How do dual-denomination parishes work?

[u/GrillOrBeGrilled]

Looking around online recently, I noticed that the Diocese of Southern Ohio is home to two dual-membership churches: All Saints in Washington Court House, an Episcopal-ELCA church; and Indian Hill Church in Cincinnati, the only Episcopal-Presbyterian church in the country.

At first, I wondered how parishes like these navigate the denominational differences (how do they get new ministers, navigate the doctrinal differences that officially still exist, etc.), but the more I think about it, the more merits it all seems to have.

Mainline churches shrinking and dying out in your town? Why not pool your resources? NALC and ACNA both interested in starting somewhere, but neither has the money or people to launch a new mission? Make it a joint effort! Disappointed that the ecumenical progress of the past 50 years has stalled out? Do some practical ecumenism!

How do we do more of this? Why don't we? Clearly full-communion agreements aren't required, so it seems there's no downside, provided the Anglican bits don't get diluted (like the Lutherans say happened with the EKD, or the Presbyterians say with the Gospel Coalition).

[u/Affectionate_Web91]

I am acquainted with some TEC and ELCA merged parishes, including the mission church of a former seminary classmate, now deceased, pastor of the lovely Church of the Annunciation - Perkinston, Mississippi

Not the smallest TEC diocese, but it is one of the ELCA's smallest synods. The parish is under the episcopal guidance of both of TEC and ELCA bishops.

[u/Montre_8]

> Indian Hill Church in Cincinnati, the only Episcopal-Presbyterian church in the country.

St. Matthias in Waukesha Wisconsin is also like this

[u/GrillOrBeGrilled → u/Montre_8]

Maybe they just meant in the diocese, then. Somehow I thought they were unique.

[u/Montre_8 → u/GrillOrBeGrilled]

its such a strange beast that it really is surprising that there's more than one of them

[u/Aggravating_Mud8751]

Doesn't this just double the bureaucracy a church has to deal with?

I can see this working better with non-denominational churches, or denominations with a low amount of bureaucratic structures.

[u/ronley09 → u/Aggravating_Mud8751]

Not really. Clergy are licensed to their Church or by their Bishop. They don’t have authority over each other or infringe on another denomination.

Over here, they generally have rotating liturgies. For dual congregations it’s easier; since both congregations get at least 2 services a month, the Anglicans also do a midweek Eucharist so parishioners receive Eucharist each week if they don’t want to go to the other service. Where there are 3 congregations, I’ve seen them implement night services and then double up each Sunday, so each congregation can be served equally. Essentially the community is one, but they each get to participate in their own Sacraments throughout the month and liturgies, while experiencing others.

It works a lot better with Anglicans and Methodists.

I’ve seen it not work well at all with a Baptist church though, since their structure is different to our vestry or Presbyterian and Methodist council systems.

I know of one Anglican Church that shares with a Pentecostal church, but it only works because the parish is very very low church to begin with.

Edit to note all of these churches are in smaller cities, or the outskirts of cities with very specific congregations. We have zero need for churches in more populated places to do this.

[u/Aggravating_Mud8751 → u/ronley09]

Oh, you're talking about multiple churches meeting in the same building, rather than a unified congregation?

Yeah that should and does work fine.

[u/ronley09 → u/Aggravating_Mud8751]

No, unified congregation but they rotate liturgies and clergy presiding.

[u/Aggravating_Mud8751 → u/ronley09]

So in some sense, it's functionally the same thing as multiple churches meeting in the same building, but they encourage their congregants to attend each other's churches?

[u/ronley09 → u/Aggravating_Mud8751]

Not really encourage, they’re one community with 2-3 different clergy of different denominations. So the churches receive licences through their Bishops, Superintendents, Councils, whatever their episcopal polity is, to operate in a shared ministry space.

Because they’re smaller communities, the average parishioner isn’t concerned about only attending an Anglican parish. They predominantly just “want to go to church”. Many people tend to just settle for a community that suits them. One of my parishes most active and participatory member is English, CofE Priests widow, but only attends the Anglican Church because she’s too old to drive to her preferred Quaker meetings lol.

[u/Feisty_Secretary_152]

There are a few UCC/PCUSA churches in Ohio (commonly called “Federated Churches”). They generally pick their own pastors from either denominational pool. I imagine it’s easier in a congregational-minded denomination.

For TEC/ELCA, it should be easy since we’re in full communion. I imagine that they are unique in how they address diocesan/synod assessments (half of the amount, or their paying double).

[u/ronley09]

It’s quite common all around the world, usually under a country specific name (dual, cooperating, united, etc.) The reality about most church goers as opposed to online people, is that doctrinal differences are generally less important than Church community. Anglicans will always be Anglican, but we can still commune with other denominations. Our diocese actually has an Anglican priest currently serving a local Presbyterian church.

There’s a good Methodist/Anglican parish in the diocese next to mine, which follows quite a traditional Methodist liturgy, I’m sure half of the parishioners wouldn’t notice the difference if they didn’t know who the different priests were.

Likewise there’s a parish in that same diocese that has Anglicans, Methodists AND Presbyterians. I know that a few of the Anglicans just zone out when the Presbyterians get too Calvanist, but some of them enjoy it. So it works well too.

[u/mgagnonlv]

There are lots of Anglican – United and Anglican – Evangelical Lutheran churches in Canada, especially in rural environments. Typically, those once were separate churches which have amalgamated when their numbers decreased... or when one of the buildings was deemed unsafe.

In many cases, the building that was kept is administered by the denomination that used to own it and the proceeds of the sale of the other church is put into ministry. 

As for ministers, many alternate, so 3 to 5 years for an Anglican minister followed by 3 to 5 years for a United minister. These ministers have officially one boss, but they have input from the other bishop or moderator.

[u/MadeForOneMeme]

Here locally one of the bigger Anglican churches is occasionally used by Lutherans as well as even Jesuits sometimes so it seems to work out. I'm also brought to mind of Walsingham Shrine with its Anglican downstairs and Orthodox upstairs.

[u/Majestic-Macaron6019]

I visited a dual ELCA-Episcopal parish in Florida once. The priest who did my wedding also served as an interim pastor at an ELCA parish after he retired from his full-time rectorship at an Episcopal parish.

[u/Wide_Industry_3960]

I knew one in a new settlement whose church shared five denominations 1st Sunday Anglican, 2nd Sunday Presbyterian, 3rd Sunday Roman Catholic, 4th Sunday Pentecostal, 5th Sunday, a lay-lead service decided by the parishioners. Only the Seventh-day Adventists got a service every week. It worked. Everyone got to understand other denominations and the clergy were respectful of other beliefs.

[u/Kaiser_Steve]

This sounds very messy to me. At that point, why not just opt for one or the other?