NEWS

Churches show unity in march through Great Falls

Karl Puckett
kpuckett@greatfallstribune.com
  • Members of four Great Falls churches showed unity through a downtown processional when they sang songs and prayed.
  • The purpose was to celebrate Pentecost Sunday.
  • Pentecost%2C when the Holy Spirit was imparted on Jesus%27 disciples%2C is considered the start of the church.

In a show of unity, Lutherans, Baptists, Episcopalians and Methodists from four church congregations celebrated Pentecost Sunday with a processional through downtown Great Falls.

As they walked, church members sang hymns, and they paused a few times in front of churches to pray for them.

"God bless the Lutherans God!" Rev. Nancy Slabaugh-Hart shouted in front of First English Lutheran Church on 2nd Avenue North, concluding one of the prayers. "Now let's go bless us some Methodists."

It was the first time the Pentecost Sunday processional was organized in at least a dozen years, the Rev. Marcia Lauzon of the Great Falls Episcopal Church of the Incarnation said.

The churches, she said, were "just taking the church out into the world."

"The church isn't doing its job if we just stay inside our buildings and pray," said Lauzon, explaining the unified display of faith as the throng walked down the sidewalk.

The processional also was a reminder to members of the downtown churches that they are surrounded by other Christians serving the community, she said.

About 70 members of Great Falls First Baptist, First United Methodist, Great Falls Episcopal Church of the Incarnation and First English Evangelical churches participated.

Kevin Williams leads a processional celebrating the birthday of the church during Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples of Jesus Christ allowing them to understand languages and cultures other than their own, the Rev. Tim Ljunggren of Great Falls Episcopal Church of the Incarnation said before the 10 a.m. processional start.

It is considered the beginning of the Christian Church, he said.

The Rev. Nancy Slabaugh-Hart leads a prayer.

The processional was a public display of unity by the churches on the important birthday, he said.

"That's really what Pentecost is all about," Ljunggren said.

The procession began at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and 6th Street North, with church members singing hymns including "Amazing Grace," "They'll Know We Are Christians" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."

About 70 members of four churches participated in a processional through downtown Great Falls Sunday to show unity during Pentecost Sunday.

It was led by Kevin Williams, verger at Great Falls Episcopal Church Incarnation, a role filled by a lay person who assists in worship services, who wore a traditional black vergers gown.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Karl Puckett at 406-791-1471, 1-800-438-6600. Twitter: @GFTrib_KPuckett.