A New Creation
The following is a report from the transition team established to help guide St. Mary Magdalene and St. Martin Episcopal Churches forward in their possible merger. As the work of the team progresses there will be an opportunity for both congregations to gather and ask questions.
The team members are: Rev. Lee Davis, Janice Villers, Wendy King, Fred Ruhoff, Fr. Bernie Pecaro, Janice LeVrar, Sue D'Amore, Lew Vincent.
Transition Team Prayer:
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)
Let us Pray.
As we begin our work here this day, please help us to remember that we are for you, our God and that the effort we put forth here today is for your glory. Grant us the wisdom to listen to your guidance as we create something new that will bring disciples to your ministry, members to your church, and will help those in our communities who need you.
Grant us the humility to remember that we are here for you, our God, and provide us the strength to put aside our personal feelings and loyalties so that we may build a new creation, a new church, that will meet the needs of all your children; the children you love so much, a church that will assist them in knowing the joy that comes from accepting and loving you and blessing others in your name.
We ask this in the name of the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.
Report of Meeting
On Tuesday, September 28th, 2021, Father Lee conducted the first official meeting of the Transition Team to help guide our parishes as we move forward. The diocese had recommended that a transition team (which is comprised of the members who first explored the idea of a merger) lead the process and report to the vestry and congregation as it performed the work it is tasked to do. The best way to think about the Transition team's work is “Pre-Marital counseling” as the merger of two congregations is similar to a marriage where two families come together to create something new.
The question of Why Answered
Father Lee gave a presentation that asked the transition team to consider the question of why we should merge together. The team was presented with examples of what successful mergers have the ability to create in the life of the church. Successful church mergers often lead to:
- A Church that is more purposeful
- A Church that is more collaborative
- A Church that is stronger
- A Church that is more effective
- A Church that is more fruitful
The team then discussed and determined that the answer to why we should merge our congregations is that we would be better together, able to reach more people for Christ, could make a greater difference for Christ, better serve our local communities, and maximize our impact to change lives.
The theme of our Work
In John 12:24 Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
The team discussed how this portrays the theme of our process of merging. St. Mary Magdalene and St. Martin represent the kernel of wheat. The Holy Spirit is giving us an opportunity to produce many seeds for the Kingdom of God and the process towards merger involves a level of transformation, sometimes to the level of “death” in order for the new life which is sprouted to produce many seeds.
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
Father Lee stated that for all of these things to happen, we must take a risk, a step of faith, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and trusting that Jesus is building his church, a prevailing one at that.
What makes a Merger Possible
Father Lee then led the transition team into an exploration of what makes a merger possible and successful. He first stated four of the main reasons that mergers fail.
Mergers often fail because:
- They are viewed as only a goal to survival.
- They are not viewed as a way to bring about significant mission.
- A lack of trust between the congregations.
- Gossip.
Successful mergers, on the other hand:
- Are missional in focus and more than just an action to survive.
- Motivated by a strong future-oriented sense of mission and expanded outreach.
- Involve entering into a partnership to create something new (produce many seeds), creating new traditions, and being willing to let go of “old” ways.
Father Lee iterated that the biggest mistake we could make is not fully accepting that two churches coming together is making something new. This does not mean that the histories or legacies of the congregations are lost, rather they are the foundation on which the new is built. He also stated that from this point there is no us and them, we bring all our strengths and weaknesses and create something new together.
Three Questions
No merger is alike, each comes about through a unique set of circumstances. Yet there are three questions that are at the heart of a mission-driven merger.
- Can we accomplish more together than separate?
- Would our communities be better served together than separate?
- Could the Kingdom of God be further extended by our merger?
The transition team unanimously believed the answer to these three questions was YES.
Father Lee then asked the team one final question. Is this merger a God-Thing? In other words, is there an awareness that the Holy Spirit is orchestrating this merger, and does it honor God?
The team's answer was yes.
The team then had an opportunity to state their hopes and fears and ask questions before we asked ourselves what our message was from this meeting. One primary question was a timeline. The answer is that we want to move quickly enough for it to happen but slow enough to do it right. The diocese advised us that the transition team and vestries will know when the time is right to take the next steps. They also assured us that we should not let any “formal” process block us from living into our new creation. The team created its mission statement for its work moving forward.
Our Mission is:
To combine, integrate, and unify our people, systems, and resources so that our life and ministry together is a vibrant, healthy expression of Christ's Body, the Church, becoming a new creation marked by communion, participation, and mission.
