Disciple: Living Into a New Era

How one small church became a catalyst for revitalizing a community

By Bruce Elliott

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St. Paul’s, Salisbury, is the keystone church in an unfolding and very unlikely story. It features a plot line found in so many denominational churches around the country: that of once-vital churches and neighborhoods in long decline due to economic hollowing out, fracturing families and younger generations that seek non-traditional ways to express their faith and spirituality.

But this all-too-familiar story features a plot twist that began in 2012, when one man’s vision and prayers set in motion a strategic plan and launched an initiative that has already produced real hope and substantial change with more on the way. And in the process, St. Paul’s may well show us how a traditional and historic church can transform into a 21st-century model of what a church can become and how it can help bring about lasting community-wide change.

The Rev. Rick Williams came to St. Paul’s in the spring of 2012, after retiring from a 27-year career as a chaplain in the United States Navy. He and his wife, Judith, had decided to retire in North Carolina, hoping to find a place where he might serve a small church in some way. St. Paul’s was looking for a part-time vicar, and it was located in one of the most historic cities in the Piedmont, which appealed to the amateur historian. It seemed like a good fit, and the Rev. Williams was hired.

Soon after arriving at St. Paul’s, the Rev. Williams felt the Spirit leading him to bring something more than a Sunday morning service to the small parish. People from other areas of the U.S. began moving to Chestnut Hill and calling the Rev. Williams to ask if they might serve in some way. Recognizing the church and its neighborhood were suddenly becoming a nexus of willing talent and new energy, the Rev. Williams sought to gain a better understanding of Chestnut Hill’s history to determine how best to move forward. He consulted with local historian Haynes Murdoch, a direct descendent of legendary industrialist and priest Francis Murdoch.

According to Haynes, his ancestor the Rev. Murdoch organized St. Paul’s as a mission in 1877 and over the next several decades built some 12 other Episcopal missions and two dozen textile mills in Rowan County. “He was a strong and visionary leader whose work helped rebuild the county following the devastation that resulted from the Civil War,” said Haynes. The Rev. Williams came to the same conclusion. “He provided a way out of poverty for thousands, built places for them to worship and schools for their children. He really saved this area and provided a bridge from poverty to 20th-century prosperity.”

In 1893, land holdings that formerly belonged to the Rev. Murdoch were sold and the land plotted out to create the first subdivision in Salisbury. Known as Chestnut Hill, the area grew and prospered for decades. At its peak in the 1920s through 1950s, it was a solidly middle-class area whose citizens were employed at the many local mills, the Spencer train depot and a variety of other businesses.

In the years since, the area’s economy gradually went downhill. The train depot closed, and all the mills and furniture factories eventually shut down. The resulting economic dislocation took a heavy toll: families moved out, the tax base declined, absentee landlords came in, and the spiritual and social fabric of the community deteriorated.

Yet in 2012, the Rev. Williams saw a vision that portrayed a different reality. Recognizing the presence of the Spirit and emboldened by its persistent inner guidance, he prayed and planned, and soon things began to happen.

He and the ministers of the other three neighborhood churches came together to discuss ways to turn this vision into a practical plan. They decided to pool resources, share ideas and collaborate in ways that would benefit both the churches’ and the neighborhood’s common good. Realizing they could be more effective working together rather than separately, their differences began to lose importance. As the Rev. Ed Harper, minister of Haven Lutheran Church, said, “For the church to thrive in the future, we must emphasize the essential elements of our faith and de-emphasize denominational differences.”

One of their ideas was to invite nonprofits to locate in the neighborhood, bringing their services close to the people they serve, and to provide those nonprofits with space in the churches to operate. Haven Lutheran is now home to the Center for Faith & the Arts, a nonprofit that explores the intersection between the arts and spirituality. Classes ranging from performance and visual art to music are offered to adults and children. Taught by local artists, Wake Up Leonardo! is a popular summertime program that provides children from all income levels an opportunity to learn from professional art teachers. One of them is Timothy Demers, a gifted and charismatic teacher who moved his family from California to Chestnut Hill three years ago.

“It’s a joyful thing helping these kids engage with art and [draw] on creativity they didn’t know they had,” he said. “Some are doing so for the first time in their young lives.”

Coburn United Methodist Church has reached across religions, meeting with a congregation of Messianic Jews to offer a worship space and home for their young faith community. Rabbi Yoshi Wentz is already immersed in the neighborhood, proactively reaching out to anyone who lives there, including gang members. Police credit these and other efforts in helping to lower the crime rate.

Other key measures the churches took include chartering the Chestnut Hill Neighborhood Association, which quickly grew to 72 dues-paying members and a board. They created a Neighborhood Watch, initiated creative partnerships with other nonprofits and applied for foundation grants to support services for lower-income residents.

All of this new energy and activity caught the eye of local officials, who stepped up to find creative ways to address the neighborhood’s problems. City Councilwoman Karen Alexander was one of the first to advocate for the Historic Salisbury Foundation to provide incentives to rehab houses and tear down several that could not be saved. In the past 18 months, several options on homes have been exercised, the homes repaired and sold to a buyer. Alexander also offers pro bono architectural services from her firm to help homebuyers with design details and selection of materials to complete the rehabs.

As progress continues, the ministers and volunteers have come to realize the scope of their revitalization efforts is much more comprehensive than typical church programs. “We never had any intention of being part of the ‘emerging church,’” says the Rev. Williams. “We just came to realize we had to do some things differently if we wanted to survive. The health of our churches is inextricably linked to the health of our neighborhood.”

The Salisbury Chamber of Commerce, foundations, nonprofits and city officials have been sources of tangible support, creating a real surge of momentum for the recovery of Chestnut Hill. St. Paul’s continues to serve as a catalyst for action, and the church’s continuing efforts are making possible the collaborative re-weaving of the threads in the fabric of their community.

Today more so than in years past, many are choosing a faith home based on issues of social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, new expressions of music and other forms of worship, and a general personal and organizational transparency. New and potential members don’t want to be told how to believe, but rather shown ways of living a meaningful life. There is a new emphasis on living into the Gospels in ways the Church has not always exemplified. “We must take the central elements from our faith traditions and bring them to new generations in ways they can relate to,” said the Rev. Harper.

Perhaps what is happening in Chestnut Hill is a model for what the emerging church can be about. Intentional intercongregational cooperation and creative collaboration with nonprofit and governmental agencies is a terrific start and an important component to any solution. But since the root of our social ills cannot be solved by laws or economic incentives alone, something more is needed.

Living into the Gospels can mean listening for the still, small voice to discern how and where to apply our energies and talents. Perhaps if we love our neighbor as ourselves, with genuine care and compassion, then the barriers we allow to separate and divide us will lose their importance as we struggle toward the way of living that God calls us to.

Whatever our background, we can dare to reach across perceived boundaries of social class, ethnicity and economics. In whatever ways we are called, using our caring hearts and willing hands for God’s purposes has the power to truly transform our souls and communities, right where we are.

 

Bruce Elliott is a freelance writer and speaker. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. Contact him at [email protected].