Jubilee dominated Year 2000 Denominations in Maine mark closings, growth

The Jubilee celebrating Christ’s birth dominated religious activities around the world and in Maine in 2000. Christian churches marked the occasion, but Maine’s Roman Catholics celebrated with special events that included a pilgrimage to Rome.

Bishop Joseph J. Gerry presented medals designed by the Vatican to religious and lay leaders. Sister Mary Norberta of St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal.

Lutherans and Episcopalians agreed to full communion after three decades of discussions, committing them to share their mission and clergy, short of a complete merger.

A Lutheran Church in Stockholm has an ordained Episcopal as its pastor and an ELCA minister serves an Episcopal church in western Maine.

Church growth followed Maine’s demographic patterns with parishes closing in Aroostook and Washington counties and expanding in York, Cumberland and coastal counties. The membership decline in mainline denominations slowed while growth continued in churches at ends of the faith spectrum.

Referendum questions over gay rights and physician-assisted suicide drew United Methodists to a national controversy over same-sex unions.

The Jubilee, however, dominated the year. Six Catholic parishes from Frenchville to Portland were designated pilgrimage sites: St. Luce in Frenchville, St. Joseph’s in Eastport, St. John’s in Bangor, St. Patrick’s in Newcastle, St. Peter and St. Paul’s in Lewiston and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland undertook renovations over the previous five years.

St. Patrick’s is the oldest church north of Baltimore and the only one with permanent outdoor worship space. Its growth spurred construction of a $2.2 million addition that will be finished in 2003.

St. Mary’s and St. John’s parish schools in Bangor merged to create All Saints, for children in pre-school through grade three at the former St. Mary’s site on Ohio Street, and grades four-eight at the former St. John’s School on State Street.

A new era of cooperation among Bangor’s three synagogues marked the Jewish years 5760 and 5761. Orthodox, Conservative and Reform congregations marked Holocaust Remembrance Day together, rabbis exchanged bimas or pulpits and the community hailed the opening of Bagel Central, formerly the Bagel Shop, the only kosher delicatessen in northern Maine.

Beth Israel of Bangor found itself without a rabbi when Yisrael Rod Brettler resigned in December after 18 months on the job. Brettler said he will open a downtown store.

Joy filled the unaffiliated Rockland synagogue, Adas Yoshuron, as it experienced great growth and considered expanding and hiring a full-time rabbi.

Members of Brown Memorial United Methodist were at the center of a national fight over sexuality when their pastor admitted performing a same-sex union at a private home in 1999. The Rev. Susan Davenport was disciplined by Bishop Susan Wolfe Hassinger, but remained pastor of the Clinton church.

The Rev. Vicki Woods, superintendent of the Northern Maine District, was arrested last spring at the denomination’s General Conference in Cleveland. She was one of hundreds protesting the church refusal to change language condemning homosexuality, prohibiting pastors from performing same-sex unions, and forbidding gay and lesbian clergy.

A month later, hundreds signed the New England Declaration during the Annual Conference of United Methodists in New England, promising defiance of the Book of Discipline, which governs the denomination, and to change the church stand on homosexuality.

Voters in Maine were divided over inclusion of sexual orientation in the Maine Human Rights Act. A gay rights referendum, narrowly defeated in November, was supported by the Catholic Church for the first time. Conservative Christians took credit for the downfall of the referendum question.

The Catholic Church and the Christian Civic League of Maine both opposed a referendum allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. The Diocese of Portland was subtler in its campaign against the measure than it had been the previous year when a referendum outlawing late-term abortions was defeated.

The Rev. Dr. Ansley Coe Throckmorton announced that she will retire as head of Bangor Theological Seminary this summer, leading area clergy who gave up full-time ministry. The Rev. James Young left the Orono United Methodist Church for Portland and the Rev. Ronald Libby retired after 47 years as pastor of the Charleston Pentecostal Church.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell came to Bangor in November to help Bangor Baptist Church burn its mortgage. More than 700 people attended the celebration at the Bangor Civic Center, which concluded with a fireworks display. Falwell personally sent the mortgage into the night sky on a rocket that burst to applause. The Bangor Baptist complex includes the church, Bangor Christian Schools and Christian radio stations.

An unusual place of worship and study opened last year. The Bangor Iseum, located on Central Street, was founded by Kay Gardner as part of the Fellowship of Isis, a Goddess-based religion. The Iseum co-sponsored the Goddess Festival, a week of events that celebrated the female side of the divine.

The former Unitarian Church on Union Street in Bangor reopened the Brick Church, devoted to merging art and religion. It also holds a weekly “open mike” night for local performers and is used by Bangor Theological Seminary for special events.