Bridging religious separation

Careful inspection around town will reveal a bounty of different faiths and denominations represented by the various church signs in Odessa.

In dark, bold letters, the signs display names of religious affiliations that say, “This is who we are, and this is what we believe,” while others choose an all-inclusive approach with no denominational connection at all.

Even with a multitude of differing church doctrines and practices, many of Odessa’s clergy are uniting under a common umbrella of faith in God and service to the community.

Operating as two different coalitions of churches, the Odessa and Southside Ministerial Alliances extend across denominational lines to promote fellowship, support, community involvement and a celebration of collective one-ness as followers of Jesus.

The Rev. Paul Bauernfeind, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church and president of the Odessa Ministerial Alliance, said many main-line churches — Episcopalian, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, Nazarene, Presbyterian and non-denominational Christian churches — are represented in the alliance.

“We all have a basic understanding of who Jesus is and who the church is. We celebrate those common bonds because we are the body of Christ here on the earth,” he said.

With monthly meetings at different churches, the Odessa Ministerial Alliance has united clergy and laity in starting a homeless ministry called “Family Promise” and gathering for the Lenten Luncheon Worship Series on Wednesday mornings.

“That’s sort of what we’re known for,” Bauernfeind said.

Asbury’s pastor for nearly three years, Bauernfeind said the alliance has been an emotional and spiritual benefit to the grind of ministry work.

“It’s been very important for me having that blessing in my life — to fellowship with brothers and sisters in the ordained ministry and have conversations about those differences that we have as well,” he said.

Pastor of the St. Andrew Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Jimmy Braswell said the ministerial cooperation was the evolutionary effect of a small group of ministers who would get together for fellowship and discuss a book they were reading.

“The ministerial alliance grew out of that as an effort to have an unified front to the community,” he said.

With no creed, bylaws or guidelines, the group serves as a melting pot of faiths to financially support charitable organizations and keep ministers on the same page.

“It keeps us aware of what is going on in the churches,” Braswell said. “Anybody is welcome at any time.”

Echoing the sentiment of religious acceptance, the Rev. Roy Gentry — pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Southside Ministerial Alliance — said the group holds monthly meetings and special Sunday services combining congregations.

“We do not address doctrine at the meetings — it’s an ecumenical type of thing,” he said.

Composed of Baptist, Methodist and Nazarene churches, the South Odessa group emphasizes a close fellowship together, a scholarship fund to high school students and a unified voice in the community, Gentry said.

“I have seen some improvements in the city through the alliance,” he said. “We all have a common ground of our belief in God and our desire to serve.”

While location and race act as separation elements to the two ministerial alliances, Gentry said they have worked together

on some endeavors — with hopes of more in the future.

“Racial barriers would be very minimal, it’s more a force of habit and not reaching out to break that cycle. We’re hoping that one day we’ll be able to do that,” he said.

Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, the Rev. Roscoe Sutton said the Southside Ministerial Alliance has been used to help needy families and share the Gospel.

“We break down the walls of denomination because the Bible says that there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism — and we don’t have any discrimination,” he said. “If he died for the whole world, I don’t have the power to say who is wrong.”

Carrying a personal faith inside an all-inclusive alliance, Sutton said it is the biblical message of love that unites all that have faith in God.

“I don’t think it should be a southside, northside or westside — we’re all ministers,” he said. “And we should all be delivering the same message — ‘Love ye one another as I have loved you.’ ”

ON THE NET:

>> www.odessachurches.com