Six Platteville ministers will be presiding at services at different Platteville churches Sunday.

Rev. Brenda Whitford of Platteville United Methodist Church will preside at the 8 a.m. service at First English Lutheran Church, followed by Rev. Brian Backstrand of Trinity Episcopal Church at First English's 11 a.m. service. Whitford will then be at Faith Lutheran Church in Cuba City at 9:30 a.m.

Rev. Zayna Thompson, pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ, will preside at Lutheran Church of Peace at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Rev. Michael Short, pastor of First English, will be at the United Methodist Church for its 8:30 and 11 a.m. services.

Rev. Jeff Pedersen, pastor of Lutheran Church of Peace, will preside at First Congregational’s 9 and 10:45 a.m. services. Rev. Jasmine Tesdahl, vicar of First English, will be at Trinity Episcopal Church at 11:30 a.m.

The initiative comes one year before the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, when Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his church in Germany. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is in full communion with the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ and other churches.

Short said full communion allows ELCA pastors “to serve and preside at the Lord’s Table in those congregations, and pastors in those traditions to serve and preside in ELCA cburches. So I suggested that it might be interesting for us as a ministerial association to exchange pulpits for a Sunday.”

The pastors also agreed to share a meal together afterward, a potluck at the Platteville Golf & Country Club Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The public is invited and asked to bring a dish to pass and table service.