All Are Welcome Here: The Heart of the Parish
The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, set on West Cherokee Avenue in Cartersville, Georgia, opens its doors with an unusually direct welcome. The parish's central commitment is captured in the words that greet every visitor: "We follow Jesus by loving without exception so that Christ reshapes how we live."
The parish's welcome statement is a deliberate one. "All Are Welcome Here" is followed by a declaration that the community "celebrates the dignity, worth, and unique gifts of every person as a beloved child of God." The parish affirms people of all genders, races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, and backgrounds. It honors diversity in sexual orientation, economic status, family structure, and personal history. Visitors are told plainly, "At this church, you are fully embraced, as you are, without judgment. You are loved, and you are welcome in the family of God."
That same language runs through the parish's outreach to newcomers. The parish acknowledges that "coming to church, whether for the first time or after a long time away, can feel daunting" and reassures those who step inside that they are not alone. Members describe Ascension as a community of people from many traditions and life experiences, "united by a longing for hope, connection, and a faith that speaks to today's world." The closing line of the welcome page has become a kind of refrain: "Here, grace lives, hope grows, and love has the final word."
A Parish at the Heart of Bartow County
The roots of the Church of the Ascension run back to the early days of the Episcopal Church in Georgia. In November 1844, the Right Reverend Stephen Elliott, the first Bishop of Georgia, accompanied by the Reverend Thomas F. Scott of Marietta, met and preached to a small group of Episcopalians in Northwest Georgia in a Baptist Church at Pettit Creek near the Etowah River. Sixty acres of land were bought and plans made for the construction of a church, school, and parsonage before the Bishop continued on his missionary journey into the northern part of the state. The church was consecrated on June 22, 1845. By 1850, the mission-church had seven members.
Following the Civil War and the growth of Cartersville, the country property was sold and the present site purchased. The current church building was begun in 1873; the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the new space took place during the Easter Season in April 1874, and the church was consecrated on November 6, 1875. In 1938, the present stained glass windows were secured for the Church of the Ascension from the Episcopal Church in Cave Springs, Georgia. A priest would come only on occasion to celebrate the sacraments in the early decades, and at other times the little congregation would gather for the Daily Office. The Parish Register indicates that many services took place in the homes of parishioners.
Ascension's long commitment to its wider community is part of its identity. Parishioners were instrumental in beginning the Retired Men's Club, Habitat for Humanity in Bartow County, and a ministry to people living with HIV/AIDS. In the 1960s, during a time of deep racial division across the South, members of Ascension worked toward racial reconciliation when doing so was neither easy nor widely accepted. In the 1990s, as fear and misunderstanding surrounded the AIDS epidemic, the parish reached out with friendship, dignity, and practical support. Both the Red Door Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity in the county trace their origins to Ascension. The food pantry, which began as a parish ministry, has grown into an independent nonprofit serving hundreds of families each month, though the parish continues to support it through volunteers, financial gifts, and an ongoing partnership.
Three Sunday Services, One Parish
On Sunday mornings from August through May, Ascension offers three celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, each with a distinct character but sharing the same identity. The parish is clear that the goal is "not to create separate congregations for each service. All our services express the same identity: we proclaim the same Gospel, we celebrate the same sacraments, we are guided by the same mission, we are one parish."
At 7:45 a.m., a Contemplative Holy Eucharist is offered, a quiet, reflective service following the traditional liturgy of the Episcopal Church, without music.
At 9:00 a.m., the Holy Eucharist for All Ages is described as intergenerational, accessible, and participatory. This service is designed to be welcoming to people of all ages, especially young families, children, and those newer to the Episcopal tradition. It is intentionally less formal while remaining fully rooted in the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, children are welcomed as active participants, and the music supports congregational singing in a way that works for a wide range of ages. A typical service runs forty-five to fifty minutes, a service length that works well for families with young children.
At 11:00 a.m., the Holy Eucharist with the Canterbury Choir is formal, choral, and traditional. The service offers the richness of the Anglican musical and liturgical tradition: Holy Eucharist celebrated according to Rite II, traditional Anglican hymnody and choral music, a more ceremonial style, and a reflective and reverent atmosphere. Many longtime parishioners and those who cherish Anglican liturgical tradition make this their Sunday home.
From June through July, the schedule shifts to summer hours. The 7:45 a.m. Contemplative Eucharist continues, and a single Traditional Eucharist with Hymns is offered at 10:00 a.m., followed at 11:00 a.m. by a fellowship reception.
All who seek a deeper knowledge of Christ are welcome to receive communion at Ascension. The parish says plainly, "At Church of the Ascension, we invite all people to receive, not because we take the Eucharist lightly, but because we take it so seriously. God's grace is for everyone." Those who are not comfortable receiving the Eucharist are invited to come forward during Communion to receive a blessing from the priest.
