Home : The Voice : April 2002  

Churches Uniting in Christ
Services Held
In Hopkinsville and Elkton

by Tonya Grace
Kentucky New Era

Worshipers filed one by one to the chancel steps to partake of a common communion. Whether Methodist, Christian or Episcopalian, whether black or white, all gathered at the front of the sanctuary to take the bread, dip it into the wine and bring it to their lips -- sharing in an observance that is as old as the days of Christ. Yet this time, they shared it together in a worship service intended to help them break down the barriers of race, culture and religious differences to become one in Christ.

"The church is the most segregated entity in America today," said the Rev. Carston Shanklin, pastor of Freeman Chapel CME Church, following the ecumenical service January 16th at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

"(This) was a very spirit-filled event. I think the pastors in the city will become more friendly and work together."

The January 16th service was the first in Kentucky among churches participating in the newly established Churches Uniting in Christ, a larger partnership that encourages churches of different denominations to combine their efforts to overcome racism and other societal problems. Nine denominations are involved in the movement, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Church, the International Council of Community Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church.

Shanklin said he believes the program will be successful now because people really want the barriers that have separated them in the past to be overcome. During the local service, he read verses of scripture from the book of Romans that address the baptism of Christ and note that people who have "been planted together in the likeness of his death shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."

Representatives from five of the denominations involved in the larger movement took part in the service -- filling roles as speakers, reading scripture and officiating at communion. Featured speaker was the Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches.

Additionally, a second service took place Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, where Dr. Albert Pennybaker, a Disciples pastor who is familiar with ecumenical relationships, was to speak to local participants about working together.

In Todd County, four denominations were represented at a similar service earlier this week in that community. That service, which took place on Monday as Martin Luther King Jr. Day was being celebrated, featured a message from the Rev. Ken Reeder, a Christian church pastor, and prayers for all the congregations."We came together as a community of those denominations united together for fellowship," observed the Rev. Lisa Lewis-Balboa, pastor of Phillips Chapel CME Church in Elkton.

Lewis-Balboa said churches in her community already have been doing many of the things suggested by the new partnership through their participation in both the Todd County Diversity Committee and the Laity and Ministers Alliance of Todd County. She said Churches Uniting in Christ should allow churches in Todd County to continue that relationship; her church has invited other congregations to attend a baptism slated for this Sunday at Phillips Chapel, and members will continue to fellowship through their Fifth Sunday community services. Organizers of the larger effort are encouraging participating churches to attend each other's worship services and special events, to share communion and take part in mission projects.

The project is particularly aimed in its beginnings at combating racism. It was planned in January to coincide with celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr., and representatives of the nine Protestant denominations involved in the effort met on Jan. 20 in Memphis, Tenn., the site of King's death, to inaugurate the project.

Yet Lewis-Balboa believes the effort will go beyond racism to encourage fellowship and an understanding of each other's worship beliefs.

"I feel like it should affect the community as a whole, but we need more education," she noted. "Some people at our services weren't even aware of what CUIC can do."

The Rev. Anthony Barta, newly named pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Hopkinsville, said he hopes the effort will bring about a very real unity among churches to become one in Christ over the next two generations.

First Christian Church pastor the Rev. Jim Hazelrigg agrees, noting that his personal goal for the effort is for church members to find ways to be one body in Christ and to live out Christ's prayer that his followers will be made one.

"We would hope that we would continue to seek opportunities for worship, for study and to work together on the issues and events in the life of the community," said Hazelrigg, whose church hosted the January 16th service.

"There has always been a lot of talk about becoming one body in Christ. This is an effort to see how we can live in that reality."

Churches Uniting in Christ, according to the group's brochure, is the culmination of a 40-year study and prayer effort among nine Protestant denominations who sought to discover ways they could live their Christian lives together.

<< Previous | Contents | Next >>