I started this blog 10 years ago. Life quickly got in the way of good intentions. Much has changed since then. I am again making art. I continue to work in my woodworking shop. The biggest change is my church situation.
About 5 years ago, I was invited to be the preacher for Oakland Presbyterian. I worked there for 3 1/2 years in an interim position. I loved the people there. I did not love Presbytery. They cared more about their rules than the people in the congregation. I could not meet their criteria. I made the decision to leave. Unfortunately, there was no one available who was acceptable to Presbytery. The church closed about 8 months after my departure.
In the meantime, I took on a second church, Snow Creek Community Church. It had been a United Methodist church.
It started well. Many people from outside the community came. There was a lot of excitement. Then, decades-old grievances came roaring back. I was faced with a choice. Keep dealing with the old grievances, a problem that many who came before me could not solve, or I could leave. I was certain I could not solve their problems. So, after 6 months, I announced my departure. I told the congregation that I would continue to be available to any who wished to join me, but in a different location. As I walked out of Snow Creek for the last time, I said to myself, “I’m done!”
I was done with what has become the traditional way of functioning as the body of Christ. I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do, but I knew that I was no longer willing to follow the traditional paths.
For about 50 years, I have tried the old pathways in my service to various churches. The old pathways worked in the past. Sometimes they still do. Sometimes, not. The evidence is the many empty or near-empty churches. The evidence is the fact that many seminaries are not able to adequately equip pastors to serve in the twenty-first century. In the Presbyterian seminaries, most of those who attend have no intention to serve a local congregation.
That was the beginning of Peace Haven. We have been going for more than a year now. I am just now getting my bearings. Our initial numbers have dropped. I don’t blame those who have moved on. I think some of them were looking for something I am unwilling to offer; a different version of a traditional church structure.
At heart, I am a creator and an entrepreneur. I follow objectives, not traditions. I started my first business at 18 after dropping out of college. I have started, closed, sold, and operated many businesses in the past 52 years. There have been some significant successes. There have been failures. Some of the failures have been because I didn’t do well enough. Some have been because of changes in the marketplace that I could not adapt to. I approach Peace Haven in much the same way I approach business. I want to identify the objectives, and then put whatever needs to be put in place to achieve those objectives. I am also aware that like marketplace changes that made one of my businesses obsolete, culture changes have made some church systems obsolete.
In the next couple of months, I will be clarifying the objectives and giving a plan for you to consider. Pray with me. I believe we are on the path God has set before us.
My Thoughts 