Back in 1968, a cooperative ministry was developed among Emmanuel Baptist, Westminster Presbyterian, First Presbyterian, and Trinity Methodist Churches, all mere blocks from each other in Albany, NY, to work together on some common goals. Israel AME Church joined in 1989, and Delmar Reformed Church earlier this century.
The mission statement of the FOCUS Churches: “Six covenant churches, four faith affiliates, and two faith partners, doing together what we cannot do alone.
United in a common calling to respond to our neighbor’s needs in the city of Albany and beyond, as God’s servant people in a broken and hurting world.” Furthermore, in its statement seeking interns from Siena College, the mission “centers on providing presence, support, and advocacy for the victims of society’s injustice and neglect, speaking the truth in places of power on the behalf of the powerless, and offering new possibilities of wholeness to the lonely and alienated.”
One of the early FOCUS programs was the FOCUS Food Pantry. From what I have been told, this was set up to deal with people in need because of the economic downturn of the time; it’s been going on for over 30 years because the need has never gone away. You can read about the breakfast projects, community gardens, school supply projects, and other activities here. “FOCUS is intentional in balancing labors of charity with acts of justice by participating in the work of seeking long term solutions to end hunger and poverty.”
At least four times a year, thrice in the summer and once in the winter, there are joint services, allowing for the possibility that the unity from people of faith is greater than any pedestrian denominational differences.
I’ve been proud to be a member of a FOCUS church since 1984.
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That’s beautiful, Roger! We try to do the same here. We try to combine the various churches and have services together. We have the Reformed Church, Lutheran Church, Rereformed Church and a couple of very orthodox churches. Some of them don’t like the idea of ecumenical services. When I was young and still studying, I went to ecumenical workcamps where I met students from all over the world. I still keep in contact with some of them. My Australian friend, whom I met in a workcamp in Wiesbaden, Germany, died in 2005. A Danish friend died a few years later. We are getting older and during that time we have to take leave of our friends.
Thanks for your visit and comment. I must say I also say I am from Holland instead of I am from the Netherlands. But then I am really an inhabitant from Zuid – Holland, which is one of the provinces of the Netherlands.
I forgot to say that we have a large group of Christian brothers and sisters who are Roman Catholics. We work together !
Unity in the Church – it’s a powerful thing…
Great post! really enjoyed it 🙂
I did one too if you want to pop over and have a look!
Thank you for your visit and comment on my post for this project. With more love in our hearts, we will go forward.
Amazing what can happen when we stop looking so much at ourselves and start caring about others.
You know what a greater need is right now? Mental health. I’m see so many people at their near breaking point it isn’t funny. You might want to bring that up at your next gathering.
I did a church too, but just one church, my church going to Thailand.
May be you should come in person to see what New Zealand is like.