Visiting Christ Episcopal Church

Deacon Rick Incorvati recently received a valuable gift. For years, a local gay bar produced and distributed a newsletter. A dear friend compiled remaining copies of the newsletter and gifted them to Rick, representing a piece of local LGBT history.

As Rick flipped through the treasure trove of newsletters, he came across an advertisement. In the early 1990s, Christ Episcopal Church had placed an ad in the gay bar's newsletter, welcoming any and all people to join them in worship. 

Christ Episcopal Church has a long history of going the extra mile to extend welcome to their neighbors.

Photo by WDTN photographer Jake Ryle.

One aspect of my quest to become a better ally includes exploring some of the people and places in my community who have publicly expressed welcome to their LGBTQ neighbors. As part of this effort, I am visiting all seven churches who added their name to the Equality Springfield billboard project.

I recently visited Christ Episcopal Church with my wife Rachel. Upon arriving, we were greeted warmly by several people, and we were also given a small gift bag with information about the church and some lovely gifts. There is no question that the people of this congregation live up to their reputation as warm and welcoming neighbors.

In the Episcopal tradition, liturgy shapes the service. Sometimes, when visitors are unaccustomed to the liturgical rhythm of a service, it can feel off-putting or confusing. When do I sit or stand? When do I speak? What do I say? At Christ Episcopal, my wife and I felt welcome to share in the proceedings at all times. Rather than feeling awkward or isolated, we felt connected to those around us. The people around us even took the time to help us follow along in the program.

Part of the beauty of liturgy is the way it helps to connect everyone in the room through shared reflection, actions, and words. Not only that, it helps to connect local believers with fellow believers around the globe through shared experience, drawing from the robust church history we hold in common.

By talking with our neighbors, and by reading the materials offered, we learned about the various activities taking place at Christ Episcopal. These activities are represented in the four broad categories of the church mission, which include outreach, hospitality, education, and worship. Although our visit took place on a Sunday morning, it became evident that the actions of the church echo throughout the week. We learned of a variety of worship and education opportunities for all ages, the support of a local food pantry and Rainbow Table meals for the homeless, and other efforts to make the welcome of Jesus manifest.

Christ Episcopal Church is also notable because it serves as the regular meeting location for Equality Springfield, and has hosted the Dayton Gay Men's Chorus on numerous occasions.

Rick Incorvati is a Deacon in the church, a position he has held since October 2016. He is currently assisting the Transition Priest-in-Charge as the congregation seeks out a new minister. I had a chance to talk with Rick, and he had this to say: 

For me, any faith community provides a way of connected with people across generations, across life experiences, and across differences in theology. Community of this sort isn't always easy, but it has been the source of personal growth for me. Christ Episcopal Church has also been a source of strength because of this community's willingness to not only accept me as a gay person but to also see my sexual orientation and my relationship with my husband as gifts, as integral parts of the voice that I bring to the larger body of the church.