Build My Church: Christ Episcopal Church, Albertville: Forty Years and Counting!

Build My Church: Christ Episcopal Church, Albertville: Forty Years and Counting!

(Based on a Sermon Preached at Christ Episcopal Church on Sunday, January 28, 2018)

Around the year 1208, a young man in Italy by the name of Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Francis, was praying in the Chapel of San Damiano near the town of Aissisi when he had a vision that the Icon of the Crucified Christ above the altar said to him, “go, repair my church which, as you can see, has fallen into ruins.” Francis logically believed that Jesus was asking him to rebuild the forsaken and rundown church building. Only later did he understand that Christ was calling him to repair, to build, the Body of Christ, not the building.

In 1977, a group of 15 families (Bains, Bender, Griffin, Laser, Rogers, Terrell, Appleton, Battles, Treadway, Wester, Cotton, Lackey, Narvison, Swart and Wooten), members of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Guntersville, Alabama heard the same call. All were from the Albertville area and along with their first priest, The Rev. Hugh Agricola, believed God was calling them to “Build God’s Church” on Sand Mountain. The difference between this group of people and St. Francis was that they understood from the beginning that God was calling them to build the “Body of Christ.” Yes, the wanted a building and believed that they would one day have a building to house the church, but they knew in their hearts that God had called them to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Sand Mountain.

So, with the Blessing of Bishop Stough and the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, the Rev. John Groff and the Church of the Epiphany, Sand Mountain Episcopal Ministries was formed. For a year they worshiped in “the Upper Room,” above Bains Furniture and Appliance downtown. During the first year as these intrepid pioneer families worked, worshiped and prayed, members of the Church lead by Ellen Bains (Perryman) found an abandoned Episcopal Church building in Piedmont and arranged to have it moved to a lot they had secured on East Main Street, and they began to build a home for the church they and God were building.

As I think about and offer prayers of thanksgiving for our spiritual ancestors, two verses of a hymn come to mind.

                        Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the head and cornerstone,
                        Chosen of the Lord and precious, binding all the church in one.

                        Holy Zion’s help forever, and her confidence alone.

                        To this temple, where we call you, come, O Lord of Hosts, today.

                        With accustomed loving kindness, hear your servants as they pray;

                        And your fullest Benediction shed within its walls always.

The ministries begun by these founders and those of us who have followed them over the past forty years, have shown the face of Jesus to and improved the lives of many people in our area. Over the years, these ministries have provided affordable clothes and household goods to people, helped children learn through tutors and helped others learn English to live better lives here.

Christ Church has made food available to people through our Beans and Rice Program, and Blessings in a Backpack for our school children. We have also helped with job training by supporting Christian Women’s Job Corps and worked with Keep Albertville Beautiful to improve the look of our city.

On Sunday, January 28, 2018 we welcomed back several of our founding members as well as many of the over 500 people who for a time called Christ Episcopal Church their spiritual home. This blessed company of faithful people, this great cloud of witnesses, have, with Christ, built foundations, literal and spiritual, upon which we who are Christ Church today continue to build the body of Christ and serve our community in Jesus’ name.

As we head into the next forty years we look again at the foundation of our faith and prepare to write the next chapter of our life together in Christ.

            The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus directed them.

            When they saw him, the worshiped him but some doubted. And Jesus said to them. Go

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit, and teach them  to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:16-21)

With this command and this promise, we who are Christ Church, follow Jesus into the next forty years, as we

            Continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Proclaim by

word and example the Good News of God in Christ, and respect the dignity of every

human being. (Book of Common Prayer, page 304-305)