Could you believe that this church began with a shopping mall? Let me tell you the story of the Church of The Holy Spirit of Peace. It is a unique tale of two congregations finding each other. It is a story of faith and community.
In 2011, Peace Lutheran Church faced a crisis. Their lease at Square One Shopping Centre was not renewed. After 37 years, they needed a new home. The mall planned to expand its food court. The congregation was grieving. They had never known another church home. They resolved to continue. They looked for affordable locations. But there were none available.
The church considered renting space from another church. Because of their relationship with the Anglican Church of Canada, they started there. The pastor felt urged to approach local Anglican churches. At the first church, all the area priests were meeting.
Among them was Rev. Judith Alltree from Holy Spirit Anglican Church. She almost skipped the meeting because of parish finances. She was unsure how to use the church facility better. A colleague encouraged her to attend.
Hearing Peace’s story, Judith approached the pastor. She said, “I can’t believe you are here today. We need to talk more.” Peace needed a place to worship. Holy Spirit needed a new community. Shared need was a good starting point.
They met the next day. They shared their hopes for bringing the congregations together. Both groups of leaders met to plan the space sharing. Motions were prepared for each community’s meeting. They passed easily. In February 2012, they celebrated with a joint service. After two months of planning, Peace Lutheran moved to Holy Spirit.
They were warmly welcomed. Rev. Judith created a chapel for Peace’s altar and stained glass. Peace hung hand-quilted banners behind Holy Spirit’s altar. It was clear this was not just a rental. It was their new home.
But change came. Holy Spirit’s debt was too high. Rev. Judith had to resign. Bishop Philip Poole asked the Lutheran pastor to serve as Holy Spirit’s interim. The two parishes worshipped together over the summer of 2012. They surveyed worshippers about the liturgies. They found shared love for scripture and hymns. Parishioners created a blended liturgy. Most embraced the change. The people of Peace were mourning their lost home. Their Anglican friends were mourning their priest. This shared experience brought them closer.
In the fall of 2012, Father Stephen Nduati became the Anglican interim priest. He encouraged the Anglican parish. The communities worshipped separately. But they shared fellowship and Bible study.
In February 2013, Father Stephen returned to Kenya. The Lutheran pastor served as interim again. They agreed to consider a merger. The desire for a shared future had to emerge naturally.
In the spring of 2013, the congregations worshipped separately. They continued joint Bible study. Members chatted between services. One Sunday, an Anglican parishioner emailed the pastor. People missed worshipping together. They wondered why they couldn’t continue doing so. The desire to merge sprung from the people of Peace and Holy Spirit.
Bishop Poole explained the merger process. Lay leaders researched how to structure the merged congregation. Other churches shared their merger documents. Both congregations reviewed the merger document. They held separate votes in early 2015. Once the vote passed, the meetings became one. They considered a merged budget. From March on, they acted as one parish.
Members suggested names for the new parish. Holy Spirit of Peace was approved. A final vote to merge was unanimous. The parish asked the bishops to consider the Lutheran pastor as incumbent. They agreed.
On January 1, 2016, the Church of the Holy Spirit of Peace was born. The merger was celebrated on February 28, 2016. Bishops Philip and Michael led the service. A retired bishop preached. Anglican and Lutheran choirs participated. The Holy Spirit led them to this moment.