"When I was growing up I imagined living in a country
parsonage, married to a pastor of course, with a big dog and a side porch. It's
taken a long time, but we have a dog and a porch. We're nowhere near a country
parsonage."
Julius and Peggy Belser just celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary-more than thirty of those years living in a Reba Place
Fellowship extended household called The Clearing at 722 Monroe in Evanston.
How did Peggy arrive at this vocation for community, hospitality and
faithfulness?
"My parents both gave themselves to a country church
till I was fourteen. Then we began to attend the Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Church of the Brethren so that I could be in a youth group. My father had a
furniture store in town. My mom did his bookkeeping and kept house. We had lots
of company-visiting ministers, foreign students, and friends. I treasured
riding my pony with my dad on Sunday afternoons. I had to learn to drive a car
so I could go to school activities. I was more excited to get a driver's
license than to graduate from high school. I was the oldest; my sister, Helen,
was four years younger and my brother, Harold, was twelve years younger.
Just after World War II, following my sophomore year at
Elizabethtown College, I spent a year in Brethren Voluntary Service in a peace
caravan. This was very formative for my convictions. Our team went to local
congregations, leading a week of programs and discussions with the youth and
other groups about the church's peace witness.
I don't remember a time when Julius and I didn't know
each other, since we were in the same church and schools. We dated four years.
I taught a year after college, and then we got married. I liked Julius' wild
ideas. He was creative and full of energy-he still is. It was important to me
that he was a serious Christian.
After Julius graduated from college we came to Bethany
seminary in Chicago. I tried to teach school, but failed at it. So I went to
seminary, too, and eventually finished. During that time our son, Nevin, was an infant.
After seminary we followed the example of the West Side
Christian Parish and launched a storefront church called Church of Hope beneath
our apartment on Peoria Street. Volunteers came to join us-Albert Steiner,
David Gale, Conrad Wetzel, Hilda Carper, Allan Howe and Jeanne Casner-people
who have been in community with us for many years since. We were trying to
build a colony of Christians, black and white, living together in honesty and
love. Except for our family and the volunteers, the neighborhood and our church
was all black. Nevin went to the public school along with his friends. I kept
house and welcomed a fair number of people who came and went. My friends from
before didn't come to see me on Peoria Street!
I remember one Christmas when Julius got a donkey and
some sheep from Elgin to make a Christmas parade. We set up a manger with the
animals in the vacant lot next door. Hilda Carper had recorded the Christmas
songs of her children's choir, and these songs were played at the manger. The
children were so excited they would bring their mothers to see the animals and
hear themselves sing.
Eventually we burned out. Julius was often sick. In
1964 he and I both had hepatitis. We came to Reba to recuperate while John and
Joanna Lehman took our place. A year later the volunteers from Church of Hope
came to Reba because Peoria street was bulldozed to make space for the
University of Illinois at Chicago campus. At that time Nevin was in the fifth
grade, Nina in second grade, and Anne was in kindergarten. We were sad that
none of the African-American members of the church moved with us, but I can see
why.
In 1972 we began the household at the Clearing. For a
time, just about everyone at Reba lived in big households. I wasn't too pleased
with the charismatic renewal that hit Reba at that time. But I figured, if the
gifts of the Spirit are real, we're sure going to test them in household
living. Minna Regier, Neta Jackson, Julius and I began to organize hospitality
for all the guests that were coming in those days. Lots of people just showed
up at the door. I've been Fellowship guest coordinator ever since. I enjoy
guests, especially grandchildren and international visitors. I didn't get to
travel much, but it's been good to have so many people from so many places come
to stay with us.
About twenty-five years ago we tried to count up those
who have lived with us for more than three months and it was over a hundred. We
don't have a historian. Who knows how many we've lived with by now! I especially
remember Eliseo, a refugee from El Salvador who lived with us a year and could
make the best meals out of ordinary stuff. Then his family came and now they
live down the street. I enjoy hosting Wendell and Jane Sprague who come once a
year so Wendell can be everyone's dentist and Jane can go to the operas in
Chicago.
How do we do it? I still enjoy shopping, which
is fortunate, because I do a lot of it. Hilda Carper has been with us most of
these last forty years. She organizes schedules, creates work lists, and makes
things beautiful with music and flowers. Julius keeps getting new ideas and
organizes how we will do them. Others like Bob, Char, and Denise have made it a
very durable team. I see lots of advantages in living this way. I think the Lord
has been good to us, and the people who have stayed with us for the long haul
have made it possible. This is God's grace because community and household are
very fragile, yet we're all together. Spiritually we make a home for one
another."
