“We could not bear to see them out on the streets as you might say. And we felt it was our duty, our obligation. We never even paused to think about it. We immediately invited them to use our buildings,” Independent Presbyterian Church’s Senior Pastor Terry Johnson.

“I’ve been there my whole life. My grandfather baptized me there 57 years ago. My parents were married there. It’s been a lifetime, a great lifetime…a spiritual home,” said member Nancy Solana.

But this congregation is being forced to leave this home. Believing their parent church was straying from biblical teachings they decided to split from the national church. But after battling in court for nearly four years over this property, a judge has ruled in favor of the diocese. Now all they have left of this building is memories.

“All of our children grew up at Christ Church. We have four children and we’ve had two weddings there so we have many memories,” said member John Albert.

But another church just a couple blocks away is opening their doors to this congregation.

“We could not bear to see them out on the streets as you might say. And we felt it was our duty, our obligation. We never even paused to think about it. We immediately invited them to use our buildings,” Independent Presbyterian Church’s Senior Pastor Terry Johnson.

And a symbolic walk from their old home to their new one became a public display of this new union.

“It’s a wonderful historic occasion when two churches from different denominations, Anglican and Presbyterian, can come together under one lord,” said Christ Church’s Senior Warden David Reeves.

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