What is the Rockland Collaboration?

That’s a question that’s asked all the time.  It’s still evolving as we listen to the Holy Spirit.

 

The Rockland Collaboration is a group of Episcopal Church congregations in Rockland County, N.Y. who are covenanted together and committed to be in relationship with one another beyond the walls of our separate congregations. We worship and pray together. We learn with and from one another through formation opportunities and by being in community. We support one another’s endeavors – fundraising, events, outreach ministries, etc. Through all these efforts, we are growing in our awareness of and commitment to Christ’s mission here in Rockland County.

 

All congregations in the Rockland Collaboration are supported by our Rockland Missioner Team – The Rev. Deacon Lainie Murrell and the Rev. Michelle Meech. Congregations all have different needs. The Missioner Team works with each congregational leadership team to discern how best to support and develop the ministry of that congregation.  For St. Stephen’s this includes our Chaplain priest, the Rev. Alon White, who offers consistent leadership for Sunday worship.  The focus of our Missioner Team is always to support lay leadership through training, formation, encouragement, and discernment.

 

The Rockland Collaboration launched in March of 2025.  As we carry out our ministry through collaborative efforts, we continue to actively discern what support is needed to live more deeply into our ministries and become more and more the Body of Christ here in Rockland County.