Ecumenical Service draws a crowd to Oso Beach in Sharbot Lake

Craig Bakay | Jul 05, 2017

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Sharbot Lake when a crowd gathered at Oso Beach for the first ever Ecumenical Service.

For those unfamiliar with the term, ecumenical refers to the efforts by Christians of different church traditions do develop closer relationships and better undertandings.

The area churches cancelled services in their own facilities for the event.

“It’s an opportunity to put aside our different doctrines and come together,” said Rev. Mark Hudson of the Sharbot Lake Pentecostal Church. “It’s encouraging for me to see all of the ministers come together and in the case where the minister couldn’t make it, seeing lay people step up.”

In fact, Hudson said, it was a couple of lay people who more or less planted the seeds for this to happen.

“I’d like to take credit,” he said with a grin. “But I believe it was actually Richard and Lois Webster who came up with the original idea.”

Hudson called the event a “Unity Service” and although it’s not the first time area churches have held joint events, they’ve never done anything on this grand a scale before.

“We’ve done some things at Christmas (and Easter),” he said. “But on such a scale as this.

“And what a great turnout.”

It was indeed a good turnout, rivalling the crowd at the previous day’s Canada Day. It was a Canada 150 event as well.

Hudson said it was also a way to “pool resources” with ministers and lay people from six churches sharing ministerial duties.

For example, Hudson gave the welcome and opening prayer/scripture reading. Father Johnathon Askwith did the offering (which went to the food bank) and Prayers of the People. Pastor Debbie Hudson did a solo. Pastor Ken Walton gave a message.

There were also significant contributions from several lay people.

Pam Giroux read the children’s story of Noah’s Ark. Ina Turner and Roseanna Redmond sang Great is Thy Faithfulness. Sharon MacDonald read Ephesians 4:1-6, 13. Angelo Dicintio read John 17:20-26. Gilbert Whan did the closing prayer and Turner sang Blessing.

The morning concluded with The Apostles Creed.

“It would be nice to have this again,” Hudson said. “I know a lot of people like it.”