A Tale of Two Churches

Emily Winsett

February 16, 2004

Mary Ellen Burgess, a member of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, sits against the paisley print of a booth in the back of a diner on East 77th Street. As she slowly flips through glossy photographs from her recent trip to South Africa, she stops at each one and explains the image it reflects. Burgess tells the story of a priest who ministers to 18 parishes throughout the North-West Province of South Africa. She describes the modesty of those churches, simple buildings with tin roofs and stone floors. And as she recalls the worship service in one particular parish, the Church of the Transfiguration, her sapphire eyes sparkle with excitement.

"There's a great devotion of the people to the church," she said smiling. "There's a great enthusiasm for worship. It was, to me, just so amazing. It's very alive." But as Burgess talks, one question keeps plaguing her: how can two churches, a world a part, form a meaningful relationship that will foster the spiritual lives of their parishioners?

Earlier this year, Burgess, fellow parishioner Janice Etchison and Rev. Charles Simmons traveled to South Africa to find the answer to that question.

St. Bartholomew's connection with the Church of the Transfiguration began in 2002. The churches were joined as part of the Companion Diocese Committee, an exchange program formed in 1992 between the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Klerksdorp in South Africa. The program seeks to establish relationships between churches in different parts of the world and connect their parishioners in prayer.

St. Bartholomew's stands on the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street in Manhattan. The huge brick building, known for its ornate dome, is one of New York City's most visited churches. Each Sunday, an estimated 800 to 1,200 people come to "St. Bart's," as members call it, for worship services. In addition, some 11,000 families remain active in the church through its ministry programs.

"It is part of our Baptismal Covenant, the promises we make when we are baptized," said Rev. Simmons, explaining why ministry is so important to parishioners at St. Bart's. "We promise to do certain things and one of them is to work for justice and peace among all people."

St. Bart's local ministries, collectively known as St. Bart's and the City, include an outreach program for homeless families, an after school program and a holiday clothing drive. But St. Bart's lacked an outreach to the world beyond New York City. To fill that void, parishioners formed St. Bart's and the World in the summer of 2001 as a way to expand the global ministry. According to Janice Etchison, "the goal was to reach out to the world as we had reached out to the city."

Etchison was one of the original members of St. Bart's and the World. Of her decision to participate, she said, "It's not enough to just sit in the pew. My guiding scripture passage is from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25." The text Etchison refers to reads, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you drink? As often as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto me."

"It's beautiful," said Etchison of the passage, "and I've gotten involved in whatever is possible that enables me to live that out in some way."

In November of 2001, Etchison became the chair person of the International Partnership, a sub-committee of St. Bart's and the World. She attended meetings of the Companion Diocese Committee which manages the affiliation between the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Klerksdorp. Through the committee, St. Bart's was linked to the Church of the Transfiguration.

For two years, Etchison wrote letters to the parish in South Africa on behalf of St. Bart's. At first her attempts went unanswered, causing her to wonder if the two churches would ever form a relationship. As Rev. Simmons recalls, "We were praying for them and writing letters but there was no physical contact." Then, in January 2002, Bishop David Nkwe and his wife, Maggie, traveled to New York from Klerksdorp, South Africa. Bishop Nkwe has been the spiritual leader of the Klerksdorp Diocese, which includes the Church of the Transfiguration, for over ten years. With that visit, the churches connected. Meeting in person made the difference.

Exactly one year later, on January 23rd, Burgess, Etchison and Rev. Simmons traveled to South Africa for a 12-day visit. Rev. Simmons explains, "The goal of our trip was to find ways for St. Bart's to help. The obvious way is financial support but we can provide more than that. The importance of cross culture-ship is people to people contact."

For Burgess, one of the trip's defining moments was its first. The group stopped in Grahamstown to visit an Episcopalian Benedictine monastery. "The first Sunday that we were there, they were preaching Corinthians: 'We are one in the body of Christ,'" she said. "And I just thought, 'how appropriate.'"

From the monastery, the group traveled to the Church of the Transfiguration in Zeerust, a small town in the North-West Province, about 120 km from Botswana and more than twice that distance from Johannesburg. Burgess' pictures of the church depict a small building perched on dry, barren land the color of its tin roof. The outside is white plaster and two wooden doors punctuate its entrance. Formed just six years ago, the church, small in comparison to St. Bart's, ministers to approximately 60 black families.

Although the outside of the church may be sparse, its worship service is vibrant, lasting, said Burgess, about three hours. The service is conducted informally and with joyful singing. Toward the front of the small church stand pews where the choir sits. "It is not a formal choir," said Burgess, "It's just parishioners, but it's just amazing. One will start and the others will follow or someone will call out a hymn number and they will all start singing."

The group returned from its trip on February 4th. Their visit to South Africa helped the three travelers to better understand the spiritual foundation on which the relationship between these two churches is built. "The traditions are the same," said Etchison. "The prayers are the same."

But their needs are different. "Certainly, we are in a much better place in terms of comfort," said Etchison. The small South African congregation needs help establishing a youth program and an HIV and AIDS outreach, and with the repair of its buildings. The St. Bart's ministry hopes to help the Church of the Transfiguration fill these needs -- but it wants to do more than send a check. "It's not just about the money," said Etchison, who suggests that perhaps parishioners from the two churches can work together. "It will be a challenge to see how we can help them but that will be exciting," said Burgess.

(Updated April 19, 2004)