Landmark churches make landmark decision
By Vicars Hodge
St. George’s, Parish of Carleton and St. Jude’s, Parish of Victoria, are two of Saint John’s landmark churches. And together they recently made the landmark decision to share and strengthen their ministry.
The two churches are neighbours in Saint John’s lower west side and in
recent years have collaborated in several ways — Lenten missions, the Alpha course, summer clergy coverage, and an extensive food bank support ministry. When the Rev. Canon David Kierstead, rector of St. Jude’s, announced in early 2009 that he would retire before the end of the year, the usual transition protocol was triggered. The wardens and parish advisory committee arranged a meeting with me, their territorial archdeacon. We discussed the preparation of a parish profile, talked of interim ministry, and began to consider what gifts were needed in the next rector of St. Jude’s. However, as the conversation proceeded, the leadership team at St. Jude's grew into the idea that the future of St. Jude's might well involve the people of St. George's as well. So conversations with two sets of churchwardens and two vestries led to a remarkable sharing in ministry on the West Side.
The two churches agreed that although both corporations would continue, they would share two clergy equally — one would be the rector of both churches and the other would be the associate priest of both. While the two clergy would live in the two rectories, neither priest would be the exclusive minister of either church. Theirs would be a team ministry.
So last November, the Rev. Canon Howard Anningson, rector of the Parish of Carleton (St. George’s) was also named the rector of the Parish of Victoria (St. Jude’s). On him fall most of the administrative responsibilities and his considerable gifts in pastoral care are a blessing to both congregations.
The Rev. Rob Salloum was appointed associate priest on Jan. 1. He shares in liturgical leadership and pastoral care in both parishes – and under the rector's direction, takes the lead in small group, program ministry, and congregational development.
Their positions were made official at a service in February and the photo at the top of this page shows them (Canon Anningson in the centre, me on his left, Mr. Salloum on his right, and the church wardens surrounding us) following that service.
This is a remarkable new beginning for the two churches, especially in light of their histories. St. George's Church predates our first Bishop John Medley by half a century and is the product of the evangelical revival of the 18th century. The present structure, built in 1821, has a distinctive clock tower that presides over the deep west side and overlooks the busy harbour.
St. Jude’s was planted during the time of Bishop Medley and has its roots in the Anglo-Catholic renewal that swept through the Anglican Church in the 19th century. It dwells up the hill from St. George’s, next to Queens Square and overlooking the Digby ferry terminal.
Although both congregations are much smaller numerically than they once were, they have plenty of desire to be useful and have embraced the ideas of shared ministry with enthusiasm. Despite historic rivalries that grew from their different theological beginnings, they have for decades known that they have far more in common than the things that once divided them.
The Ven. Vicars Hodge is Archdeacon of St. Andrews
