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It’s a Tough Job but Some Saints have got to do it:
Lead the Downtown Churches into the 21st Century, That Is!
By Margaret Pierce

Most ministers must walk more by faith than sight when it comes to finding new disciples in today’s secular society. And only the spiritually seasoned need apply to lead Knoxville’s downtown churches, where congregations are trying to maintain their regional appeal as well as respond to an emerging downtown mission field: an affluent, highly educated and professional crowd.

Ministers from three of Knoxville’s longtime downtown churches recently discussed the ways their churches are meeting the challenge.
“If a group of highly educated professional types are moving downtown, my guess is that all of our downtown churches may see some of those folks if they are in fact interested in working with issues that are peculiar to downtown,” says Dr. Paul Rader, associate pastor of First Presbyterian on State Street.

Those new residents may create a sense of urgency for Rader’s church if a “slight” membership loss spirals downward. And the mega-sized Church Street United Methodist on Henley Street, which church staff now describes as “stable,” may also eventually need to step up downtown outreach efforts.

Years of urban sprawl account for some membership losses as evidenced by the fact that many people have left downtown congregations to attend neighborhood churches. Even First Baptist of Knoxville, which has shown signs of recapturing its former “mega-church” status by rising to 1,700 members this past year, has been affected.

“We kind of had the perfect storm in the late 70s and early 80s. We had declining facilities, a rough transition with pastoral leadership; we had theological challenges…”says Dr. Bill Shiell, senior pastor.

But Shiell says the exodus that was occurring then is over now. “I don’t have someone coming up to me every Sunday and saying, ‘I’m leaving because I have to be somewhere in the burbs.’ But when someone moves to town and they see our advertisements or watch us on television, they have to decide if they want to drive 20 to 30 minutes,” he says.

With the majority of downtown church members still living on the outskirts of town, one must wonder if suburban growth and increased traffic will eventually influence their commitment, particularly on mid-week meeting nights in the height of Knoxville’s traffic.
In response, Rader says active members must possess a particular mindset. “People are here because they choose to worship in a downtown church. They (intentionally) drive by the suburbs in order to come here, and they have to make an extra effort to get here for weekday activities,” says Rader.

While leaders of the mainline denominations think their regional membership base will endure suburban flight, a changing downtown population also compels them to consider new challenges. The Central Business Improvement District (CBID) office reports that the downtown residential population has risen from 1,200 to 1,700 residents in recent years largely because of new condominium and rental developments.

The increase may not seem significant in light of phenomenal growth in West Knoxville and other parts of the county. However, the pending completion of 250 more upscale housing units underscores an emerging population trend that several downtown church staffs are factoring into future plans.

First Baptist of Knoxville, the most evangelical of the three churches, should connect easily with the latest downtown influx because their membership resembles at least two segments of the new resident profile: the Double Income Couples with No Kids (DINKS) and Empty Nesters. And the man for the defining hour might be Shiell, a Generation X member, who seems to possess both the intellect and energy required to lead the distinctive Baptist church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a theologically moderate organization that seeks to promote spiritual freedom and tolerance of different Biblical interpretations.

Shiell has only been the senior pastor for a year and a half but the high-profile minister seems one step ahead of his pastoral peer group when it comes to one-on-one outreach. “We’re networking with the downtown realtors and the neighborhood associations to identify the people who are moving in… to be the first one to say welcome to the neighborhood,” says Shiell.

The assertive strategy that Shiell describes should come as no surprise with a Southern Baptist church. However, Shiell says their evangelistic approach contradicts the Baptist stereotype. “What we’re about is relationships and transformational life change. For some people moving into downtown, that’s going to mean a long-term commitment to them …” he explains.
And, you don’t have to live downtown to be within First Baptist’s sphere of influence. Members are already cultivating relationships with a diverse group of downtown workers because of a new “seven-day-a-week” outreach emphasis. “We have definitely stepped it up a notch to find creative ways to get people into the building,” says Shiell.

For instance, Shiell teaches a Wednesday Bible study that draws over 150 downtown professionals, many of whom are boomers, during the business lunch hour. The church also offers an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class during the week. Church members tutor children of the foreign students while their parents attend the language class. Some of the Hispanic students enrolled in the classes also work in the downtown hospitality industry, another future target audience. First Baptist plans to host receptions for downtown hotel employees, many of whom are hourly wage earners.

While Shiell seems grateful for the new pool of prospects that downtown revitalization efforts are creating, he’s also convinced that a “service” experience is what will ultimately draw visitors from anywhere in the region. “If someone is already serving, they have immediate ownership in the place… They come, they’re involved and their lives are changing,” explains Shiell. “We change better when we serve instead of sitting around talking about it,” he adds.

Joining the church is then just a natural progression for the active visitor, according to Shiell. He thinks Kids Hope U.S.A., a school-based mentoring program, is the type of project that might interest a visitor-seeker. This volunteer activity exposes participants to a different side of downtown by bringing them face-to-face with at-risk children at South Elementary School.
Once a week, Shiell and other church members interact with children who live in poverty and sometimes severely dysfunctional home situations. “Educators have documented that a mentor’s relationship with a kid prevents them from falling through the cracks and keeps them off crime and drugs,” explains Shiell. Shiell, who makes a point to practice what he preaches, says he keeps that weekly commitment because he needs to. “I learn a lot from people who are not Christians. I have built some relationships with people who have helped to shape my messages,” he says.

