Local church leaders participate in an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

Religious leaders of six downtown churches participated in an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service on Nov. 22 at First United Methodist.

Bishop Michael Mulvey initiated the Ecumenical Prayer Service held at Corpus Christi Cathedral in January of this year in honor of the 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“It was good to be together, united in our Christian faith,” said Father James Stembler, Vicar General for the Diocese of Corpus Christi. “And I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for Christians of different traditions to come together and pray.”

“This Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service was a call from the group,” Father Stembler said. “And Rev. Pamela from First United Methodist was gracious to host it.”

“The Vatican is very supportive of ecumenism,” Father Stembler said. “The Second Vatican Council document, Unitatis Redintegratio, Decree on Ecumenism, opens very strongly with the fact that it’s a scandal that divisions within Christianity have occurred.”  

“Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature.” (1964, #1)

According to Reverend Dykehouse, Father Stembler initiated dialogue with her and other church leaders during the pandemic's social distancing phase through Zoom meetings, then culminated into quarterly lunches.

Throughout her ministry, Reverend Dykehouse has united with various congregations for prayer and worship, regardless of their different expressions of the faith. “I have seen these ecumenical relationships work best when they are focused on a defined area of a community,” she said. “It allows for the development of stronger ties.”

"We have a long way to go before we can say that all Christians have become perfectly one," said Pastor Dr. Brian Hill from First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi. But we've made a step in that direction."

"Our gathering tonight comes out of our desire for unity. I am honored to be able to call these colleagues friends," Pastor Hill said. "We gather from time to time with no agenda other than to build that relationship and friendship. And I also believe that it pleases Jesus to see all of us gathered here tonight."

The service was uplifting, with joyful music from the combined choirs led by Paul Erickson, Director of Worship from First United Methodist Church. Alex Oldroyd, Director of Music from Corpus Christi Cathedral, played the piano. Clergy from each church led some part of the liturgy.

The Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service "is about directing gratitude toward our amazing God, who has created us and all that is in this wonderful world and has redeemed us through his Son. There is nothing greater for which we could give thanks,” Reverend Dykehous said.

“We don't forget what we believe,” Father Stembler said. “We’ll bring our religion exactly as it is to the table. And that’s how ecumenism takes place.”

“It’s difficult to be an impatient ecumenist because it will not happen like that. It may not happen in our lifetimes, and maybe not in a few generations to come. But you keep at it, and something’s going to happen. God will see to it,” he said.

The religious leaders that participated in the service were Reverend Pamela Dykehouse, Senior Pastor from First United Methodist Church of Corpus Christi; Pastor Jason Surdy, Associate Pastor, First United Methodist Church; Reverend Philip W. May, Church of the Good Shepherd; Most Reverend Wm. Michael Mulvey, Bishop of Corpus Christi;  Very Reverend James G. Stembler, Vicar General of the Diocese of Corpus Christi; Reverend Father Thomas Bartz, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox; Dr. Charles Stewart Blackshear, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Corpus Christi; Pastor Dr. Brian Hill from First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi; Reverend Dr. Charles Stewart Blackshear from First Presbyterian Church of Corpus Christi.

In honor of the 2023 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the First Presbyterian Church will host the next Ecumenical Prayer Service on Jan. 22, 2023.