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The Rev. Bev Bingle, left, of Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Judy Horne, administrator of Washington Church, and ministry leader Bob Shanks, of Toledo Church of Christ, share worship space at Washington Church on Central Avenue.
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Churches finding ways to share God’s space

The Blade/Jetta Fraser

Churches finding ways to share God’s space

Multiple-group arrangements become more common

A trend seems to be in the making. Some area congregations are meeting in the main sanctuary or a chapel of another church rather than owning their own building.

Hampton Park Christian Church, a Disciples of Christ congregation, moved from its Monroe Street building and now shares space at St. James Lutheran Church on Sylvania Avenue. City Reach Church Toledo, an Assembly of God church, and Clark Street United Methodist Church share Clark Street’s space. First Presbyterian Church in Maumee invited the Baptist Search-Lite Community Church to use First Presbyterian’s chapel.

To look at multiple-church arrangements, we sat with some of the “tenants” of Washington Church on Central Avenue, associated with the United Church of Christ, and Washington’s administrator, Judy Horne.

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Both the Toledo Church of Christ (in the International Churches of Christ) and Holy Spirit Catholic Community (“an inclusive Vatican II Eucharistic Community,” according to its website; not part of the Roman Catholic Church) have services at Washington.

The American School for Women and Children, which teaches refugees and immigrants English as a second language and prepares their children for kindergarten, uses Washington Church. The schools are part of the nonprofit organization Water for Ishmael.

Mothers of Preschoolers, the local branch of an international Christian-oriented parenting peer support group, of which Mrs. Horne is a participant as a mentor mother, is also based at Washington Church.

“This is God’s building,” Mrs. Horne said, and her church wants “to share it the way that he would want it shared. We all worship differently, but we respect each other and understand each other, and welcome.”

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“I think we can all see it’s God’s,” said Bob Shanks who, with his wife, Tricia, is the ministry leader of the 70-member Toledo Church of Christ.

The staff members of Washington Church “are the ones responsible for it, and we take on some responsibility. It’s a privilege to use it.”

“It also involves a bigger concept of God than some places have,” said the Rev. Beverly Bingle, the pastor of Holy Spirit, which has about 25 congregants. “I think that's essential to really be multifaith and multiaccepting.”

The organizations pay a relatively small rent because, Mrs. Horne said, “we do have to cover our electric, gas, and custodian fee, and paper products and coffee.”

“Which we drink a lot of,” said Janelle Metzger, Water for Ishmael’s executive director.

Toledo Church of Christ has been there for almost two years. It was meeting in a somewhat secluded place, and “the congregation was starting to become comfortable with one another and not really thinking of outward serving and giving,” Mr. Shanks said. “So we thought maybe it would be good to have a better location.”

Using Washington’s facilities “opens up our resources to really help in other areas,” he said.

Holy Spirit moved there March 1, 2015, Reverend Bingle said. It had been meeting at another church that was about to raise the rent significantly. “I'm constantly impressed with the hospitality and welcoming and friendliness” of the people at Washington Church, she said.

Mrs. Metzger said that she saw “phonetic writing right by the door going out of the [church] office. Pastor Don [Fothergill, then the senior pastor] had phonetically written for himself how to say a greeting in Arabic because he was trying to get it in his head, and it was just sweet.”

“It’s still there,” Mrs. Horne said. The Rev. Jimmy Crowell recently became senior pastor, and Pastor Fothergill is developing a volunteer network called Toledo Together.

Mrs. Metzger said that Mrs. Horne is “very clear and strict about how everybody uses the space,” and that those rules are what makes many entities able to use the same space.

“It is my requirement that each group leave what they are using ready for the next person,” Mrs. Horne said. “Everybody understands, leave it as you found it.” And if Washington Church needs the space, such as for a wedding or funeral, the others adjust for that time.

The ways to successful sharing are “mutual respect, mutual understanding, cooperation, and being willing to be flexible,” Mrs. Horne said. “That’s it.”

Owning a brick-and-mortar building is no longer a top priority for many religious institutions. If another organization with supportive ends is a welcoming place, it makes sense to time-share in a way, rather than buy a permanent location.

Contact TK Barger @ tkbarger@theblade.com, 419-724-6278 or on Twitter @TK_Barger.

First Published March 5, 2016, 5:00 a.m.

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The Rev. Bev Bingle, left, of Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Judy Horne, administrator of Washington Church, and ministry leader Bob Shanks, of Toledo Church of Christ, share worship space at Washington Church on Central Avenue.  (The Blade/Jetta Fraser)  Buy Image
Janelle Metzger, executive director at Water for Ishmael, said Washington Church has been welcoming to those groups that use the building.  (The Blade/Jetta Fraser)  Buy Image
The Blade/Jetta Fraser
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