Indian Hill Church

The Indian Hill Church is one of only a few successful dual denominations in our country. Our church began as a fully constituted dual denomination under the auspices of our two regional governing bodies: The Southern Ohio Diocese of the Episcopal Church and the Presbytery of Cincinnati. However, our informal roots go back even further. The primary foundational concept was this: to provide a local church that would meet the needs of Episcopalians and Presbyterians living in the Indian Hill area, and to do so intentionally as an experiment in ecumenicity. There were risks involved in this experiment owing mostly to denominational differences, and yet Episcopalians and Presbyterians were prepared to make this gesture because the rewards so clearly seemed to outweigh those risks.

Now, after almost 75 years we can safely say that our church is no longer an experiment in ecumenicity. It works! We have shown here that we can accept those denominational differences, be enriched by them, and use them in the creation of new traditions. As a dual denominational church, we have been ahead of our time in terms of concept. The faith practices of those attending the church are those of tolerance. Services are seamless, meaning Presbyterians and Episcopalians attend each other’s services without any hesitation. Presbyterians sit next to Episcopalians in church without any idea who is practicing which tradition. Our heritage at the church is one of the future.