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ISLIP, NY: Anglican Diocese Formally Opens New Haitian Parish
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
November 6, 2020
It was a cold 37-degree day. The remnants of a hurricane had swept through the previous day, rendering the ground soggy, knocking over the newly erected worship tent. Notwithstanding, a new Haitian congregation of evangelical Anglicans was born and a new young Haitian priest was ordained at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Islip, New York.
"The excitement of the parish overcame the challenges of the environment and Christ was glorified," said a visiting priest, who said the tent was packed for the occasion.
The congregation had sought out the Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America to be the bishop of their majority Haitian congregation.
"This momentous event embodies the vision that Bishop Julian has for Anglicans in North America: that we would minister to people from every ethnicity and culture. Representatives of five ADLW congregations were at the service," said the Rev. Marc Steele, ADLW Director of Communications and a parish priest from New Jersey. "Considering the challenges that the pandemic has placed on travel, this turnout was a remarkable display of solidarity and Christian love."
Bishop Dobbs ordained Jean Ricker Fils-Aime to the diaconate and licensed Carl Rutherford to preach.
"St. Matthews joined the diocese three years ago," Dobbs told VOL. "It is a majority Haitian congregation, but there are members from other Caribbean nations within the congregation. One rector, the Rev. Juan Moreno, hails from Colombia. There were also some former Episcopal Church members in the congregation. They sought out ADLW after rejecting the theological revisionism of TEC, now wanting to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
Dobbs said the service was held in a tent for two reasons. "First, to accommodate safety concerns in the age of COVID. Second, to bless and consecrate the property which was recently purchased by the congregation to build a future church on. The site is a former Long Island horse farm."
Considering the challenges that the pandemic has placed on travel, this turnout was a remarkable display of solidarity and Christian love, he told VOL.
A link to parish's Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/StMatthewChurchofIslip/
Livestream here: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ACBqNYd1jWRLdw4&cid=D64C5E35153D34AB&id=D64C5E35153D34AB%2132147&parId=D64C5E35153D34AB%2132145&o=OneUp
