By 2014, Rise Church, formerly Calvin Presbyterian Church, as was the pattern with other mainline churches, had a shrinking membership and a pulpit being filled by an interim pastor. A new direction was needed.
Enter the Reverend Doctor Jim Wallace, his wife, Anne, dog, Mollie, and cat, Fergie. They moved to Tigard from Iowa, bringing his 20+ years of experience as a head pastor and her nursing background with them.
Today, since Jim’s impending retirement just about coincides with Rise’s 60th anniversary celebrations, his perspective on ministry and the changing look of mainline churches is timely.
As for how things have changed over the years, Pastor Wallace doesn’t think the fundamentals have changed –to nurture a community of people, provide pastoral care, prepare opportunities for worship and learning where people can discover their answers to some major life questions:
What is the essence of being human? What are we to do with our lives? How do we live on the earth, relate to its resources and creatures, and respect these gifts?
How do we live with and treat others, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized? What means and practices enable us to connect with the Divine?
What has changed, though, is the context.
Culturally, Wallace says, we have experienced decades of decline in terms of participation in church communities and people who self-identify as Christians. Mainline churches, in particular, have experienced significant declines in membership and participation, while the average age of congregations continues to rise.
There is competition for people’s time in terms of what they do with this precious resource. A prime example is how Wednesday night was church night in most communities. That no longer is “protected” time. Likewise, with Sunday mornings.
Most mainline churches were structured on the attractional model: build beautiful facilities, hire competent staff, create programs, and you will attract people to your door. That “build it and they will come” model no longer works. Churches that survive, or even thrive, have had to take a more missional approach, reaching out into and connecting with the people and needs in their community. Meanwhile, most churches still have physical buildings and a certain amount of staffing and fixed costs that need to be maintained.
Another issue is that they have not done very well at their succession plan – making space, doing those things that attract younger generations and giving them the “keys to the kingdom” so they can take ownership and shape the church. As a result, mainline churches continue to do what worked decades ago as the median or average age rises.
We tend to look back and celebrate history and what has nurtured us, instead of looking forward and doing the uncomfortable and challenging work of preparing for the future.
There is no doubt that the digital revolution has changed how people relate to one another. Jim’s 30-something daughters feel very at home and connected by sharing virtual communities through social media, which the mainline church has been slow to adopt, and, even when it does, struggles to make it effective. For example, he says, “It was just a few years ago that we fully shifted to electronic communication instead of mailing a newsletter.”
He continues, “The blending of rightwing politics and tying Christianity to a particular political party/movement or nation (Christian nationalism), instead of the wider approach that starts with For God so loved the world, has resulted in divisive culture wars, and taken our focus away from welcoming the marginalized and the immigrant; feeding the hungry; healing the sick; seeking justice and peacemaking. One effect has been to brush all congregations with the same negative image – Christians and churches as people who don’t act much like Jesus or follow his core teachings.”
And then there was COVID.
It has been said that, beyond the terrible loss of life, COVID increased and accelerated the trends and trajectories already in place. At least in mainline churches there is almost a clear mark between attendance, participation, and programming before Covid and after Covid. While some things were positive (we all know how to Zoom now) most mainliners have lost membership and have not returned to pre-COVID levels.
So, what are church congregations to do?
Wallace offers as a metaphor, Chappell Roan’s song, “Pink Pony Club,” a catchy pop song that’s full of the liberation of a person finding her worth, finding her community, finding her life, finding freedom, finding joy. Almost equally interesting are the cover versions of that song by others.
“There’s one sung by a beautiful tenor voice, another by an older gentleman on piano. There are cover videos of Pink Pony Club played as chamber music on strings; classically trained voices singing it in a choir. Which is all truly remarkable in that it’s the same song but sung and heard in different ways. And each one is quite beautiful,” he marvels.
It seems to Pastor Jim that’s kind of what the church needs to do in general. Figure out how to take the same song of God’s love and acceptance for humankind, and for one another, and sing it, share it, play it in many different ways that reach people. It is the great challenge that, of course, continues generation after generation.
“We will continue to hinder ourselves, however, by using an outmoded communication strategy and look. Current trends and challenges require 21st century methods and practices,” he says.
Some steps Rise has taken to meet this challenge include rebranding just before COVID hit. The former Calvin Presbyterian Church is now Rise Church.
Through messaging clarity and clear visual identity, a brand communicates not only who we are, but who we aspire to be, in a unified, consistent and compelling way, for the congregation and for the larger community.
Beyond this, branding is crucial for telling our congregation’s story, effective social media, standing out in the community, and marketing, and for motivation, unity, and participation within the church body.
His view is that whole process leading to the rebrand was and is one of the most important efforts the congregation made during his tenure.
“We, of course, didn’t anticipate a worldwide pandemic in the middle of it,” He recalls wistfully.
Another pivot Rise has taken is to open its facility to outside groups, such as Pickle Ball, the regional YMCA and the Tigard Tualatin School District. Two theater groups also call Rise, home – the Northwest Senior Theatre and the Mask & Mirror Community Theatre.
The revenue from these activities has helped maintain the church building.
While many of Rise’s strategic goals have been accomplished, as the congregation moves through a time of transition the ultimate outcome remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Jim and Anne look forward to their July retirement.
