Peter Wharton
9 June 2023
A gathering of congregations from two different denominations marked the Pentecost Sunday service in East Burwood recently.
Parishioners from the Anglican Church of the Ascension were joined by members of the Evangelical Formosan Church of Mount Olivet at the combined morning service.
A packed church celebrated the Eucharist together led by Father Anthony Frost from the Ascension Church and Senior Pastor Sherman Xing from EFC Mt Olivet.
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The order of service was read together and in alternating sections by the combined congregation in both English and Mandarin, the resulting sound was reminiscent of that first Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem.
The sermon was delivered by Father Anthony and the congregations were treated to a sumptuous morning tea in the church hall at the conclusion of the service.
The occasion showed the benefits of two congregations and two cultures joining together in worship, strengthening relationships, overcoming language barriers, celebrating our unity in diversity as the body of Christ in the world.
The Evangelical Formosan Church Mount Olivet have been conducting services on Sunday afternoons at the Anglican Church of The Ascension since June 2018.
The Ascension Church, which holds services 10am every Wednesday, and 8am and 9:30am each Sunday, will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Ascension Day 2024.
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