still had trouble attracting a diverse population. Kraſt’s lively preaching (she began
Ella Ramsey prays during worship at Holy Trin- ity, where attendance has doubled since open- ing its doors to Episcopalian neighbors.
property to the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, which shuttered it. Te diocese and others pointed to dwindling attendance, financial troubles and lack of support for priests at the church. Members knew their church had issues. Still, many were shocked. “My four little ones were chris-
tened there, and two of them were married there,” said Ruth Alden, a member since 1954 whose husband is buried in the memorial garden. Te Sunday aſter St. Andrew
closed, some members gathered in front of their church with prayer books and lawn chairs—but no priest. Later that day, some met again at a restaurant. Kraſt had also stopped at that
restaurant for lunch. Deciding it was too crowded, she was about to leave when she spied two friends who were part of St. Andrew. As Kraſt visited with them, they perked up when she invited them to worship. Holy Trinity was established in
1916 and, for most of its history, was a neighborhood church. But like a lot of churches in old Charlotte neighborhoods, it has struggled over the years to keep its numbers from sliding. It peaked at 700 or so in the 1970s. By the time Ohio-born Kraſt became its pastor in 2005, Holy Trinity was drawing fewer than 40 people on Sundays. Te church started slowly growing but
a Lenten sermon about “time in the wilderness” with a Tarzan yell) attracted some. And Holy Trin- ity’s description of itself as “loving, not judging” drew some gays and lesbians who felt unwelcome at other churches.
A different congregation But with the arrival of so many from St. Andrew, “it became a totally dif- ferent congregation overnight,” Kraſt said. It’s still committed to social
justice, still blessed with dynamic preaching—but it’s bigger and more diverse. Te 100 or more filing into the pews most Sundays are now white, African-American and Hispanic; children and seniors; and couples, straight and gay. Today “there’s more energy in our
service,” said Steve Allen, council president. “And [the new members] have rolled up their sleeves to help out.” Bob Olah from St. Andrew now
serves on the council. “Tey’ve been so accepting and so positive,” he said. “Tis was meant to be.” Holy Trinity hasn’t changed its
worship service but has included St. Andrew in some key ways. Sanctuary walls are adorned with the Stations of the Cross (artistic representations of Jesus’ path to crucifixion) from St. Andrew. Te artist, Ginny Boyd, wasn’t sure her modern art version of the stations would be accepted. “Here I am, a newbie sticking
them on your wall,” Boyd said. “But I have gotten lots of good feedback. ... As we were putting them up, one parishioner said, ‘I love them. What are we going to do aſter Lent? I vote to keep them.’ ” Another popular change at Holy
Dorothy McCarty and her great-granddaugh- ter, Camdyn Pacheco, both came from the now closed St. Andrew Episcopal Church.
Trinity: Te Tursday YAH (for Young at Heart) luncheon, which had been a tradition at St. Andrew. Te newcomers have reached out
in return. “At first, all the St. Andrew people sat together,” Lynn Sullivan said. “Now we’ve spread out.” And if there’s a symbol of how
the two churches have become one, it’s the choir. “Episcopalians and Lutherans fit together like hand and glove—musically and otherwise,” said Ronald Ellis, director of music. Alden, a member of the choir at
age 93, recalled the tears she and oth- ers shed those first few Sundays in their new church. Tey weren’t just for the loss, she said, adding, “Tey were tears of thanksgiving too. We were so needy when we walked into this place. And it was so joyful here.” DiAnne Rankin, who was bap-
tized at Holy Trinity in 1943, also recalled that early emotion. “Our church didn’t have a lot of members, and it was like God had sent them here,” she said. “I don’t know how we ever got along without them.”
Author bio: Funk is faith and values reporter for The Charlotte [N.C] Observer, where a similar story originally appeared.
August 2014 33
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