thedrifter
01-31-09, 07:37 AM
Man with a mission
Hilton Head minister heads to England to build a church from scratch
By JUSTIN PAPROCKI
jpaprocki@islandpacket.com
843-706-8143
Published Saturday, January 31, 2009
As a young Marine stationed in the United Kingdom, Bill Schweitzer used to walk through Edinburgh and find churches that weren't churches.
The once holy buildings had been transformed into pubs or lighting warehouses. He estimated that four in five churches were not used for worship. That sight helped him realize his life's work.
Two Fridays ago, he was ordained as a minister and a missionary at Hilton Head Presbyterian Church.
The following Sunday, he was on a plane to England to rejoin his wife, Pam, and five children.
He is on a mission to start a church in England. And now he is moving there for good.
"It's mixed emotions," he said. "I'm excited. But I may get over there and think, 'What have I gotten myself into?'<2009>"
Overseas mission trips are normally associated with third-world countries in Latin America or Africa, places with overriding poverty, illness or famine -- not places like England.
But England is fighting a different type of epidemic.
Christian congregations have been dwindling for ast several decades in England. Attendance has declined 15 percent from 1998 to 2005, according to a 2005 census conducted by a Christian research organization in England. The decline hasn't been as sharp as it was earlier in the 1990s and some denominations, such as Pentecostal, have seen increases in attendance. But compared to a healthier Christian contingent in the United States, Schweitzer knows how different the atmosphere can be. He sees his job as not only starting a new congregation but helping to sort through, as he puts it, the "spiritual rubble of post-Christian England."
Schweitzer will be the pastor at Gateshead Presbyterian Church, a congregation he helped start from scratch. Gateshead is in the northeast of England, against the southern bank of the River Tyne. It's a coal mining city with a high unemployment rate. The residents are Geordies, known for their distinct accent. Schweitzer said he expects to pick up that accent at some point, saying "me" for "my" and "aye" for "yes."
Over time, England has started feeling more like his home. He grew up in Tampa, Fla., not particularly religious. He joined the Marines on Parris Island, and a friend took him to church. It was at that time he realized that if Jesus came back, he'd probably go to hell, he now says with a chuckle. So he became more involved in the church.
He served in the Marines as an exchange officer in the British Royal Air Force from 2003 to 2005, where his interest in religion in England deepened. Meanwhile, he discovered a passion for discussing God and holding Bible studies. He attended the University of Edinburgh and received a master's in theology and later a doctorate.
He returned to the United States to be ordained by representatives at Hilton Head Presbyterian and its daughter church, Grace Coastal in Okatie, two places he had worshipped during his time on Parris Island. At some point, the congregations plan to send a mission trip to England to help establish Schweitzer's new church, said Hilton Head Presbyterian Rev. Clent Ilderton.
Schweitzer already has created a following for Gateshead Presbyterian. He started a Bible study in the area about a year and a half ago when he was studying at Edinburgh. So far, about 40 people are involved. That's not a lot by American standards, but it's a healthy start. The first day of services is Feb. 8.
His plans grow from there, expanding more into the community. The catch is that religion is treated differently in England than here. He says he's reminded of when he was stationed with the Royal Air Force. Signs hung in the military buildings reading, "No discussion of politics and religion."
But there are two types of people Schweitzer has found the English typically open up to -- the bartender and the pastor. If he can get people into the church, he sees a path to a successful congregation.
They'll meet in a community center for the time being. But, one day, he hopes for a church building of their own -- a church that serves as a church.
Ellie
Hilton Head minister heads to England to build a church from scratch
By JUSTIN PAPROCKI
jpaprocki@islandpacket.com
843-706-8143
Published Saturday, January 31, 2009
As a young Marine stationed in the United Kingdom, Bill Schweitzer used to walk through Edinburgh and find churches that weren't churches.
The once holy buildings had been transformed into pubs or lighting warehouses. He estimated that four in five churches were not used for worship. That sight helped him realize his life's work.
Two Fridays ago, he was ordained as a minister and a missionary at Hilton Head Presbyterian Church.
The following Sunday, he was on a plane to England to rejoin his wife, Pam, and five children.
He is on a mission to start a church in England. And now he is moving there for good.
"It's mixed emotions," he said. "I'm excited. But I may get over there and think, 'What have I gotten myself into?'<2009>"
Overseas mission trips are normally associated with third-world countries in Latin America or Africa, places with overriding poverty, illness or famine -- not places like England.
But England is fighting a different type of epidemic.
Christian congregations have been dwindling for ast several decades in England. Attendance has declined 15 percent from 1998 to 2005, according to a 2005 census conducted by a Christian research organization in England. The decline hasn't been as sharp as it was earlier in the 1990s and some denominations, such as Pentecostal, have seen increases in attendance. But compared to a healthier Christian contingent in the United States, Schweitzer knows how different the atmosphere can be. He sees his job as not only starting a new congregation but helping to sort through, as he puts it, the "spiritual rubble of post-Christian England."
Schweitzer will be the pastor at Gateshead Presbyterian Church, a congregation he helped start from scratch. Gateshead is in the northeast of England, against the southern bank of the River Tyne. It's a coal mining city with a high unemployment rate. The residents are Geordies, known for their distinct accent. Schweitzer said he expects to pick up that accent at some point, saying "me" for "my" and "aye" for "yes."
Over time, England has started feeling more like his home. He grew up in Tampa, Fla., not particularly religious. He joined the Marines on Parris Island, and a friend took him to church. It was at that time he realized that if Jesus came back, he'd probably go to hell, he now says with a chuckle. So he became more involved in the church.
He served in the Marines as an exchange officer in the British Royal Air Force from 2003 to 2005, where his interest in religion in England deepened. Meanwhile, he discovered a passion for discussing God and holding Bible studies. He attended the University of Edinburgh and received a master's in theology and later a doctorate.
He returned to the United States to be ordained by representatives at Hilton Head Presbyterian and its daughter church, Grace Coastal in Okatie, two places he had worshipped during his time on Parris Island. At some point, the congregations plan to send a mission trip to England to help establish Schweitzer's new church, said Hilton Head Presbyterian Rev. Clent Ilderton.
Schweitzer already has created a following for Gateshead Presbyterian. He started a Bible study in the area about a year and a half ago when he was studying at Edinburgh. So far, about 40 people are involved. That's not a lot by American standards, but it's a healthy start. The first day of services is Feb. 8.
His plans grow from there, expanding more into the community. The catch is that religion is treated differently in England than here. He says he's reminded of when he was stationed with the Royal Air Force. Signs hung in the military buildings reading, "No discussion of politics and religion."
But there are two types of people Schweitzer has found the English typically open up to -- the bartender and the pastor. If he can get people into the church, he sees a path to a successful congregation.
They'll meet in a community center for the time being. But, one day, he hopes for a church building of their own -- a church that serves as a church.
Ellie