Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington D.C.
I visited two “community” churches in Washington D.C.. The pastor of National Community Church was trying to raise $15,000 for an espresso machine. The pastor of New Community Church was trying to raise $10 million for a local bank they were starting. I wrote reviews of both mind-blowing churches HERE.
As usual I interviewed the person seated in front of me in worship which happened in both churches to be 21-year-old women. When I asked one why she needed Jesus, she quickly answered “We are all fallen and cannot access God. Jesus is the bridge.” I waited for something more, some clarification of “fallen” for example or maybe a more nuanced, personal, account of how she had shimmied over the Jesus bridge. Nothing. I restated it for her hoping it would seem incomplete and she would want to flesh-it-out a little; You need Jesus to help you get to God? “Yeah!” she tells me with raised eyebrows as if I seemed to really get her meaning.
The woman from the other church asked for a minute to think after I asked her why she needed Jesus. She eventually responded “Jesus is an example to me of love for the poor, of challenging the powers,and of taking risks.” I restated her answer and she was glad to tell me about her personal struggles of faith.
I asked them both to share why they need the church. The participant of the $15,000 espresso machine church admitted she attends this Saturday night service because it is innovative. The participant of the $10 million “let’s create a community bank” church shared that her church’s requirements for membership are pretty stringent. Prospective core members have to complete a year-long course for Christian Living, be a regular participant in a small group, and be willing to honestly identify their gifts and passion, striving to live-out this calling in loving service to the stranger. Each October is a church-wide time of membership reevaluation, and some acknowledge they can no longer continue membership with integrity. My subject admits that this kind of accountability around spiritual formation might seem “heavy-handed,” “But it’s good. It’s like spinning; sometimes you need someone to tell you to pedal hard.”
The book Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church by Kenda Creasy Dean explains why there are so many young people like the one I interviewed who will no doubt give money toward a $15,000 church espresso machine. Dean’s book opens with a quote from theologian Douglas John Hall:
I am personally not very much worried about the reduction in numbers where Christianity…[is]concerned. I am far more concerned about the qualitative factor: what kind of Christianity…are we talking about?
What kind of Christianity is worth $15,000 or even $10 million?
windowandwall 
Vickie Melson
January 24, 2012
It seems as though you had an interesting visit that touched you. These are important moments to call us into a deeper place with God. As a member at New Community Church I would like to correct or help clarify several things you lift up in your writings. Unfortunately, you got Gordon’s last name wrong, it is Cosby not Crosby. That is important for anyone who might want to seek more information about Gordon and his work. The Church of the Saviour’s original sight was at 2025 Massachusetts Ave, but that building was sold last year. The farm you refer to from it’s inception, has been 2 retreat centers on one property. Dayspring has always been a silent retreat center, and Wellspring a traditional retreat center. The division of the church into separate communities began in the 70’s not in 94. New Community Church was founded in 1982. The Seekers Church predates even this. 1994 was a time when the Church of the Saviour communities became completely autonomous. Now we refer to each other as churches “in the tradition of the Church of the Saviour”. That is important for when people come to DC and look for The Church of the Saviour that really means 10 different faith communities and at least twice as many ministries that developed from these churches. When you referred to your walk around the Shaw community and the development of the neighborhood, Manna ( the low income home ownership non profit that grew out of New Community) has renovated and sold homes to low income buyers in Shaw and throughout DC since the mid 1980’s. The obvious ongoing development is largely the work of private residential and commercial developers. This has no real connection to Howard University Hospital. These corrections are not meant to disparage any of your observations or to minimize your experience of the church and neighborhood. These comments are offered to clarify the church and it’s ministry so that people who read your blog will have a better understanding of our way of being Church. I hope you will feel free to respond to these comments, or be in touch if you have any need for further clarification or explore this further. We would welcome your to visit us whenever your are in DC.
Blessings, Vickie
anxiouspew
January 24, 2012
Vickie, thank you for your corrections. You will see them reflected in the review of New Community Church under the Service Reviews section. My primary access point for Church of the Saviour was the Inward/Outward website http://www.inwardoutward.org/page/who-church-saviour which lists 1994 as the “scattering” date. But I knew from talking with your pastor that New Community started prior to that scattering, so it is a bit confusing. In my comment about Howard University I didn’t intend to imply that the hospital is responsible for development of housing. I simply recognized that the hospital was involved in major new construction, a fact which I’m sure is not lost on you. I remain unclear about the $10 million initiative and have heard that it is not necessarily connected with New Community in spite of my experience of the pastor mentioning it to the congregation that Sunday. Can you clarify?
Vickie Melson
January 25, 2012
Thank you for hearing and receiving all of this well. The Church of the Saviour approach to being Church can be a bit daunting and confusing to folks. I will look into what Jim referred to in his sermon and get back to you. I hope you will find time to read and explore the writings of Gordon Cosby and another, who has passed away, Elizabeth O’Conner. Please visit us at New Community or be in touch when you are in DC.
Vickie
January 25, 2012
I had a chance to go to New Community’s web and listen to Jim D’s sermon of 12/11/11 as I was not in worship that morning. The $10 million he is making reference is related to the housing non-profit Manna http://www.mannadc.org/template/index.cfm. Manna is constantly having to raise funds for low income home ownership in DC. As housing prices have declined around the country, they have not in DC. Most recent reports say they have stayed level or increased in value. The funding that once existed is not available today, so fundraising has become increasingly difficult. Manna is not a ministry of the church, New Community , but it’s own non-profit. It was birthed at and through new Community. In most main line churches, ministries that are “birthed” in the church/community stay in the church/community and usually are part of the churches programs. In churches in the tradition of The Church of the Saviour, it happens differently. A need or call may be noted, and those who see the need or feel the call are responsible for this ministry or call. It is not part of the programs of the church. Most times after it is launched it becomes it’s own non profit. That said, the $10 million is not money or a funding that Jim D’ and New Community is lifting up, but one of Manna. Hope that helps a bit.
Blessing, Vickie