On Easter Sunday 2021, Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the oldest continually meeting congregation in Dallas, Texas, (est. 1863) held its final service of worship. A week later, the congregation held its final public gathering: an outdoor legacy lunch – an opportunity for current and past members, community partners, ministers, and others to celebrate the ministry and mission of the congregation, and to bless it’s transition into a new stage of life.
Getting Started
My experience with Central Christian Church began more than twenty years ago when I served as the congregation’s Associate Pastor. Notably, this was the first congregation I served after graduating from seminary. My focus was on congregational redevelopment with an emphasis on younger generations. During my tenure, I expanded the adult discipleship ministry, launched an alternative worship service, and learned a great deal about congregational ministry.
Learning and Growing
On day one, I wrongly assumed I knew enough to get started. After all, I came to the role “well prepared” having earned an undergraduate degree in ministry and with a Master of Divinity degree. Additionally, I’d served a Presbyterian Church as a seminarian with wide ranging opportunities to learn about and become involved in every aspect of congregation ministry.
Thankfully, Central Christian Church had a rich tradition of helping young ministers continue to learn and grow. I’ll always remember the amount of time the Senior Pastor, Rev. Norm Stolpe, invested in me as well as the many opportunities he provided for me to get involved in the life of the congregation well beyond the scope of my position. Additionally, I received incredible, wide-ranging, and enthusiastic support from the lay leadership. Forward thinking leaders including Jim Archer, B. J. Austin, Roland Bandy, Ed DeLatte, Ebby Halliday, Jayne Hawley, Kathleen Morrison, Pat O’Brien, Carolyn Shinn, Gayle Strange, Frank Whittington, and Tyson Woods, believed in me enough to let me to lead innovation in ways that were far more radical than I realized at the time.
So What?
Central Christian Church has concluded it’s life as a worshipping congregation. In the near term future the congregation will sell its property to Central Commons or, if that entity is unable to raise the required funds, to the Town of Highland Park. The proceeds from the sale will be used to endow a foundation that will continue to do good in and beyond the Park Cities community.
As I reflect on my own ministry, I give thanks for my time in this congregation and for their impact on me as a person and as a pastor. These experiences helped me take significant steps forward, and also allowed me to learn what else I needed to know to be able to effectively minister in the ways I believed God was leading me. Now, all these years later, I’ve completed two more degrees (Doctor of Ministry and Master of Business Administration) and a fellowship in social enterprise, served seven additional congregations and an ecumenical mission center, and invested in future generations of church leaders as a coach, consultant, and adjunct professor. And, I recognize the foundational role Central Christian Church played in helping me become who I am today.
Well done, Central Christian Church. Well done in loving God by serving God’s people for over 150 years. And, well done by discerning and living in to a future that ensures Central continues to be a blessing for many years to come.