Special Report and Resolution of the Committee on Constitution and Canons

Resolved, that this 195th Convention acknowledge the end of the ministries of Holy Trinity Church, Bellefontaine; Church of the Holy Spirit, Akron; and Church of the Transfiguration; Cleveland. The Convention expresses its deep appreciation to the laity and clergy of these congregations for their years of faithful service to God and the people of their communities; and be it further

Resolved, that this Convention accepts this report of the Constitution and Canons Committee, in accordance with Title II. Canon 7, and declares Holy Trinity Church, Bellefontaine; Church of the Holy Spirit, Akron; and Church of the Transfiguration; Cleveland to be extinct.

Submitted by

The Committee on Constitution and Canons

Rationale

Holy Trinity Church, Bellefontaine became a parish in 1914 after more than fifty years as a mission. A 1964 article in The Episcopalian called it “a thumb-sized parish” which “creates an impact far out of proportion for its size.” It was an early supporter of Alcoholics Anonymous, years before A.A. gained the acceptance it now enjoys. Among its most significant ministries was a long time mental health association.

Church of the Transfiguration, Cleveland, was the 1990 result of a merger of two very old congregations: Incarnation and Emmanuel. The Church of the Incarnation was the outgrowth of a Sunday School, begun in 1893 by the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Emmanuel Church began as a Sunday School in 1865 in the "Doan's Corner" of Cleveland.  The mission was established by two downtown Episcopal congregations (St. Paul's and Grace Church).  The building on Euclid Avenue in which the combined congregations worshipped was completed in 1906, with an educational building completed in 1921.

The congregation was diverse in racial, social, economic, educational and cultural composition.  It contained one of the oldest chapters of the Daughters of the King; and was designated a Jubilee Parish in 1984 due to its extensive social ministries.  These ministries have included an Emergency Hunger Center, serving as many as 6,700 persons monthly, elementary tutorials, neighborhood summer programs, and a tri-community day camp ("Our Best Two Weeks").  The congregation was instrumental in helping to establish the East Side Interfaith Ministries in 1991 to further the social ministries in the Fairfax and University Circle communities.

Church of the Holy Spirit, Akron was founded as a downtown Akron mission church by St. Luke’s Church, then in Bath. Its mission was to proclaim first to the city of Akron and then to others the new life Jesus Christ offers to all who turn to him in faith.

By vote of their vestry, Holy Trinity Church decided to end its life as a congregation and celebrated their long life and ministry in a service on May 8, 2011. Church of the Transfiguration held its final service on October 25, 2011. Church of the Holy Spirit decided to no longer associate themselves with the Episcopal Church and recently moved out of its building.