreach-centered approach taken at St. Alban’s.
“This just felt like it had the fingerprints of God on it from the beginning,” said Gregory.
Trinity and St. Alban’s are a part of the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which numbers some 70 million members. Worship is centered in Holy Communion.
The wheels on this merger started turning more than a year ago, according to St. Alban church leaders. It was spring of last year when they realized just how much work was going into keeping the doors open and how few resources were going to the greater good of the community.
St. Alban leaders say that if all goes according to plan, communicants will spend their last service worshipping in Centredale on July 21.
The first half of the service that day, to start at 4 p.m., will be held at St. Alban’s. Communicants will then caravan over to Trinity for the second half, followed by what will essentially be a big party.
“It will start out pretty sad, but end up being joyous,” said David Schmitter, senior warden at St. Alban’s. “As joyous as it can be when you’re ending a church.”
Following the move, church leaders plan to sell the St. Alban building, which is located on the Smith Street roundabout in Centredale.
A joint leadership team is currently devising a merger plan, to include the steps they’ll take as well as they agreements they’ll make as a combined church. The plan must be approved by the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese, the legal entity that considers such matters in the absence of the bishop.
According to Schmitter, “about four million things” led to the realization that St. Alban’s needed to find a partner church to latch onto.
“We were able to see the direction we were headed,” he said.
Trinity Episcopal Church currently maintains a list of about 324 active members, according to Gregory. Between three services, one on Saturday evening and two on Sunday, the church draws on average between 120 and 150 total, she said.
St. Alban Church currently has about 100 “pledging units,” or families, said Jill Shurtleff, junior warden at the church. The total number of families who actually attend is about 60, she said, a number that “has decreased dramatically since we announced.” The attendance decline has been going on for years, said Schmitter, as a decade ago there were about 120 families attending St. Alban’s.
A lack of people not only makes it more difficult to run a church financially, said leaders, but in running church services and the many ministries that St. Alban’s has been known for.
“Many of the people who do come, come to church on Sunday and leave,” said Schmitter. “If the doors are open, they think we’re good. From a leadership position in the church, you see so much more of what’s going on.”
The planned merger of St. Alban’s and Trinity does not come without its drawbacks. St. Alban’s has lost a few members who don’t want to make the longer hike to Scituate, said Shurtleff, but most have been very open to traveling the eight miles to the new location.
Many at Trinity and St. Alban’s have already offered to give elderly residents a ride to church, said June Guglieomi, senior warden at Trinity.
“We are a family and we know it,” she said.
Schmitter said the goal is to transition as many people as possible either to Trinity or another church of similar persuasion.
“We’re doing our best to make a concerted effort to make sure that the people who aren’t going to Trinity with us are going somewhere,” he said.
Leaders will also do their best to maintain the services of a St. Alban food closet that currently serves about 77 families.
Trinity and St. Alban’s share two very key goals as they merge into one, loving and serving Christ and the people around them.
St. Alban leaders say they’re excited at the many opportunities at Trinity, especially the many resources for children. A banner at Trinity declares, “Kids matter here.”
For more of the many services offered at Trinity Episcopal Church, visit www.trinityepiscopalonline.org .
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