Christ Church practices the traditional liturgy but flexibly accommodates a variety of preferences and styles. For example: occasionally a priest will chant, some parishioners stand and some kneel for prayer, and many are heard to substitute inclusive pronouns in spoken responses. Sunday morning services include 8:00 a.m. Rite I with no music and 10:00 a.m. Rite II with music, including a small choir and the majestic 1917 Skinner organ. The 10:00 service is video live-streamed and archived for shut-in and distant participants. The congregation is used to and appreciates well-crafted and thought-provoking sermons. A Wednesday in-person noonday Eucharist and healing service was held prior to COVID; an online prayer service temporarily substitutes. Monthly Rite II with healing prayer is offered at the Oakwood Village retirement community (10-18 people attend). There are a number of special services, particularly in Advent and Lent. During COVID, numerous adaptations and experimentations included Sunday services streamed through Zoom and Facebook, and choir members sequentially recording their parts using the smartphone app Acapella.

We are an active and inclusive congregation that believes in lay leadership, the inclusion of all people, and partnering with others to serve each other and our community. Lay people have been involved in every aspect of worship, outreach ministry, committees, and food pantry. Two parishioners serve as Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Christ Church appreciates and supports the vocational ministries of its parishioners, including K-12 teachers; professors and administrators at nearby Wittenberg, Clark State, Wright State, Sinclair, and Central State institutions of higher learning; and staff and volunteers at social service agencies. A handful of Haitian immigrants who speak little English have regularly joined our worship; on Pentecost one of these read the lessons in French. We maintain a close relationship with neighboring Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and other parishes, often pooling volunteer resources. In the recent past, we have prepared young people for community service and several parishioners for ordination.

We are not aware of any prominently visible rift within the congregation. And yet the CAT indicated that 35% of respondents perceive a disturbing amount of conflict, placing us in the 60th percentile among comparable parishes. This conflict score may indicate differing stories circulating about the reasons for departure of previous rectors (made more difficult as we were separated during the pandemic) or the personality clashes that typically occur in parish ministries such as vestry, altar guild, choir, outreach, pantry, etc.

We are quite aware that societal participation in organized religion is declining and changing, but we believe that Christ’s message and that of the Episcopal Church are compelling, and are excited about sharing them in new ways. During the pandemic, we invested in technology to live video-stream from the sanctuary and nave, with multiple wireless microphones, cameras, and a production station. This facilitates participation by not only the COVID-wary, but shut-ins, people “trying out” a church, and distant and former members, including our college students.

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Questions can be directed to the Canon for Transitions, the Rev. Canon Michael P. Spencer; mspencer@diosohio.org or 513-632-6024.