Talks underway for new Lutheran/Episcopal group

By Rachel Pritchett, communicator

KINGSTON — Talks are underway that could lead to the establishment of a new Lutheran/Episcopal worship group in Kingston possibly by spring. Located on the north tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, the maritime city is expected to grow. Lutheran leaders have been frustrated for a long time that there’s no Evangelical Lutheran Church in America presence there.

ELCA Lutherans in Kingston now have to travel 11 miles to Poulsbo to attend First Lutheran Church; 19 miles to Silverdale Lutheran Church; or 20 miles to Peace Lutheran Fellowship of Port Ludlow — long distances, by any measure.

Discussion among area Lutheran and Episcopal pastors has centered on folding an ELCA presence into the existing Faith Episcopal Church of Kingston. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but organizers meeting Dec. 1 in Poulsbo contemplated starting the new group around Easter of 2012.

“Whatever this is, we’re still figuring this out,” the Rev. Kent Shane of First of Poulsbo said.

About 30 members of Faith Episcopal Church now worship at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. They are led by the Rev. Ray Sheldon, and the group is a mission of the Diocese of Olympia, part of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

“The objective of this effort is to leverage the strengths of each organization such that the result from working together is greater than would be the case if they worked independently,” Father Sheldon said.

A lot remains to work out. Recent flooding at the VFW hall caused Sheldon and his leaders to wonder whether the current location was adequate. Transferring worship to a downtown Kingston movie theater is under discussion.

It would be the second federated congregation in the Southwestern Washington Synod. St. Christopher’s Community Church of Olympia is the first.

Besides First, synod congregations taking part in the talks to start the new federated church in Kingston include First Lutheran Community Church of Port Orchard; Our Saviour’s and Family of God Lutheran churches of Bremerton; Silverdale Lutheran Church; and Vinland Lutheran Church of Poulsbo.

“The consensus is, ‘This is a go-forward,’ ” Sheldon said.

Pictured: A group of pastors meets Dec. 1 in Poulsbo to discuss a new federated worshiping group in Kingston.