The Midweek Pause: Wednesdays at Ascension
Midway through the week, the church offers another gathering. On Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m., the Holy Eucharist and Healing Service is held in an intimate setting that includes anointing, laying on of hands, and prayers for anyone suffering in mind, body, or spirit. The service includes a brief teaching for reflection, and everyone is invited to receive Holy Eucharist. The parish grounds this ministry in James 5:14-15: "Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith with save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up."
Wednesdays in the program year are also when a great deal of formation and fellowship happens. Gather in the Middle meets most Wednesdays from August through April, with dinner from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. followed by an hour of study and discussion on a rotating slate of topics. The St. Cecilia Choir rehearses at 5:00 p.m., the Canterbury Choir at 7:00 p.m., and the Pastoral Care Committee gathers at 1:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the Ascension House Library.
Music at the Heart of Worship
Music is woven into the identity of the parish. The Canterbury Choir, an auditioned ensemble of 25 adult singers, leads music for the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Eucharist each week, as well as occasional Evensongs, Holy Week liturgies, and major feast days. The choir also sings at Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great Vigil of Easter, and several Evensongs throughout the year. The regular choir season runs from September through May, with rehearsals on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. Summer rehearsals move to Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m.
The St. Cecilia Choir carries on the next generation. With 13 members aged 7 to 17, the choir is directed by Dr. Robert Henry and a volunteer. Rehearsals are each Wednesday from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. The young singers learn challenging treble music, sing in harmony, build music literacy skills, sing hymns and descants, and learn the Episcopal liturgy. They lead worship at the 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. services about five times during the church year and at the early Christmas Eve service each year. The directors invite all singers between the ages of 7 and 17 with unchanged voices to join.
Dr. Robert Henry, the Director of Music, is a native of Georgia with nearly twenty years of experience as an organist and choirmaster in the Episcopal Church. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland, with additional studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Glinka Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. His career includes solo debut recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Wigmore Hall, regular appearances on NPR's Performance Today and The Atlanta Music Scene, and tenure as a professor of Music and Coordinator of the Piano Area at Kennesaw State University. He joined the Ascension staff in February 2024.
How Worship Works at Ascension
The parish describes its worship as both beautiful and ancient, drawing on a pattern of worship handed down through the centuries and reaching back to the earliest Christian communities. The Latin phrase "lex orandi, lex credendi," meaning the way we pray shapes what we believe, is a touchstone. The parish teaches that what the community believes shapes how members live in the world, and that worship forms them to live as followers of Jesus: to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
Every service is grounded in Scripture. Each Sunday, the congregation hears readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament letters, and the Gospels, following the Lectionary, a three-year cycle of readings shared with Christians around the world. The Book of Common Prayer shapes the prayers, responses, and hymns; about 70% of the Prayer Book comes directly from Scripture. Sermons at Ascension are usually briefer than in some other traditions, generally ten to fifteen minutes, and seek to connect the readings to daily life.
The congregation worships with their bodies as well as their voices. Standing is the ancient posture of praise and prayer. Sitting allows for listening and reflection during readings and the sermon. Kneeling expresses humility and devotion, especially in confession and prayer. The parish is clear that these movements are not rules but invitations, ways of engaging the whole self in prayer.
At the heart of Episcopal worship is the Holy Eucharist, divided into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Table. The Liturgy of the Word includes up to four readings from the Bible, a sermon, recitation of the Nicene Creed, prayers of the people, the Confession of Sin in certain seasons, the exchange of the Peace, and the prayer of intercession. The Liturgy of the Table includes the Eucharistic Prayer, the Lord's Prayer, the breaking of the bread, and the sharing of the consecrated bread and wine. The Episcopal Church recognizes two primary sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism and Holy Eucharist. Five other sacramental rites grow out of the life of the Church: Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation (Confession), and Unction (anointing for healing). Private confession with a priest is available by appointment, and especially during Lent.
On the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Ascension teaches what the wider Episcopal Church teaches: "While we don't define exactly how this happens, we believe that Christ is truly present through the consecration of the elements. It is not just a symbolic act, it is a sacred mystery."
Christian Formation for Every Age
Christian formation at Ascension is described as a lifelong journey of deepening relationships with Christ, with oneself, with one another, and with all of creation. The parish honors questions as much as answers and welcomes diverse perspectives.
On Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., adults have two parallel offerings. Bible Study is a lay-led group, supported by clergy, dedicated to exploring the Bible one book at a time, paying attention to historical, cultural, and literary context. The Rector's Forum, offered most Sundays, explores spiritual, theological, social, and cultural topics and invites open discussion among members and guests.
