Beliefs motivate faithful to found Christ the King

By Linda M. Linonis

The church first held Bible studies and fellowship in the homes of members.

COLUMBIANA — Christ the King Anglican has been a church on the move since members first started meeting about four years ago for Bible studies and fellowship in one another’s homes.

Cassie Adkins, who lives near Wellsville, has been with the church since its beginning. “We’ve met in members’ homes, a fire hall and a theater,” she recalled. The church has found a home at the former site of the Way Station, 202 E. Park Ave., where it has been a year. “The Lord led us to this place. We heard about it and it fits our needs,” she said. The church is leasing the space.

Lowell Wellman of Columbiana and his wife, Jan, church organist, also have been with the church since it started. “When we started out in members’ homes, we had hopes of a church,” he said. Beliefs of the Anglican faith appealed to him.

Those who organized the church come from long-standing religious backgrounds. Their reason for forming Christ the King Anglican Church was faith driven.

“We proclaim the faith of the undivided church. We believe in the traditional teachings of the faith,” said the Rev. Lee Martin, pastor since 2006. He is a retired minister, having served various churches, and is a full-time clinical counselor. “We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God,” he said, “And is not a human artifact.”

The Rev. Scott Woodstuff was the founding pastor. Rev. Martin said the church members hope to start a building fund.

A pamphlet about the church welcomes visitors with the message, “There are no strangers at Christ the King, only friends waiting to be greeted.”

The literature also provides some basic facts about what Christ the King holds in common with the Anglican Church: The Bible is the basis of the faith, the Nicene and Apostles creeds are statements of the faith, the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion as instituted by Jesus and the historic episcopate, the continuity of the line of bishops since the time of Christ.

“The Anglican church was planted in the British Isles in the second century, Rev. Martin said. “The ancient form was the Celtic church. Over a period of centuries, the church in England became the Church of England.” He noted that the Anglicans follow the historic teachings of the church over the last 2,000 years and described it as a “faith handed down by the Apostles.”

Worship services, at 10 a.m. Sundays, follow a pattern from the Book of Common Prayer and are the same from week to week and change with the season or occasion. “Liturgy is the thing that holds us together,” said Barbara Fischer of East Liverpool, who also has been with the church since its inception. The church, which held its first worship service Jan. 1, 2005, at Rogers community hall, has about 30 attending.

Wellman said the church also reaches out to its members by involving them. The church, which has a storefront appearance as a legacy of the Way Station, currently has a display of crosses in the window. “Each family gave one to display,” he said. The display changes from time to time.

“I love the church and my church family,” Adkins said. “I’ve found joy in this church. I believe God has blessed us.”

Fischer concurred, noting, “the church is a loving fellowship.” For her, it offers spiritual and apostolic teachings that she embraces.

Rev. Martin said Christ the King is a mission church and is part of the Anglican province of Nigeria, Africa, and there are some 28 million Anglicans in Nigeria. There are 38 autonomous provinces in 160 nations and some 80 million Anglicans. Christ the King is connected with the Anglican Mission District of the Great Lakes Region with Bishop Roger Ames. He will visit Christ the King in August.

Rev. Martin said the church is involved on the global level through its financial donations that go the Diocese of South Rwenzori, a province of Uganda, Africa. “It goes to help support educational opportunities, impoverished people and nutrition standards,” he said, along with work toward relieving poverty and illiteracy. “This is the poorest diocese.”

Much closer to home, Christ the King has started various community outreaches. “Outreach is something that we’re called by Scripture to do,” Fischer said. “We live out our faith that way.”

Fischer said the church gives out food baskets at Christmas and Easter. Wellman also noted the church buys an order of food from Angel Food Ministries and rotates it monthly among six families who need the groceries.

The church also has a prayer blanket ministry, Fischer said. Linda Lindner, a church member, makes a blanket then others members each tie a knot and say a prayer. “The blankets are given to those who are ill or who need comfort,” Fischer said.

The church also reaches out to men through breakfasts held at 9 a.m. the first Saturday of the month at the church. Roberta Myers, a member, also has presented flower arranging programs on women of the Bible, as an outreach to women.

The church offers Sunday school at 10 a.m. Sundays, an adult form at 11:30 a.m. the first Sunday of the month and a potluck lunch at 11:30 a.m. the third Sunday of the month. For information, call the church at (330) 482-5022.