On Sept. 21, two distinct groups of worshippers united together for a day of combined celebration and fellowship. Third Baptist Church of Chicago and the Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim demonstrated the power of “we” by opening t
On Sept. 21, two distinct groups of worshippers united together for a day of combined celebration and fellowship. Third Baptist Church of Chicago and the Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim demonstrated the power of “we” by opening their minds and hearts to unite for one common goal: to worship.
Approximately 250 worshippers from the Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim traveled from north suburban Glenview to Third Baptist Church of Chicago on the city’s South Side to participate in their 11 a.m. worship service. The service included music from a combined choir of both congregations, a sermon preached by Senior Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar of BJBE, an integrated worship environment, plenty of fellowship and food after the service.
For the second consecutive year, the two congregations have committed to unite and create unforgettable worship experiences. Perhaps the only ongoing worship experience of its kind in Chicagoland, this endeavor demonstrates the ability for two distinctly different religions to lay down their differences and worship on one accord, both religious groups said.
The two religious houses plan to continue the annual worship exchange, and there are preliminary discussions about a combined trip to Israel in 2009.
“Our overall desire is to fuel the fire that creates relationships that are much more than ordinary and superficial among different faiths, and we hope that this can serve as the catalyst to set the stage for movement and change,” Pastor Alan Ragland of Third Baptist said in a written statement.
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In photo: Assistant Rabbi Brian Stoller of BJBE; Thelma Ervin, administrator, Third Baptist; Gideon Schlessinger, president, BJBE; John D. Morrison Jr., chariman of deacon board, Third Baptist; Sr. Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar, BJBE; Reverend Alan V. Ragland, senior pastor, Third Baptist; Reverend Francine Stark, associate pastor, Third Baptist; Claudell Hampton, chairman of trustee board, Third Baptist; Jennifer Frost, cantor, BJBE; Judith Gethner, member, BJBE.
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