Participants
The
initial research identified a group of twelve potential churches in the
Portland Metro area that met the criteria that they created and are sustaining
an alternative missional ecclesial community amid marginalized people. The
research group was reduced to four of the representative ecclesia participating
in the project. The reduction was due in part to several ecclesias within the
group that desired not to draw any type of attention to themselves due to the
potential denominational criticisms. They desired to “remain under the radar” as
one of the leaders indicated. Out of respect for their wishes they were
excluded from the research group, but an open invitation to return and
participate in their communities was extended to us.
Introduction
of the Research Group
The
remaining ecclesias are located amid marginalized groups within the designated
research area. The representative research group demonstrates unique and yet
complementary practices and strategies that reflect a clear desire to be an
incarnational and missional community amid marginalized people. Each ecclesia
represents a separate marginalized people with some cross-over or mingling, but
in most ways reflects what is unique amid their community.
Theophilus
– A Christian Community
Theophilus[1]
is a little over two years from its inception making it one of the younger
ecclesia in this research group. It is included within this research group due
to its unique growth and sustainability amid its context. Theophilus was
started by A.J. Swoboda[2]
and his wife Quinn. Theophilus is located within the Hawthorne District in SE
Portland. The Hawthorne district is a unique and popular district within the
Portland Metro area. It is comprised of six neighborhoods Richmond, Buckmann,
Hosford-Abernathy, Ladd’s Addition, Sunnyside and Mt. Tabor. It is known for a
diverse population that is considered resistant to the Gospel. The Portland
Neighborhoods website gives a colorful description of the residents of this
district, “There are a lot of words you could use to describe the locals who
live in the Hawthorne District; activist, environmentalist, educated,
opinionated, hippie, hipster, Gen X-er, entrepreneur. . . and more.”[3]
The leadership of Theophilus purposefully located within this area due to the profile
of the population. The Swoboda’s and the leadership team moved from Eugene,
Oregon, from a neighborhood district that whose occupants were close to the
University of Oregon. The proximity to the University of Oregon resulted in an
almost mirror reflection of the Hawthorne District in Portland.
Resonate Christian Church
Resonate
Christian Church[4] is
located in Sherwood Oregon. Sherwood[5]
is considered a bedroom community of Portland, Oregon. Sherwood is a small city
with just over 18,000 people. Touring the city one experiences the sense that
it is a family oriented city with a focus upon sports activities. There are a
significant number of sporting complexes and sports oriented businesses. The
marginalization is not obvious to the casual observer, but to the leadership of
Resonate Christian Church, Sherwood represents a unique opportunity for the
Gospel. Residents of the city, who work mostly in downtown Portland, experience
a high divorce rate due to their affluence. According to Kevin Bates, founder
and lead pastor of Resonate, the city has experienced a significant number of
church plant failures over the last decade. These failures have produced an
attitude of distrust for any group attempting to church plant amid Sherwood’s
population, creating a community of marginalized people. Bates and leadership
of Resonate were attracted to Sherwood due the issue of sustainability of a
church plant amid the population there.
The Bridge Christian Church
The
Bridge Christian Church[6]
is currently located in NE Portland at the corner of North Williams Ave and
North East Tillamook St. The Bridge is the oldest alternative missional
ecclesia represented in the research group. It was started by Deborah and Ken
Loyd and Crystal Ward in 1998 when they left the institutional church after
engaging their passion for those who are marginalized. The Bridge over the past
decade has been through several cultural shifts or reinventions as Deborah
refers to them. Initially, punk-rockers were the main occupants of the Bridge, but
subsequent shifts brought other generations and expressions of marginalized
people to participate in the Bridge. The current context of the Bridge engages
several generations and marginal people, such as millennials, anarchists,
Christarchists, artist, and musicians. The Bridge appears to have a natural
ability to engage the community it resides within, allowing it to have a broad
level of interactions with marginalized people from various backgrounds. The
present leadership has risen up out of the midst of the community represented
in the Bridge. The leadership consists of three pastors who function as equals.
HomePDX
HomePDX[7]
is located in the heart of downtown Portland. It is daughter church birthed out
of the Bridge Christian Church. The HomePDX was created for “our friends
without houses.”[8]
The context of HomePDX is centered on caring for the homeless and the poor in
downtown Portland. Ken Loyd founded HomePDX initially to reach street kids,
called “gutter punks.” Bruce Arnold has joined him now as part of HomePDX
leadership. During the warmer months of the year HomePDX meets under the
Hawthorne Bridge and during the colder months they find a home meeting in the
basement of a downtown church. HomePDX doesn’t operate as the Gospel Union or
the other outreaches to poor, homeless and marginalized people in downtown
Portland. The HomePDX goes beyond providing for the physical needs of the
house-less, but provides an actual community for marginalized people to belong
too.
[1] http://theophiluschurch.com/
[2]
For biographical information concerning A.J. and Quinn please see http://ajswoboda.com/about.
[3] http://www.portlandneighborhood.com/Hawthornee.html
[4] http://resonatecc.com/
[5] http://www.sherwoodchamber.org/
[6] http://thebridgeportland.org/
[7] http://www.homepdx.net/
[8]
Ken Loyd.
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