We Are the Church
Some people are born to small churches; others have small churches thrust upon them. I fall into the first group. Born and raised in Sealy, my family worshipped at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Founded as a mission of the Diocese of Texas in 1885, it retained its mission status for more than 100 years. Growing up, I though it was holy writ that vicars cycled through your church every couple of years, as the bishop needed to deploy folks. Many were great, others were different, but that small church in a small town endured. My rock-ribbed, cradle Episcopalian grandmother said more than once, “I was here before they got here, and I will be here when they’re gone.”
I think she loosely paraphrased a great truism: WE are the church. After moving around the nation, transferring our letters from one large, well-supported (in all ways) Episcopal parish to another, we moved to South Texas in 2016. Church-shopping began in earnest, starting and stopping at St. Matthew’s, Kenedy. After two decades of my family worshipping in larger communities, we were back in the country. We found a tight-knit, fun-loving group of folks who welcomed my family with open arms (literally, you ought to see this church at the Peace). A couple of months into attendance, we were instructed to attend “fifth Sunday” at Goliad, 35 miles from Kenedy. That was our introduction to Partners in Ministry. Our lives haven’t been the same since.
Partners in Ministry in the Eastern Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas (PIM East cuts that mouthful down to size) consists of six congregations who joined in covenant more than 20 years ago to ensure the vitality of the Episcopal Church in our small communities. PIM East presently includes Trinity (Edna), St. Stephen’s (Goliad), St. James’ (Hallettsville), St. Matthew’s (Kenedy), Grace (Port Lavaca), and Ascension (Refugio). Add us all up, and our average Sunday attendance wouldn’t put us in the top 1/3 of the Diocese. Make no mistake, though: PIM East is where “small but mighty” meets “strength in numbers.”
I mentioned our covenant, renewed for the sixth time in the fall of 2023. On the ordained clergy side, we are led by a Canon Missioner (selected by the Bishop) who serves as the Rector or Vicar of each congregation. Other dedicated clergy serve PIM East under the guidance of the Canon Missioner. Together, they rotate Sundays around the circle, ensuring the Eucharist is celebrated in each church almost every week. Each church maintains its own vestry; PIM East has a Partnership Council which plans and coordinates the work and corporate budget of group.
Our covenant spells out duties for the clergy team and for the laity. Common duties are evangelism, pastoral care, share in the discernment of lay leaders being called for ordained ministry, and active participation in diocesan life. As the six individual churches share both a clergy team and a dogged commitment to PIM East, each congregation has developed two co-existing identities.
The nuts and bolts of PIM East are pretty simple. Each church provides financial support to the Partnership, just as we still each provide our apportionment to the Diocese. We maintain separate budgets to operate our individual churches (utilities, maintenance and upkeep, and community outreach) and the funds we each provide to PIM East pays for our joint expenses (chiefly our clergy team). There are tradeoffs to every agreement, but, for me, it’s been impossible to find a negative in this arrangement. We have ordained clergy, whom we love, preaching the Gospel from our pulpits and celebrating the Eucharist from behind our altars on a weekly basis. We have a Canon Missioner who travels the six communities and, with local parishioners, conducts outreach ministries in nursing homes and county jails. The Episcopal Church maintains an active presence in our communities that is arguably more vibrant than it would be in the absence of the Partnership. And each of us has brothers and sisters from all across the Eastern Convocation whom we know well, can bounce ideas off, and pray for us whether we have asked for it or not.
PIM reminds me that “we are the church.” Our forebears saw a challenging future and sought a collective solution that would both aid its members and make us a part of a larger family, one that is not exclusive to the place we choose to live. While we have dedicated clergy, we are by ourselves most of the time. This model has unquestionably developed lay leadership and fostered true friendships across a nearly 100-mile circle. This model might not fit every similar situation. It requires trust, submission to the betterment of the group, and a sincere belief that we are stronger together than we are apart. It’s not simply the answer to a challenging financial situation or declining church membership; it is a covenant for mutual provision that allows us, empowered by the Holy Spirit, a greater opportunity to spread God’s Good News of salvation and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. And it sure works for us.
