Central Lutheran Welcomes St. Barnabas
Parishioners at St. Barnabas Parish have entered into a unique agreement with their counterparts at Central Lutheran Church. St. Barnabas will now worship at Central Lutheran, with both congregations sharing the space. To accommodate this new agreement, St. Barnabas has adjusted their service times from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Central Lutheran has changed their service from 10:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Both congregations voted on this arrangement at the respective annual general meetings.
The inaugural service was held March 18, and already the agreement is proving fruitful.
“As far as I can tell, this is a first for the City of Moose Jaw, in that there are two different denominations holding Sunday morning services in the same building at different times,” said Father Glenn Galenkamp, rector of St. Barnabas. “St. Barnabas has been very warmly welcomed by the congregation of Central Lutheran and we look forward to participating in each other’s social events during the year. Even before the move, parishioners of St. Barnabas were invited to Central Lutheran’s Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner. A great time was had by all and it was a wonderful ice breaker for the churches… We have had a great experience being welcomed at Central Lutheran and are looking forward to ministering to the people of Moose Jaw and the surrounding area in our respective ways.”
Both churches have been a part of Moose Jaw for many years.
St. Barnabas began on the east side of Moose Jaw in 1913. After the amalgamation of the city’s Anglican churches, the old St. Barnabas building was closed. A group of parishioners still desired a traditional Anglican service, and so they entered into an agreement with Church of Epiphany in Regina to hold services in Moose Jaw. Before long, Church of Epiphany closed, and St. Barnabas began holding regular services. The parish celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. St. Barnabas had been worshipping at Parkview Funeral Chapel since 2011.
Central Lutheran began in 1903 through missionary work among the Scandinavian Lutherans. In 1911 the Trinity Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran congregation was formed, although it was eventually dissolved during World War I. In 1926 Rev. H.L. Urness began holding services in a private home, before moving to several different locations. By 1929 city council had donated two lots for a permanent building. The church cornerstone was laid on September 3, 1929. Central Lutheran has been worshipping at the same location ever since.
It is expected that this unique partnership will benefit both parishes, both in terms of cost savings, and in community outreach.
“This move will allow St. Barnabas to expand our ministry by being able to have mid-week services, bible studies, office and Sunday School space, and outreach to the community at large,” said Galenkamp. “The location, so close to Main Street, provides for better exposure for the parish as well as on and off-street parking, wheelchair accessibility to the whole building, and a large hall for church and social functions.”
“We at Central see this coming together as a model more churches need to explore in the future; it will be a time of sharing both expenses that keep rising, and also celebrating our unity as Christians together in times of fellowship,” said Pastor Bill Cantelon of Central Lutheran. “At the same time, we recognize our practices are different, so we also want to honour that as well. But this connecting will benefit both of our congregations in ways yet not seen. We are looking forward to the growth and learning that God will bring both of our groups as we share one building.”
Central Lutheran Church is located at 27 Hochelaga St. W. For more information, visit http://centrallutheranmj.com or call the church office at 306-694-5575. You can contact St. Barnabas via www.saintbarnabasmoosejaw.com by visiting www.facebook.com/saintbarnabasmoosejaw, or by phoning Fr. Galenkamp at 306-313-1163.