Zone1 shared churches

[Zebra]

Have you ever heard of them?

A shared church (German: Simultankirche), simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th-century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in the German-speaking lands of Europe in the wake of the Protestant Reformation.[1] The different Christian denominations (such as Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, or United, etc.), share the same church building, although they worship at different times and with different clergy. It is thus a form of religious toleration.[1]

Simultaneum as a policy was particularly attractive to rulers who ruled over populations which contained considerable numbers of both Catholics and Protestants. It was often the opposite of cuius regio, eius religio and used in situations where a ruler was of a different religion than the majority of the people, and not strong enough to impose his religion on the population

Simultaneum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[DudleySmith]

there are couple of churches here who rent the same building for their respective services; don't know of any who share the same church, though. Another meets in the Senior Citizens Center, another met in the town Library until they got too big, Don't know where they moved to.

 

[Donald H]

Have you ever heard of them?

Simultaneum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yes, and one of the topics in this section started to address the issue. Do you have any views on the idea.
I had introduced the idea in the interest of churches sharing the cost of the building and in general, doing business.
But it also calls for some compromising on beliefs.

 

[Dekster]

The Jehovah Witnesses in our area share a church--technically 2 now. They have multiple congregations that hot sheet the pews.

Some other churches have allowed other congregations to use their facilities when something bad happened to the visitors' buildings like floods or fires.

 

[1srelluc]

Yep, there is a little Lutheran church in Fort Valley, Virginia that was shared. Before my Uncle passed he did their books for 50 years and formed a trust for building and grounds upkeep.

It was shared by both Lutherans and The Church of God....It was too small for a parish for either when Ft. Valley was less populated.

I don't believe it's a ongoing concern now since they built both a new Lutheran church and Church of God close by. I've not seen a denominational sign out front in a very long time.

The last I heard it was mainly opened-up for funeral services when someone is buried at the adjacent Dry Run Cemetery....Most of my dad's people/ancestors are buried there or at the family cemetery across nearby Passage Creek.

 

[Zebra]

Yes, and one of the topics in this section started to address the issue. Do you have any views on the idea.
I had introduced the idea in the interest of churches sharing the cost of the building and in general, doing business.
But it also calls for some compromising on beliefs.

I think it is a good idea.

 

[Zebra]

in the US:

• Virginia Beach, Church of the Holy Apostles, Roman Catholic and Anglican simultaneum[6]
• Pennsylvania; Historically, Lutheran (ELCA) and Reformed (UCC) German immigrants commonly shared churches, particularly in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country region, although some congregations have since built their own separate churches.

Simultaneum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Zebra]

and in France:

• Béarn - there used to be a simultaneum there between 1561–1569
• Old Saint Peter's Church, Strasbourg, Alsace; now divided into separate Protestant and Catholic churches
• Wissembourg, Alsace: there was a so-called trimultaneum, with a Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed congregation sharing one church

Simultaneum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org