A Brief History of the Church of the Holy Spirit
The Church of the Holy Spirit began as a mission church in the Episcopal Church (ECUSA) back in 1988. Our founders were faithful members of local Portland churches who knew that God wanted His people to know Him personally and to serve Him, while also empowered by the Holy Spirit. They began to meet, worship, and minister in a “charismatic” mission church, from which came the name “Church of the Holy Spirit.”
From the first days of the Church of the Holy Spirit there was a shared conviction among the members that they were called to reach out with the Gospel of God’s love to the least, lost, lonely, and lapsed. This was done in a wide variety of ministries including healing services, feeding the poor, caring for cancer patients and much more. In 1990, Fr. Jim King became the rector of Church of the Holy Spirit with a vision to see every member involved in some area of ministry. In 1993, the mission statement of the church, to be a life saving station, was written and it remains our mission to this day. For years, members of Church of Holy Spirit shared with others in the Episcopal Church their newfound love of the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and authoritative Word of God, and their experiences of knowing God more personally through the Holy Spirit.
In late 1997, we believed that God was calling us to leave ECUSA and join the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC, or CEC for short). This decision was made through a great deal of prayer and consideration. While we still possess a shared tradition and respect for liturgy with ECUSA, we believed that God called us to a fuller understanding of all the Church has to offer; that is knowledge and love of Scripture, the belief that Sacraments are God’s instruments of grace in our lives, and that that moving and worshiping by and through the Holy Spirit deserved a similar prime of place.
The newly ordained bishop of the Northeast diocese of the CEC, the Rt. Rev. Craig Bates received us as a church in early 1998. We called it a match made in heaven because in the CEC we found a true home; a charismatic, evangelical and sacramental church, led by bishops and priests. We found joy and peace in a communion that believed that the whole church should embrace all three “streams” of the historic church, namely liturgical, evangelical, and charismatic.
In the fall of 1998, we were able to purchase our current building on Congress St. in Portland. In addition to the many original ministries, our current focus has been to help prisoners transition back into society, and extend an outreach of welcome and inclusion to African asylum seekers and immigrants who have recently moved to Portland. Consequently, many people who have visited Church of the Holy Spirit have appreciated the obvious diversity of the congregation; rich, poor, old, young, and multinational, all united in “one Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” (Ep. 4:5,6.)
Our hope is that everyone who enters the doors of our church knows that they are safe here and they are genuinely welcomed to be a part of this fellowship of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From the first days of the Church of the Holy Spirit there was a shared conviction among the members that they were called to reach out with the Gospel of God’s love to the least, lost, lonely, and lapsed. This was done in a wide variety of ministries including healing services, feeding the poor, caring for cancer patients and much more. In 1990, Fr. Jim King became the rector of Church of the Holy Spirit with a vision to see every member involved in some area of ministry. In 1993, the mission statement of the church, to be a life saving station, was written and it remains our mission to this day. For years, members of Church of Holy Spirit shared with others in the Episcopal Church their newfound love of the Holy Scriptures as the inspired and authoritative Word of God, and their experiences of knowing God more personally through the Holy Spirit.
In late 1997, we believed that God was calling us to leave ECUSA and join the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC, or CEC for short). This decision was made through a great deal of prayer and consideration. While we still possess a shared tradition and respect for liturgy with ECUSA, we believed that God called us to a fuller understanding of all the Church has to offer; that is knowledge and love of Scripture, the belief that Sacraments are God’s instruments of grace in our lives, and that that moving and worshiping by and through the Holy Spirit deserved a similar prime of place.
The newly ordained bishop of the Northeast diocese of the CEC, the Rt. Rev. Craig Bates received us as a church in early 1998. We called it a match made in heaven because in the CEC we found a true home; a charismatic, evangelical and sacramental church, led by bishops and priests. We found joy and peace in a communion that believed that the whole church should embrace all three “streams” of the historic church, namely liturgical, evangelical, and charismatic.
In the fall of 1998, we were able to purchase our current building on Congress St. in Portland. In addition to the many original ministries, our current focus has been to help prisoners transition back into society, and extend an outreach of welcome and inclusion to African asylum seekers and immigrants who have recently moved to Portland. Consequently, many people who have visited Church of the Holy Spirit have appreciated the obvious diversity of the congregation; rich, poor, old, young, and multinational, all united in “one Lord, One Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” (Ep. 4:5,6.)
Our hope is that everyone who enters the doors of our church knows that they are safe here and they are genuinely welcomed to be a part of this fellowship of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.