Pastor Kerlin Richter in Sunday morning worship prayer service at Radio Bushwick.

Let’s face it. When most people think of Bushwick these days, the words “Christian fellowship” do not exactly jump into the imagination. For many younger Christian transplants to the city it can be hard to find a welcoming place of worship, especially one that forgives the trespasses of young Brooklynites- rolling out of bed after 10, quite possibly showing up hungover, and not donning their “Sunday best.”  That’s where Bushwick Abbey, a new Episcopal church based on values of community, acceptance, and modern living, stands out. The self-proclaimed “Church That Doesn’t Suck” service takes place every Sunday in the unlikely holy space of music venue Radio Bushwick. When Pastor Kerlin Richter realized that there were no English-speaking Episcopal congregations in Bushwick closer than the Halsey L stop, she created a new church where parishioners of all faiths, ethnicities, and sexual orientations are “welcome to participate and bring [their] whole selves.”

Pastor and congregants mingle in the bar area after service. There’s even beer!

During each service, Bushwick Abbey church members turn to their neighbors and introduce themselves to one another, building a sense of fellowship for newcomers.

With her wispy blue hair and black framed glasses, Kerlin looks more likely to be a barista at your favorite coffee shop than a dispenser of Christian homilies. A native of Tennessee who came to Bushwick by way of Portland, Kerlin reached out to Tari Sunkin, the owner of Radio Bushwick, about about hosting the church at the Radio Bushwick space in October. Sunkin’s ground rules for the nascent church were simple: “It has to be welcoming and community-oriented.”