Cognition Brewery and Grace Episcopal Church Partner To Create Gathering Place

ISHPEMING, Mich – A local brewery and church are mixing things up with a partnership to strengthen the Ishpeming community.

Cognition Brewery and Grace Episcopal Church are teaming up to create a pub hub for the citizens of Ishpeming.

The church transferred ownership to Cognition Brewery owner, Jay Clancey, who has some new ideas to transform the church.

“He will be recreating the space we are in now into his seating space and the tap room. So where the benches are and the pews are, they will reformed and reconditioned into tables and benches and this is where people will gather and come together as a community,” said Marna Franson, a Missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan. “We, the church, will have our services here and the alter will be moved to the stain-glass window. We’ll be meeting on Sunday mornings as usual and if there are funerals or weddings, we will be continuing to do that. We’ll be continuing to worship in this space and continue as a brewery.”

Franson explained that the church is embracing the “Pub is the Hub” movement in England and that it will strengthen Ishpeming’s community.

“We are really excited about this partnership because the whole idea behind church isn’t Sunday morning, the whole idea behind church is loving folks. You can’t love them if you can’t see them. If you haven’t noticed, Sunday mornings isn’t a big time for people to go to church anymore but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to love on people,” said Franson. “So, instead of church with empty pews, we’ve got Cogntion Brewery which Jay is trying to build and he is following the Pub is the Hub from England where it isn’t just a community space but also a place to have a beer. It’s a place to come and get to know one another.”

The brewery will be changing its name to Kogniston Bryggeri.

No date has been set as to when the pub will open.