By Annette John-Hall, Faith & Leadership
The sermon came from the book of Matthew, chapter 14, verses 25-33, the part where Jesus walks on water, much to his disciples’ astonishment.
The youthful-looking pastor couldn’t help making the connection between her congregation and Jesus’ miracle. It was right there for the taking, happening in real time.
“There’s good news for water walkers. … C’mon, New River, we’re water walkers!” declared the Rev. Eustacia Moffett Marshall, the senior pastor of New River Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, at a recent Sunday service.
It was an apt metaphor for the members of New River, which derived its name from three streams — representing three different churches — that came together to make one new congregation. Indeed, New River’s long and sometimes arduous journey of bringing three churches together as one has been an exercise in faith building.
The creation of New River — a marriage of First African Presbyterian Church, Calvin Presbyterian Church and Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church — has been nothing short of a miracle.
“I always dreamt we could do something, but the way it played out was far bigger than anything we could have dreamt at the time,” said the Rev. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace, the executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which oversees churches in four counties.
“If you’re open to dreaming, God does extraordinary things.”
On a recent Sunday morning, a congregation of about 60 — and more online — gathered at the old First African Presbyterian Church, now the home of New River. In a temporary worship space while their historic sanctuary is undergoing major restoration, a quartet of singers, backed by a trio of musicians, uplifted the service with contemporary gospel music. Once the sanctuary is finished, this airy, light-filled room will serve as the church’s broadcast studio.
“We know we’re now in a world where you have hybrid worship,” Marshall said. “So we created a studio that you could use to broadcast worship but you can also use to do performing arts.”
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