Emmanuel Episcopal takes leap of faith and finds new home
There were times that the future of Emmanuel Episcopal Church seemed as murky as the 4 feet of water that flooded the congregation and stood there for weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
As members searched for a new home, their leader, the Rev. Andrew Parker, died in December 2018, leaving the congregation with the feeling of still being underwater.
But nothing stopped the little church from holding onto hope. Now, Emmanuel is ready for a new day at its new home, 3785 Barker Cypress.
The church was preparing for its first service when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and services moved online. The congregation, however, was ready to handle another setback, after surviving so many in the past.
“It doesn’t matter where we worship, where we are,” longtime member and senior warden Chris Delange said. “As long as we’re all together, that’s where the church is. The church is where you gather. We take that to heart.”
It’s a lesson that the congregation has learned in the past few years and one that reminds Delange of faith and stepping into uncertainty with grace.
“Everybody’s spiritual journey is different,” he said. “Everybody has moments when they doubt their faith. There are also moments when you are really listening, when you feel the
Holy Spirit. You feel faith. This is one of those times.”
Emmanuel’s story is about loss and redemption, about finding hope in the unknown and working toward a brighter future.
The church began as part of a mission in 1972 to serve the expanding west Houston. At first, services were held in the former Billie’s Dance Studio and then the Meadow Wood Elementary School cafeteria. In 1977, crews broke ground for a chapel at Eldridge and Memorial Drive, and Emmanuel became a fullfledged parish in 1981.
Before long, the church had become a fixture in the community. That’s how Emmanuel was when the Delanges joined. The family had just settled in the Briarhills neighborhood and wanted to check out the church around the corner.
“It had such a different atmosphere,” Delange recalled. “It’s that embracing, welcoming spirit that Emmanuel has that makes a difference, not only in wanting to go there but in wanting to stay there.”
There was something unique about the members and the sense of connection at the church, Delange said. “That’s what Emmanuel provides for everyone, regardless of age — it’s an open, loving atmosphere,” he said.
That same spirit attracted the church’s receptionist, Andra Abbott, to join years ago.
Abbott clearly recalls trying to protect the church during Hurricane Harvey by placing sandbags around the sanctuary before the storm. “A lot of good that did,” said Abbott, whose home flooded along with the church.
“I just had to put my feet in front of me the next day,” she recalled. “Then we started talking about what would happen.”
Even in those early discussions about the church’s future, Abbott felt rebuilding might not be a viable option because of a lack of parking and space. A new location could help the church better reach out to the community, she thought.
Right after the hurricane, Delange felt a call to become more a part of the church. He joined the vestry and became a part of the search for the congregation’s new home.
“You have to look at all of the options,” he said. “Do we rebuild where a flood just happened? We saw the devastation of the flood, and that weighed on us. Trying to find a new home also weighed on us.”
A few pieces of property were identified as possible contenders — some with church buildings already standing. By the summer of 2019, the congregation narrowed the search to a handful of properties, including the original church with an architect’s plans for remodeling.
“We were looking for a new location, and we took a really long-term look to determine what would be the best step, not just for us but for the next generation,” Delange said.
When the Barker Cypress location became available, it felt heaven sent. The Rev. Lance Ousley, who joined the congregation in 2019, remembers a Realtor’s letter, sharing a newly listed church.
“It’s worth at least looking,” Ousley thought then. So the vestry added the location to its list.
“The minute we stepped on the property, the photos just didn’t do it justice at all,” Ousley said. “We went in, and it got better and better and better.”
After examining all of the properties, the vestry voted for a favorite: The church on Barker Cypress was in the top spot, hands down.
“When we went, there was just a different feeling from any other property,” Delange said. “It was like something was calling us to be there.”
The building had belonged to Covenant Lutheran and was already a hub for community organizations such as Boy Scout troops, 12-step groups and Meals on Wheels.
“We felt incredibly blessed by this property as our new church home — to carry out the work God wants us to do, specifically with the gifts our congregation has,” Ousley said.
The diocese approved the property by September. Then came the bid and a 90-day waiting period.
During the search for a new building, Emmanuel’s congregation worshiped at Temple Sinai, becoming part of the synagogue’s family. Then came the coronavirus, and all services moved online.
“We still have not worshiped in our space,” Delange said. “We have not been able to welcome Covenant Lutheran to worship with us or invite Temple Sinai to celebrate with us. All of those things will come in due time. We want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy.”
There isn’t a set date for services to begin at Emmanuel’s new location. But Ousley is preparing for that big day.
“We’re all ready to get started,” he said. “We’re in the starting blocks ready to go.”
Already, the building has been deep-cleaned and painted.
The congregation will now have space to grow, with nearly double the parking and a welcoming foyer complete with coffee bar. A movable wall can create extra room for summer programs and other outreach. A nursery waits in the front of the building, and a community room with separate access can house meetings for neighboring associations and groups.
Everything is in place to move ministry forward, Ousley explained. “There are incredible possibilities,” said Ousley, who first came to Emmanuel from Washington state in January 2019, roughly a month after the Rev. Parker’s death. “We’ve found a home where we can do even greater things.”
Ousley was already familiar with the church when he received a call to to return to Texas early last year. Originally ordained in the Diocese of Texas, he served as rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Whartonand was on the bishop’s staff as the chair of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission from 2004 through 2011. He also considered Parker a close friend. When they were both in Texas, Ousley and Parker spent time talking about ministry and supporting each other’s journeys.
“I knew that if he loved this congregation, I would love it,” Ousley said.
Most of all, Ousley was impressed with the congregation, which had dealt with so much tragedy, losing its home in the hurricane and its leader soon thereafter.
“Faith isn’t about being certain all the time,” Ousley said. “It’s about facing challenges and remaining faithful in spite of that. This congregation did — and does — that.”
His first service in Houston was in mid-March 2019. “When I arrived, we had a congregation that had suffered multiple traumas,” Ousley said. “They were in need of healing.”
Now, Ousley can foresee Emmanuel as a neighborhood hub, a gathering place for the community and a source of outreach.
To Delange, it feels like a congregation that grown from its experiences, strengthening in the face of challenge.
“You take strength and comfort from one another,” he said. “You listen and pray that God will put you on the right path. At the end of the day, we all come together under Christ. It’s love that He taught us to have love for the world. If you have that, it trumps everything else. It trumps your fear and uncertainty.”
And with this new, larger location comes the ability to reach more people, Abbott says.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “There’s so much opportunity.”
Abbott also said that her faith has strengthened in the past few years. “I don’t think God intended all of this,” she said. “Because it happened, He helped us. He helped us see a better picture, helped us look differently and learn to listen.”