The parish where All Saints Anglicans worship, in Amesbury, Massachusetts is a former Roman Catholic Church. On Monday, musicians were checking their sound, and a florist was pruning an elaborate arrangement in front of the altar – preparations for ceremonies to consecrate this church as this region’s cathedral.
All Saints is the largest of eighteen parishes in New England that serve the growing number of Christians in the Anglican Church of North America.
The denomination formed in Texas last year after splitting off from the Episcopal Church of America.
Among their differences, and some might say the spark, was the consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Gene Robinson, in New Hampshire.
“That’s very much a rear-view mirror event for us,” says Bill Murdoch, Rector of All Saints and the Bishop of the new diocese. “We are a windshield to people now, we are looking ahead and moving forward.”
Murdoch used to be pastor at All Saints Episcopal Church in nearby West Newbury, but a few years ago he and a group of parishioners left.
Adele Pelletier went with them, and says she had other reasons, besides Gene Robinson’s consecration.
“I don’t think the gay bishop is the big issue here, for me anyway, okay? I think the big issue is what’s going on as far as the Episcopal Church, and maybe not following Jesus.”
Betsy Craig, another All Saints Parishioner, agrees.
“It’s just the theology, and the division on Bishop-elect for the Episcopal Church believing that there’s other ways to get to Jesus, and she doesn’t believe Jesus is the only way.”
Many conservative Episcopalians also oppose their church’s recent decision to allow its Bishops to bless same sex unions.
In 2008, Bishop Murdoch and his flock bought their church in Amesbury – along with its rectory, convent and school – from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Now, he says, they want to move past politics to focus on growing the parish.
“Yes, we want to care for disaffected, disenfranchised – if you will – folk that leave the Epsicopal church,” explains Murdoch. “But that’s not the target. The target is, the church, period, in every community in New England probably sees maybe at best seven to ten percent of the local population, that means ninety-plus percent of the population doesn’t go to church, so we have a great mission field.”
Murdoch says All Saints is growing, drawing locals, and parishioners from New Hampshire’s seacoast and the Boston area.
The church plans to start a food ministry for the poor, and other community service programs. It will also hold ordinations, confirmations, and conferences for young evangelicals.
Just around the corner from All Saints, Amesbury’s 150-year-old Episcopal parish is also thriving. The little stone church looks traditional, but its rector is a woman who’s said she’ll bless the unions of same sex couples.
Parishioner Laurie Dawe joined with her family 5 years ago.
“It’s been great, there was a time when it was not as vibrant as it is now, several years ago, but with new leadership and renewed energy it’s growing and it’s doing great, it’s really thriving.”
Dawe says that to her knowledge no parishioners have left St. James Episcopal Church to join the congregation at All Saints Anglican, and despite their ideological differences, there’s no animosity between the two.
SIC: NHPR