By Rob Bryceson, Lead Pastor, Gathering House
Two years ago, The Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge Massachusetts set out to do a national study on civic discourse and political engagement done well and wisely in America. Academy leaders fanned out across The United States to hold focus groups for informative discussions, to collect data, and to search out innovative places to champion.
The Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent research center which convenes leaders from across disciplines, professions, and perspectives to address significant challenges. It was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1780, during the American Revolution, by John Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholar-patriots who understood that a new republic would require institutions able to gather knowledge and advance learning in service to the public good. For 240 years the institution has flourished as a significant source for discovery, thought, and ideas in American society.
Of the hundreds of people and organizations they spoke with across America, eight were invited to come and give five-minute inspirational spark talks at the Democratic Citizenship Convening held on Feb 7th. The spark talks were given between the keynote panel discussion sessions as they prepared to release the study. Rob Bryceson, pastor of The Gathering House, a Covenant Church in Spokane, WA. was invited as one of the eight.
The Gathering House is a former First Covenant Church that set out six years ago to create a new style of ministry impacting their city. They created a separate non-profit charity called Street Wise and opened a job training coffee shop and café that specialized in hiring people coming out of addiction, homelessness, or incarceration. The goal was to use the church space to give opportunity and assistance for marginalized people while at the same time to keep the doors open wide to the community around them. Because of the nature of their coffee shop and the location and focus of their ministry, The Gathering House continued to grow in reputation and influence in the City of Spokane.
In his talk at the Academy, Pastor Bryceson spoke of how the church wanted to build something more community related that allowed use of the building seven days a week but also allowed them to hold church services on Sundays. They simply had no idea what a significant impact they would have on the city of Spokane as a location for discussion, dialogue, and exchanging of ideas.
Bryceson mention how the space became a hub for community development and social action. The Spokane Homeless Coalition moved their meetings to The Gathering House. So did the local Business Development District. The North Hill Neighborhood council, part of the city’s governmental structure moved their monthly meetings to the church. The mayor booked the church for an educational symposium with top business leaders encouraging them to hire former felons. The city council president held workshops to discuss serious social problems. Several other city council members, and state representatives, used the church location and cafe to hold informational meetings with their constituency. He mentioned that when the current, newly elected mayor, launched her campaign by gathering 100 of the top women business and community leaders – the event was held in the café.
A group of felons known as “I did the time” met weekly in the coffee shop for support and became friends with Pastor Rob and his wife Tonia who ran the Street Wise Café. When one of these felons was elected President of the NAACP, they began to hold meetings at the church. The Racial Justice Equity Council moved their monthly meetings to The Gathering House and when a meeting was convened with the county sheriff to discuss the impact of a new jail on the racial minority population of the county – that meeting was held at the church.
The Gathering House is not a huge church. They are a simple church of about 100. But they find themselves significantly impacting their society for causes that benefit the entire community. The reputation of the church is such that civic leaders want to participate with them in holding meetings and raising up the community at large.
Leaders at the Academy pondered how the church and café could host such diverse groups and still get along well with everyone. “We built a reputation with the city and with numerous other agencies in Spokane that gave us credibility.” Pastor Rob informed them. “We didn’t begin with the powerful or elite. We began by working with the homeless street people who surrounded our old downtown church location. We loved the lowest rung of American society and that lifted us up to the highest levels of civic influence.”
See Rob’s full presentation below