It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Small Membership Church portion of the website here at the Church Center.  My name is Bob Honeychurch, and I serve as the Program Officer for Congregational Vitality with The Episcopal Church Center.  Although my job calls for me to work with churches of all sizes, one very important part of my ministry revolves around the ongoing support, development, and encouragement of small congregations.  Having served as a pastor of several small churches over the years, I have a special place in my heart for small congregations, and know the distinct joys and challenges which accompany this particular expression of Christian community. 

Did you know that, according to the Episcopal Domestic Fast Facts: 2007, the median Episcopal church has an average Sunday attendance of 69?  In other words, half of all Episcopal churches have more than 69 people on an average Sunday morning, and half have less than that number.  That being the case, more than half of all Episcopal churches can be considered “small churches” (“small” being defined as having an average Sunday attendance of less than 70).

So then, a “typical” Episcopal church is also a “small” Episcopal church.  But what exactly does a “small” Episcopal church look like?  As you can well imagine, there is no such thing as a “typical” church.  Small churches are found at country cross-roads in Maryland, on college campuses in Florida, in the inner cities of Michigan, in coffee houses in Washington, in the suburbs in California, on the Native American reservations of South Dakota, in the tourist hot-spots in Hawaii, and everywhere else you can think of.

This site is meant to celebrate the incredible richness and diversity of small churches across The Episcopal Church, providing ideas and resources, links to other great websites, and tools for you to expand and enrich your ministries.

Take a few minutes to look around.  Offer your own thoughts about what’s most needed.  Share the celebrations and the challenges of this unique form of congregational life.  I look forward to hearing from you, and sharing the journey together.

God’s Peace,
Bob Honeychurch
Program Officer for Congregational Vitality
bhoneychurch@episcopalchurch.org
212-716-6218
toll free 800-334-7626 ext. 6218