Church plant blooms in North Boros

&emsp;&emsp;As of June 30, Redeemer Anglican Church has become an independent congregation in the North Boroughs.&emsp;&emsp;Redeemer began as a church plant out of St. Stephen's Anglican Church in 2015 under Anglican pastor Seth Zimmerman. Under Zimmerman's leadership the congregation grew to about 70 members. When he returned to St. Stephen's staff earlier this year, the congregation had to decide whether to return to the mother church or go independent.&emsp;&emsp;After a month's discernment period, the church decided to go independent and to remain focused on the North Boroughs. &emsp;&emsp;Karen Getz, senior warden and long-time resident of Emsworth, comments, "We felt a commitment to bloom where we are planted." According to Olivia Townsend, who serves on the vestry, "My husband and I want to bring up our family here, and we love the Gospel preaching and the caring community at Redeemer."&emsp;&emsp;The church has come a long way since 2015. It began as a service ministry, with involvement with various community projects, like helping with Improve the Vue clean up events and purchasing and planting trees along Dawson Avenue. In 2017, it began regular worship services at 5 p.m. on Sundays. In the winter, it holds services at Bellevue United Presbyterian Church on Lincoln Avenue. This summer it is meeting at Lone Sentinel pavilion at Bellevue Memorial Park. "We want to invite anyone to come over from the pool and join us," says Bobby Brown, junior warden.&emsp;&emsp;The Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll is the interim pastor. Noll taught at Trinity Seminary in Ambridge for 21 years and then served as a missionary in East Africa for a decade. "I am particularly impressed with the youthful enthusiasm of the congregation for the Gospel," he says. "I think it bodes well for its future contribution to the North Boroughs community."&emsp;&emsp;The next steps ahead will include calling a permanent pastor and reception as a mission fellowship in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. "We hope we can meet both these goals by the end of the year," Townsend adds.&emsp;&emsp;"Independence Day this year had a double meaning for our congregation. We're launched!" says Getz.