During a recent vacation in England, Pastor John Connolly of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Newton and Cedar Grove Lutheran Church in Vale had the unexpected opportunity to preach and assist with a Lutheran Eucharist service alongside a longtime friend and colleague.

Several years ago, Connolly met Pastor Joseph Nelson, who serves a small congregation in Leeds as part of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain (LCiGB). The two developed a friendship and a shared ministry connection that continued across the Atlantic.

Pastor Nelson’s parish responsibilities extend from Leeds north into Scotland—a geographic span that, as Connolly puts it, is enough to “blow your mind” when you look at a map.

During the Connollys’ visit to England this summer, Nelson and his congregation were participating in the ARC Renewal Community’s annual multi-faith camp; they invited Pastor John and his wife, Emma, to join them. Founded by a Catholic group 50 years ago, the ARC Renewal Community now brings together Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and people from other Christian traditions.

For Connolly, the gathering offered a remarkable glimpse of what the church can look like when Christians live into the unity for which Christ prayed in John 17. “I had the honor of being invited to preach for the Lutheran Eucharist service, and Joseph presided at communion,” Connolly said. “But most of the community participated independent of their faith tradition back home.”

The experience was made even more serendipitous by the location. The ARC Renewal Community celebrated its 50th year with this summer’s retreat at the Bewerley Park Outdoor Centre in Pateley Bridge, where the community has gathered for approximately 20 years.

Just next door is a horse-riding center where Emma spent several years learning to ride horses while growing up. Connolly and Nelson hope their friendship and shared ministry will continue to grow in the years ahead, including opportunities to visit one another and learn more about what it means to be Lutheran in both North Yorkshire, England, and North Carolina.

“Joseph and I will certainly continue to foster our friendship and shared ministry in the coming years,” Connolly said.

Connolly also asks the North Carolina Synod to keep Nelson and his congregation in prayer as they faithfully live and serve in England. Nelson had planned to attend the NC Synod Gathering this year, but ultimately decided it was not safe for him to travel to the United States given the climate at the time surrounding foreign nationals.

As Lutheran Christians on both sides of the Atlantic continue to build relationships and share ministry, Connolly’s experience offers a beautiful reminder that the church is bigger than any one congregation, denomination, or country.