Dear Caldwell,
Doesn’t the image above stop you in your tracks? That’s City United Methodist Church in downtown Gary, Indiana. Built for $1 million and opened in 1925. Closed and abandoned in 1975.
City Methodist is a symbol of what we are studying in my doctoral work this week (and last). We’re focused on changing urban and demographic contexts for ministry. A confluence of factors led to the tragedy at City Methodist – Gary’s economic implosion, poor practices of inclusion by the white, affluent majority congregation amid changes in the city’s makeup, enormous fixed costs and misguided ministries.
Charlotte and Gary have little in common. Still, given the flux in organized religion in America in our time, no congregation should look at that photo and fail to ask, “Could that happen to us?”
What does scripture say? “Where there is no vision ….” (Proverbs 29:18)
As I will expand on Sunday, Caldwell is uniquely situated to write a different story than what happened at City Methodist. That won’t happen by accident. Each of one of us must help write that story. Every time I gather with other pastors, talk to academics and church experts or attend church conferences, I am even more convinced of how unusual our story is. That ongoing, unfolding story continues Sunday. We will hold our Annual Congregational Business meeting, when you will hear a report on the budget for this year, one expression of our effort to advance the good news of the gospel to a desperate and hurting world.
Meanwhile, we have two immediate opportunities to enact the gospel:
First, let’s “keep pounding” by bringing one pound of non-perishable food for every point you think the Panthers score in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 14. All food will be donated to Loaves and Fishes. Our amazing Youth will handle sorting and delivering your donations. After worship, we will continue to address hunger as our Youth host us for the Souper Bowl, where all proceeds go to local hunger and poverty initiatives.
Second, many of us have been watching the tragedy in a city much like Gary, IN – the water crisis in Flint, MI. It’s a story of gross negligence, if not abuse, with horrific lasting impact on the lives in that largely African-American city. Like me, you may have with wondered what you can do to help bring about justice and healing. Our denomination’s Office and of Public Witness in Washington has issued an appeal to us to urge Congress to provide emergency funding for Flint. To read more or take action, go to its website here
http://capwiz.com/pcusa/issues/alert/?alertid=69732626
Please keep in prayer Gina Shell and family, following the recent death of her father, Jean and David Nance and their uncle, Robert, who undergoes heart surgery Friday and Janie Lownes, who is suffering from a sore shoulder.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
In Christ,
John