Worshipping under the sky

Last year's outdoor service and a blessing of animals held by Blue Sky Church was canceled because of a threat of severe storms. Around 20 people and their dogs showed up anyway at Capaha Park, admiring one another's pets and talking of how their animals had been blessings in their lives, said the Rev. Robert Towner, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau.

This year's service and blessing of animals is scheduled for 4 p.m. today at the Capaha Park band shell, and is just one of the nondenominational community events held by the Downtown Council of Churches. Speakers will include Eva Hillis of Love INC and the Rev. Karen Dumey of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

The council was founded in 2001 by the Rev. Clayton Smith, the former pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church, with the help of pastors from other downtown area churches, including Towner and the Rev. Paul Kabo Jr. of First Presbyterian Church.

Towner said the council was formed at a time when churches had been leaving their historic homes in the downtown area and building new places on the edges of town.

"We wanted to consider the uniqueness of our ministries in this geographic location, so we decided to form a downtown council and invite the pastors from the downtown area," Kabo said.

Kabo said there has never been any requirements for churches or their pastors in the council; membership has always been voluntary.

Towner said the council has particular concerns and interests to support pastors, and the council holds a monthly luncheon at a downtown restaurant where the pastors work to plan projects and share common concerns, as well as share news about their congregations.

Towner said the council is working to ensure the missions of the churches in the downtown area remain vital, discuss concerns for the revitalization of the downtown area itself and support diversity. In the past the council has held events addressing the reasons missions for churches should be the same, regardless of the social or racial differences of members.

The pastors also use their meeting times to plan events to offer to the community, such as the Good Friday Cross Walk, a three-mile devotional walk through downtown, a sunrise service on the Mississippi River on Easter Sunday and events for the Blue Sky Church, as well as an annual community Thanksgiving service. All of the events are nondenominational.

Towner said that over the years around 20 churches of all denominations, including two Methodist churches, two Presbyterian churches and a Catholic church, among others, have become involved with the council.

"Everyone is welcome to these events, we are doing this as a service to Cape Girardeau. We want them to appreciate that there is vitality and faith in the downtown area," Towner said.