Peaks and Valleys (1991-2004): The Vision for
Evangelism and Racial Reconciliation
In 1991 John Bedford, a charismatic Baptist leader from
England, visited Reba and among other things lifted up Isaiah 54 as God's
prophetic word for Reba: Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains
of your habitations be stretched out; hold not back, lengthen your cords and
strengthen your stakes. This word was received and over time became a shaping
vision for what God wanted to do in reshaping Reba to become a center of
evangelistic outreach.
At a cluster retreat in 1991 Anne Stewart and Julius Belser
expressed their deep conviction that God wanted Reba Place Church to reflect in
its life the mix of African-Americans and European-Americans in the neighborhood.
The cluster, then the church leaders, then the congregation as a whole
responded to this call, eventually hiring an experienced African-American
pastor to take leadership. Developing common perspectives among blacks and
whites proved to be far more challenging than anyone realized.
By 1997 what was most clear was that Reba had embarked on a
course which involved profound changes and an uncertain outcome. The changes were
coming in response to two major developments: the accumulation of some unresolved
stresses from internal developments over the years, and the sweeping
consequences of the commitment to become an evangelistic and an anti-racist
congregation.
All of this led to the need for the widespread review
undertaken by the Transitional Leadership Council in 1997. The TLC process was
an explicit attempt to address some of those needed changes in the church's
life and to invent a new congregational structure that would facilitate them.
But the underlying dynamics proved to be much stronger than the process created
to manage them. TLC proved to be cumbersome and unable to cope with the
continuing stresses upon the congregation's life and ministry. By 1998 the
process had reached an impasse.
In 1999 RPC decided to begin another attempt at reorganization
and renewal. A Church Council of seven RPC members was elected and was given a
mandate to write a new set of by-laws and appoint new pastoral leadership. In
subsequent years the issues of leadership and mission continued to be a
challenge. With the retirement of Virgil Vogt in 2002 and the appointment of
Ric Hudgens as new Lead Pastor, Reba Place Church entered a new chapter in the
ongoing process of embracing of a strong heritage even while hungering and
thirsting for God's new day.
Reba Place Fellowship also went through extensive changes from
1997 to 2004. Two separate "clusters" were re-united after functioning quite
separately since the 1980 launching of Reba Place Church. Greg Clark, professor
of philosophy at North Park University, was selected as spiritual leader of the
Fellowship. Cana Household formed in the large house at 727 Reba where the
Fellowship had had its origins. Patterns of weekly and monthly life were
established (Monday evening potlucks and seminars, monthly all-member meetings
and potlucks). An intern program was initiated under the leadership of David
Janzen and plans were underway for a partnership with The Ekklesia Project to
establish a new Ekklesia House for area seminary students. In 2003 Allan Howe
was selected to serve as leader of RPF. The Fellowship business office was
relocated from 735 Monroe to 737 Reba Place. The Fellowship and the Church
developed separate leadership circles and organizational patterns, even while
maintaining very close and mutually supportive ties.
