A Place That Shapes Us: Why MPCov Matters
My experience over a period of about 40 years is that Myers Park Covenant Church (MPCov) is a meaningful community where one can bring one’s whole self to the path toward Christian maturity in an inclusive environment. A community that one helps to shape, and in which one is shaped.
The first time I visited MPCov was in 1979 when Carter Heyward, who grew up in Charlotte and was among the first group of women to be ordained by the Episcopalian Church, came to preach at the invitation of the Senior Minister Gene Owens. Between the time Gene made the invitation and the date of her sermon, Carter revealed that she was a gay woman. There were objections on the part of some of the Deacons, as reported in the Charlotte Observer, but Gene prevailed. I had high esteem for Carter—we went to the same college—and I was in the congregation that morning to support her. The sanctuary was filled to capacity. Her sermon was inspiring and there was no sign of resistance to her presence.
I felt drawn to the church because of this experience. My husband and I joined in 1987, ostensibly for the benefit of our two young sons. I had the opportunity to work with other members over the years to turn the young movement of acceptance into a formal status of Welcoming and Affirming—my first venture into any kind of activism. In more recent years, I participated in the church’s Trans Allyship Conference.
I was surprised to realize the extent to which I needed this particular church community and how grateful I was for it! I became engaged in ongoing large and small faith groups from Sunday worship to an adult Sunday School class, Bible Workbench or Sunday afternoon Spiritual Practices Group to church retreats at Kanuga. To this day, Taizé chants I learned in those early church retreats cycle through my mind on morning walks and hymns pop up unbidden when I wear earplugs to walk the factory floor at work.
As is still the case, there were many opportunities to volunteer to participate in or lead small groups. Endowment Committee and Deacons meetings felt similar to my work life. But then I ventured into leadership of Well Spouse, Stephens Ministry, and Congregational Care and learned how different leading church groups could be from facilitating corporate meetings where emotions were generally kept tucked away.
Over the years, my understanding of faith broadened as I was introduced to poets Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver and to authors and theologians as diverse as Madeline L’Engle, Marcus Borg, Frederick Buechner, Henri Nouwen, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Richard Rohr. Some of them came to the church to lead annual weekend events as part of the church’s Jesus in the 21st Century program. At this stage of my life, there are formative annual eldering retreats organized by the church’s Sage-ing Group. These retreats are led by Jeanine Siler Jones with guest appearances from her father Mahan Siler, a longtime friend of our church.
I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Myers Park Covenant Church for the sturdy support this community has provided me as I have grown in my faith life and for the beacon the Church continues to be for spirituality, inclusivity, community, and justice in the fraught times in which we live. For these reasons, I urge you to join me in supporting our church financially.
Sincerely,
Mollie Brugh