Christian and Missionary Alliance

(The photos are from the CMA Southeastern Conference women's retreat in October at a camp-like center outside of Birmingham - and they give proof that we do have a teeny bit of fall color down here!)

It was a tiresome, arduous, emotional journey, but we have finally arrived and settled in our new church home.  I loved the Anglican church we attended last year but we knew it was not the best denominational fit for us long term.  Joel had agreed for my sake for us to worship there for the first year so we would have an immediate and steady church family as we adjusted to making a new home in Birmingham.  

We spent last summer visiting churches, meeting pastors, making lists of denominational distinctives, and praying.  It was a particularly difficult task because it made Joel and I confront head-on some of our theological differences.  Also, we weren't just looking for a local church home -- Joel is pursuing ordination and a full-time vocation in the church, so we were looking for a long-term fit.

We finally landed in the Christian and Missionary Alliance.  Honestly, even though we both believed it was where God was directing us, it felt more like a compromise for each of us rather than a perfect fit.  Over the past 6 months, however, God has given us confirmation after confirmation that we are in the best place we could be right now, and possibly for many years into the future.

For those who are not familiar with the CMA, I won't go into the details, but here is a link to their website.  Our local church is called Birmingham International Church.  There are over 20 different people groups that worship together in our building, and we love how prayerful and gracious our new church family is.