Please join Trinity Church and Christ Church on July 14 for a progressive service as the two oldest Episcopal churches in Mississippi celebrate our growing partnership.

Christ Church was started in 1820 in Church Hill and is the oldest continuing Episcopal congregation in the state.

The Church Hill community gets its name from Christ Church, where an Episcopal church has been perched on that hill at the intersection of Mississippi 553 and Church Hill Road for just shy of 200 years.

The current Gothic Revival church at Church Hill was built in 1857. Trinity Church started soon after in Natchez in 1822. Trinity’s church, built the same year, is the oldest Episcopal church building in Mississippi.

In the spring of 2018, the Bishop of Mississippi formalized the relationship between Trinity and Christ Church, making them partners in mission, and appointed Trinity’s rector, the Rev. Ken Ritter, as vicar at Christ Church.

Last summer, as a nod to our newly formed partnership, the two churches did a progressive service, and it was such a success that we decided to do it again.  But this time, we decided to invite the whole community to join us as we worship in both churches on the same day.

Just like a progressive dinner with different courses of a meal at different places, our progressive service will celebrate the first half of the service at Christ Church, starting at 9 a.m.

Here, we will have the Liturgy of the word with music, scripture readings, prayers and a homily by the Rev. Ken. After the homily, the congregation will depart from Christ Church and continue the service at Trinity with communion, closing prayers and the closing hymn.

In the Episcopal church, all baptized Christians are welcome to participate in communion.

After the service, lunch will be provided in Trinity’s parish hall.

Since Church Hill is about 20 miles north of Natchez, please keep the travel time in mind. A bus will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The bus will leave at 8:15 a.m. from Trinity Church at 305 South Commerce Street and return for the second half of the service.

Hyde Carby is the senior warden of Trinity Church.