Sunday Feb 23 2014 — Centenary and St. Giles United Churches each held meetings after the worship service today and voted decisively in favour of asking the presbytery to amalgamate them.
This vote is the fruition of much passionate work by caring people in both congregations who have been inspired by a vision for a rebirth congregation in the urban core of Hamilton. In another area of this Centenary website you’ll find the motion that was passed by Centenary. The St. Giles motion was exactly the same except that the names of the churches are interchanged.
As part of the process of preparing for this vote the two congregations identified shared core values. A statement of these core values was adopted. The two congregations also identified tasks to be completed and named these in the motion. Although some tasks are mundane, others are sweeping in scope. Breath-taking, really. One especially stands out in this regard — the decision to initiate a discernment process for the new birth congregation to become an Affirming Ministry.
There is much work ahead. It will be the joyous work now, however, that comes with preparing for something new. Waiting will be part of the time ahead – waiting in which we engage in deliberate and thoughtful work, in which there is always something different to be seen, to be added, to be raised up, to be wondered at, to be enjoyed, to be drawn in.
Something to look forward to.