Laura Hepker found her way to The Table, Indianapolis, through an online workshop during the season of Lent in 2021 that focused on Racism and Repentance. Hepker had moved several times before arriving in Indianapolis that year, and part of becoming rooted in her new hometown meant finding a church where she belonged. “I came here the first time, and I knew The Table was the place for me,” she said.
Don and Amy Wismer didn’t have a church home at the time their neighbors invited them to The Table. Amy grew up in Orthodox and Lutheran churches, and Don was raised in the Methodist tradition. They live with their children, Logan, Liam, and Ellie, in the neighborhood near Broadway United Methodist Church, where The Table currently meets for worship. “We became members in a relatively short time,” Amy said. “It feels good to return to the roots of our tradition in this community.”
The Rev. Matt Tebbe and the Rev. Ben Sternke planted The Table in 2015, as a congregation affiliated with the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) through the non-geographical diocese Churches for the Sake of Others. The Rev. Spencer Ruark joined them shortly after the founding, and the three now serve as co-rectors of The Table. In September of 2022, members of The Table voted to disaffiliate with ACNA and to apply for affiliation with The Episcopal Church through the Diocese of Indianapolis. Read Bishop Jennifer’s letter about that process here. Find a story about this from Episcopal News Service at this link.
All three of the co-rectors hold other part-time jobs in addition to their work as priests. Matt and Ben co-founded Gravity Leadership, a discipleship training organization for pastors and leaders. Spencer is a Realtor who also serves as Board Chair of 91 Place, which provides housing and support to youth experiencing homelessness.
Matt grew up on the south side of Indianapolis and graduated from DePauw University. He has lived in Indiana for most of his life. Matt and his wife Sharon currently live in Fishers with their two kids, Deacon (14) and Celeste (11). He enjoys smoking BBQ, reading, exercise, and telling dad jokes to his kids.
Ben grew up in Minnesota, where he met and married his wife Deb. He has been in Christian ministry for over 25 years. Ben began exploring the Anglican tradition in 2005. He enjoys cooking for his family and friends, watching Premier League soccer, and going to concerts. Ben and Deb also live in Fishers, and have four children: Ethan (25), Raina (22), Ella (18), and Sydney (17).
Spencer and his wife, Mallory, moved to Indianapolis in 2015 to begin the process of planting a church. Shortly after moving, they met Matt and Ben and joined The Table, with a heart to eventually help plant a new parish on the south side of downtown. Spencer and Mallory live in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood along with their daughter, Camryn (7), and son, Remy (5).
In shepherding this process of discernment with The Table, Bishop Jennifer committed to regular consultation with the office of the Presiding Bishop in order to ensure a trustworthy process that maintains consistency with the canons of The Episcopal Church. She also committed to care for the clergy, leaders, and members of The Table through this liminal time. That means ongoing conversation with chancellors at the diocesan and wider-church level, and continuing discussion with her colleague bishops. In this time “in between” she has provided pastoral care for The Table, staying in regular communication and carefully charting a path by which the congregation and its clergy may be more fully received into The Episcopal Church.
Along the way, leaders and members of The Table and leaders and members of churches in The Diocese of Indianapolis are getting to know one another and beginning to collaborate. Leaders of The Table participated in diocesan convention as guests in 2021, and as applicants for affiliation in 2022. In less than two weeks, on March 13, Trinity, Indianapolis and The Table will host a Lenten worship concert. The following week, Spencer, Matt, and Ben will participate in diocesan clergy conference.
As this process of continuing relationship progresses at the diocesan level, members of The Table are learning more about what it means to be Episcopalian. Some leaders of The Table participated in Bishop Jennifer’s recent call about her upcoming sabbatical. They subscribe to the diocesan newsletter. Beginning the first Sunday of Lent, The Table now includes churches in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer within their Prayers of the People.
Ken and Sharon Racke came to The Table after being members of a large evangelical congregation. They found that their lives of faith were nurtured in the pattern of the liturgy. “It really is the work of the people, as we worship God together,” Ken said. One of Ken and Sharon’s adult daughters worships with them at The Table. An adult son and daughter-in-law worship at St. Christopher’s, Carmel. When asked what it means to discern affiliation with The Episcopal Church, Ken said, “I appreciate the connection this brings. It means we would be in cooperation with nearby churches, not out on our own.”
Elle McGarvey, senior warden, shares that appreciation in seeking to affiliate with The Episcopal Church through the Diocese of Indianapolis. “This would mean we could be in relationship with people nearby,” she said. “We can take cues and learn from each other.” Hepker agreed, saying, “It’s good for the church to be connected by proximity.”
