5. Merger of St. Paul’s, Bantam, and Christ Church, Bethlehem
Proposed by:
The Rev. Brett Figlewski, Rector
Lowell Dwyer, Senior Warden of St. Paul’s and Delegate to Convention
Jean Grela, St. Paul’s Delegate to Convention
Carolyn Happy, Senior Warden of Christ Church and Delegate to Convention
Lissa LaLonde, Treasurer of Christ Church and Delegate to Convention
Resolution:
RESOLVED, That the 241st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut ratifies the merger into one parish of St. Paul’s Church in Bantam and Christ Church in Bethlehem, such merger having been approved by, and undertaken in the manner and under the conditions required by, the Bishops and Standing Committee in keeping with Canon I, Section 13 of the Canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the resulting merged parish shall be named St. Paul’s Parish – St. Paul’s Church with Christ Church Chapel.
Explanation:
Pursuing an innovative merger of two parishes into one with two campuses allows us to combine our gifts and resources to share God’s Love in a much larger geographic area. Having shared a priest for multiple years, we developed a vision for mission-driven, 21st-century ministry. Our newly-constituted Christian community has use of multiple worship spaces, a commercial kitchen for food ministries, an outside labyrinth, a Boutique, wooded acres soon to include a nature path for the entire community, and much more. With merger, we hope to fulfill our call to be agents of love and healing in the world.
Requirements to Implement:
This resolution does not require any funding or further action by the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
Supporting Documents