Liturgical church plant draws a crowd
VANCOUVER, BC—Church planter Alastair Sterne believes at least some people in Vancouver are hungry for a less contemporary church experience—and are finding that in the traditional Anglican liturgies.
"When you tell someone, 'This prayer we just prayed has been prayed for the past 1,600 years throughout the world, and it unifies Christians even today,' I've found that excites people," he says.
Sterne heads a team that is preparing to launch this fall a new evangelical Anglican church in downtown Vancouver called St. Peter's Fireside. (The name is derived from the two "firesides" in John's gospel—the first where Peter denies Jesus three times, and the second where He shows Peter grace and forgiveness.)
St. Peter's plans to offer a church service adapted for a community that is likely not familiar with more liturgical forms of worship. The celebrants will not wear clerical robes.
About 215 people showed up for its first "preview" service on May 5 at UBC's Robson Square campus. "I don't know where a lot of the people came from," says Sterne. "We were quite thrilled with that."
The next service will be held July 21.
"We've come up with a way for reaching part of Vancouver," he says, "and hopefully bring voice to some things that I think have been needlessly abandoned by some of the contemporary Church movements, and need to be reevaluated."
St. Peter's is affiliated with the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), a group of theologically conservative churches that left the Anglican Church of Canada. Partnering with them is St. John's Vancouver. Formerly St. John's Shaughnessy, the largest Anglican church in Canada, it was forced to vacate its building after joining the ANiC.
"It's a church that has gone through trial and persecution for the sake of defending the gospel," Sterne says. "I couldn't think of a greater community to get behind us."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