Children gather for the same 9:45 to 10:45 hour. For children from pre-K through 4th grade, Godly Play introduces the Christian message through storytelling and imaginative play. For pre-teens in grades 4 through 8, Re:form Youth uses animated short videos combined with discussion to explore Bible stories and theology. The nursery is open Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for infants to age 4, with trained staff providing care and snacks. Parents are asked to bring their own diapers and wipes.
The Red Door Food Pantry and a Long Habit of Mission
The Red Door Food Pantry is one of the most visible marks of Ascension's presence in Cartersville. Founded by the parish in response to growing food insecurity in Bartow County, the pantry began as a parish ministry and has since grown into an independent nonprofit serving hundreds of families each month. The pantry now operates as its own organization, but its roots remain in Ascension's conviction that feeding the hungry is central to the Church's mission. The parish continues to support the pantry through volunteers, financial gifts, and an ongoing partnership. Donations of toiletry items and baby supplies are accepted for pantry clients, and donations to the pantry are also taken at Ascension Coffee House nights.
Ascension's wider outreach story is part of its identity. The people of Ascension were instrumental in beginning the Retired Men's Club, Habitat for Humanity in Bartow County, and a ministry to people living with HIV/AIDS. In the 1960s, members worked toward racial reconciliation when doing so was neither easy nor widely accepted. In the 1990s, as fear surrounded the AIDS epidemic, the parish offered friendship, dignity, and practical support to people living with HIV/AIDS. The pattern has continued: rather than waiting for people to come through the doors, Ascension has sought to meet Christ in its neighbors, especially those on the margins.
Pastoral Care and the Life of the Parish
Pastoral care is the shared work of clergy and laity at Ascension, and the parish makes clear that the role of every person in the parish is important as all are called to love neighbors as themselves. The pastoral care ministry is led by Annette Cook and Kerry Suggs. Anyone who would like a name added to the parish prayer list may contact the Reverend Denise Ronn.
The parish's pastoral care offerings include Care Cards sent to people experiencing illness, grief, or celebration; Eucharistic Visitors who take communion to members unable to attend services; home and nursing home visits by the rector and pastoral care members; a meal ministry with online care calendars for long-term illnesses; flower deliveries by the Flower Guild to those who are homebound, in the hospital, or otherwise in need; Easter and Christmas baskets prepared for the elderly, the ill, and those in nursing homes; and New Baby Welcome signs and baskets placed at the homes of newborns.
Fellowship, Brunches, and Brotherhood
Fellowship is a rhythm of its own at Ascension. A Men's Breakfast is held on the second Saturday of each month in the Parish Hall, offering a relaxed and welcoming space for men to gather and share life. A Women's Monthly Brunch meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at IHOP in Cartersville, at 640 East Main Street. A Middle Agers group, for those in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, gathers at various times throughout the year for casual events, shared meals, and conversations. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew meets on the second and fourth Saturdays. A Connect meeting gathers on the second Tuesday of each month. Parish potlucks, seasonal events such as an Independence Day Picnic, an Oktoberfest Celebration, and a December Community Cookie Bake are part of the parish's annual rhythm.
On the second Friday of each month, except July, the Ascension Coffee House fills the church with original music. A local listening room for songwriters, each month a different artist is featured, hosted by Rick McKee, a singer-songwriter, composer, music educator, and multi-instrumentalist from Cartersville who has released three albums on the Cosmic Possum label. The free event is open to the community, and donations benefit the Red Door Food Pantry and the Clergy Discretionary Fund. Donations of toiletry items and baby supplies are also collected for pantry clients.
Weddings, Membership, and Joining Ascension
Holy Matrimony is a sacrament at Ascension, and the parish describes marriage as a sacred covenant of love, faithfulness, and lifelong commitment and a partnership of equals. The parish affirms marriage for all couples, regardless of gender or orientation. Pre-marital counseling with the priest who will solemnize the marriage is required, with at least three sessions scheduled before the wedding. The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta requires a one-year waiting period after a divorce before a person may remarry in the Church. Couples must provide divorce decrees and counseling records 45 days in advance for the bishop's consent, which may take up to 30 days to receive. While the Episcopal Church requires at least 30 days' notice, Ascension recommends scheduling weddings 12 to 16 months in advance. Weddings are not held during Lent. A Georgia marriage license is required, and copies should be submitted at least two weeks before the wedding. The church does not rent its space to outside parties, though members of other Episcopal churches who wish to be married in Cartersville may have their rector contact the parish's priest.
