Bishop Brian Prior will be visiting the Maple Hill Church on Sunday, June 27.
June 27 is a momentous day for folks at Spirit of the Wilderness Church. Almost exactly three years ago, Layne and Rolf Lindquist ran an ad in the newspaper asking if there were other Episcopalians in Cook County who might like to gather. (The closest Episcopal Church is in Duluth). Since then a group has met weekly at Maple Hill Church for worship, with active involvement from all members and Rev. Mary Ellen Ashcroft as mentor. A year ago Spirit of the Wilderness decided to seek an official role in the Episcopal Church, by becoming a mission.
Bishop Brian Prior’s visit on June 27 is the capstone event in that process, marking the first mission started “from scratch” in some 30 years in the diocese, which is the whole state of Minnesota. In fact, although there have been years when there were summer Episcopal services in the RV park, Spirit of the Wilderness is the first official Episcopal Church in Cook County—one of only two counties in the state which has not had an Episcopal presence.
The Episcopal Church is the name for the American branch of the Anglican Church, which is the third largest denomination worldwide. The name “Episcopal” refers to headship, or a bishop’s leading—a name given to the denomination after the Revolutionary War— when Church of England or Anglican was not an attractive name for a denomination.
Since the Reformation, the Episcopal Church has tried to walk a “middle path”—holding onto the best of Catholic tradition while embracing the best of reformation thought. It is known for its liturgical and sacramental worship— i.e. most churches celebrate Eucharist every Sunday and use some form of a Book of
Common Prayer.
Going back to Elizabeth I of England, the church also follows a tradition of not demanding conformity of belief, but rather offering worship and community to those who come. Another distinction of the Episcopal church is its bishops and their crucial role in leadership, which is why Bishop Prior’s visit to Cook County is so significant.
Bishop Brian Prior was elected bishop in November 2009 and is from Spokane, Wash. Episcopalians in Minnesota are excited to have his fresh approach, his openness to new ways of “being church” and growing churches in different contexts, in a changing world.
The service on June 27 will be at 3 p.m. at Maple Hill Church, followed by a potluck, meeting, and conversation at Howard and Bonnie Gay Hedstrom’s house. All are welcome.
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