St. John's, Sedgewick Hosts Community Church Service at Iron Creek Museum

The parish of St. John’s, Sedgewick welcomed an interdenominational congregation together for Sunday worship at the Iron Creek Museum in the Village of Lougheed on August 8.

All Saints’ Anglican Church, once the community church in the rural community of Lougheed, (located 200 kms southeast of Edmonton), and once part of a five-point parish charge shared by Killam, Sedgewick, Hardisty and Hughenden, was moved to the museum grounds a few years after the building was deconsecrated in 1993. 

“It’s a beautiful tradition that we’ve been unable to celebrate the last two years due to COVID,” says the Rev. Chelsy Bouwman, Canon Pastor for Rural Ministry in the Edmonton diocese.

The church seats around 30 people and is home to a vintage pump organ which was played as the congregation sang about rain, crops and harvest. Bouwman, who led the creation-themed service, shared the story of the “Vine and the Branches” with the children in attendance. 

After worshipping together, folks were invited to walk the grounds of the museum or relax on a bench with friends. The Iron Creek Museum is home to several refurbished buildings from the surrounding agricultural communities, antique farm equipment, as well as the museum’s resident chickens: Brownie, Reddish, Daisy and Fluffy.