Becoming a member of Ascension is described as more than simply having one's name on a list; it is about belonging to a community that worships, grows, serves, and lives out the love of Christ together. There are several paths to membership: the transfer of membership from another Episcopal parish or another Christian tradition, Baptism for those not yet baptized, and Confirmation for those baptized at an earlier age or in another Christian tradition who wish to confirm their baptismal vows in the presence of a bishop. The process begins by sharing the desire to become a member with the rector or the parish office.
Members are asked to worship regularly, grow spiritually, serve others, give sacrificially, seek reconciliation, pray daily, and share the good news. The parish describes stewardship as a spiritual practice rooted in gratitude and generosity and speaks of gifts in three broad categories: treasure, time, and talent.
The People Who Lead the Parish
The rector of the Church of the Ascension is the Reverend Alex Dyer. Alex most recently served as a canon on the Office of the Bishop staff in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, with responsibilities including congregational vitality, church governance, mission, social justice, and property management. Before that, he was the priest-in-charge at St. Thomas' Parish in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Born in East Tennessee, he moved to Maryland and then Virginia before becoming a Christian at age 15. A few years after his baptism, he felt a call to ordained ministry, and he attended seminary a year after graduating from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. Before seminary, he served as a camp counselor for the Diocese of Southern Virginia's camp and as a missionary in Cairo, Egypt, working with Sudanese refugees. After graduating seminary, he served parishes in New York City, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. He is rooted in Ignatian Spirituality and describes himself as a contemplative in action on the lookout for God's new ways to join God's mission of love and reconciliation. He has a particular heart for the inclusion of all God's people in the life of the Church, shaped in part by his time at St. Luke in the Fields in New York City, where he oversaw outreach programs for LGBTQ youth and a program for people with HIV/AIDS, and by his time in New Haven, Connecticut, where he began an outdoor worship service for people experiencing homelessness. Alex has been with his husband, Ryan, for over twenty years, and they have two young children.
The Parish Life Coordinator is Carlynn Sharpe-Ehui, a Cartersville resident who grew up in Armuchee, Georgia, and earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology and her Master of Social Work from Kennesaw State University. She has served in basic needs case management, hospice and emergency department social work, geriatric program oversight, foster youth support, higher education program coordination, research, and nonprofit leadership. She is a writer, visual artist, and executive function coach, and lives in Cartersville with her husband, three cats, and two dogs.
The Reverend Louis Tonsmeire was given the honorific title of Rector Emeritus in 2024. Born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1933, he received his B.A. from Spring Hill College and his Master of Divinity from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Following his ordination in 1957, his first assignments were in Birmingham; in 1960 he was assigned as pastor of three small churches in Sylacauga, Alabama, where he developed a lifelong commitment to social justice during the civil rights movement. In 1965, he moved to Cartersville as Rector of the Church of the Ascension, also engaging in community activities from revitalizing the Red Cross blood-donation program to serving on the Cartersville School Board for eight years. Between 1981 and 1994, he served as rector of churches in east Cobb County and Chattanooga before returning to settle in Cartersville.
The parish is governed by a vestry of nine members elected to three-year terms, supported by two wardens. The current senior warden is Erle Newton III; the junior warden is Kelley Dial; the clerk is Judith Cunningham; and the treasurer is Neal Brunt.
What to Know Before You Visit
The church is at 205 West Cherokee Avenue in Cartersville, Georgia. Parking is available behind the church in the parish lot, with additional street parking, and overflow parking at the courthouse lot a block away. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is closed Friday through Sunday. The phone number is 770-382-2626.
Services are in English. Worship is liturgical, following the Book of Common Prayer. Visitors will notice some people standing, sitting, or kneeling at different times, and others bowing or making the sign of the cross; the parish invites newcomers to participate in ways that are comfortable. For the first-time visitor, the parish's own description is helpful: liturgy may be exhilarating or confusing, but once one learns the steps, it becomes a comforting and meaningful experience.
The 9:00 a.m. service is intentionally designed to be welcoming to people who are newer to the Episcopal tradition. All who seek a deeper relationship with Christ are welcome to receive Holy Eucharist; those who are not comfortable receiving are invited to come forward for a blessing.
Services are livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@episcopalchurchoftheascens5143. Online giving is available at secure.myvanco.com. Visitors are warmly invited to learn more through the visitors' page. The parish keeps an active presence on Facebook and Instagram under the handle churchwiththereddoors.
The Church of the Ascension is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and the worldwide Anglican Communion. Sunday services are held from August through May at 7:45, 9:00, and 11:00 a.m. The Wednesday healing Eucharist is at 12:15 p.m. From June through July, the schedule shifts to a 7:45 a.m. Contemplative Eucharist and a 10:00 a.m. Traditional Eucharist with Hymns. The parish mission, taken from its welcome, is the thread that holds it all together: "We follow Jesus by loving without exception so that Christ reshapes how we live."