Church Street United Methodist Also Delivers Kinder and Gentler ApproachDr. Jan Buxton-Wade, associate pastor of Church Street United Methodist, echoes Shiell’s zeal for social-oriented missions by quoting Methodist founder John Wesley who said, “the world is my parish.” Buxton-Wade cites a new partnership with the Lennon-Senney United Methodist Church, an East Knoxville congregation, to illustrate her members’ desire to share God’s love with the world. Described as an “act of reconciliation” on the church’s website, the volunteer project involves helping elderly members of the African-American congregation with home repairs and remodeling through a partnership with the Knoxville Leadership Foundation, a network of faith-based organizations.

And Dr. Bill Fowler, senior pastor, explains the ultimate purpose of the project. “Very few of us have persons of another ethnic group or another race as our friends, and that’s just kind of how it falls out. Well, reconciling means that you are opening one’s self up to things that separate.”
That same reconciliation principle applies to their relationship with the Muslim community, according to Fowler. For instance, several members periodically converse with members of an Islamic mosque in the Fort Sanders area. After the Danish press published the controversial cartoon that portrayed Muhammad as a violent prophet, Fowler says they invited the local group to talk about the reaction of the Muslim community. “Our friends of the other faith were very candid with us, and we really could understand what is going on in the minds and hearts of the Islamic people,” says Fowler.

Hallmarks such as reconciliation and social action are being celebrated this year as Church Street observes its 75th anniversary on Henley Street and contemplates the historical church’s future. Although the congregation will eventually “intensify” visitation to the new downtown residents, Fowler says prayer is their primary outreach strategy. “We don’t do a lot of high pressure, twisting of arms in order to get people to join. We want the Holy Spirit to do that,” he says.

As far as programming changes that might occur to offset membership loss or recruit new members, Fowler suggests that it will be church as usual. For instance, the formal worship service will remain a cornerstone of their identity inside the old-world, gothic style architecture—even though thousands now flock to churches where contemporary is the main style of worship.

Buxton-Wade, associate pastor, says formal worship such as congregational readings, candle lighting and classic hymns still fills a particular churchgoer niche. “You have to be authentic. We know who we are at Church Street, and we know what we do best and that’s what we try to stick to,” says Buxton-Wade.

Neither Fowler nor Buxton-Wade is alarmed about the fact that their numbers are not rising, choosing to trust God instead. “For some reason, God draws people to the place of worship where they need to be,” explains Buxton-Wade. Despite that seemingly unshakable confidence and the decision of several downtown churches to stick with traditional forms of worship, Church Street and First Baptist of Knoxville do offer contemporary worship alternatives, too.
Buxton-Wade thinks the biggest obstacle facing Church Street United Methodist, which has over 2000 members, is not the emergence of the suburban mega-church or its modern worship style but rather the high mobility rate.

“Someone will come into Knoxville with a new job and then get a promotion,” says Buxton-Wade. “You’re invested in them emotionally and you depend on them as part of the congregation, and then they move to Charlottesville, Atlanta or somewhere else, and it’s very sad,” she adds.

But there’s a positive side to a mobile society, too. Job transfers bring many new families to the high-profile church. Buxton-Wade credits their well-trained ministers of youth and children as well as an exceptional music education program for attracting those families.
With a significant number of young families on their roll, Church Street stands out among other downtown churches, who have lost local multi-generation memberships over the years and have not been as successful at recruiting new Knoxville families.

First Presbyterian Claims “Jehovah Jireh” for the Future Tucked away in a more remote part of Knoxville’s downtown street maze, a much smaller and older congregation “goes several extra miles” to attend First Presbyterian. The congregation shares the same view of Christian service as their counterparts, according to Rader, First Presbyterian’s associate pastor. (Dr. Harris Schultz is interim pastor.)

And the church’s location doesn’t hinder them from pursuing such socially oriented endeavors as the Community School of the Arts. The project, which provides instruction in everything from painting to voice and musical instruments, fosters the creativity of about 200 students from low-income families.

Rader thinks another integral part of First Presbyterian, which interests his highly educated congregation and perhaps the scholarly segment of the new downtown demographic group, is their rich history. Images of turnips on needlepoint seat cushions and the organ in the chapel literally commemorate the church’s roots. Written accounts tell how James White, Knoxville’s founding father, who was also a Presbyterian elder, reserved a turnip patch for the original First Presbyterian church “plant,” which was built in 1792.

The importance of the facts surrounding the church’s evolution hit home in 1992 when the congregation discovered that generational stories were their only proof of ownership. The church quickly pursued deeds. However, it wasn’t the first time that the congregation became proactive about their possessions.

Both Union and Confederate forces occupied the church at different times during the Civil War. A lengthy struggle followed before the church property was returned to the congregation—or “violent rebels” as they were called by a military commander.
A group of ladies celebrated the church’s victory by painting Jehovah Jireh above the chapel pulpit, which translates as “the Lord would provide.” A new inscription of the words, Jehovah Jireh still hovers over the Presbyterian pulpit to inspire members as they struggle with 21st century challenges.

While Rader admits that suburban growth has hurt membership through the years, he thinks his close-knit congregation will remain loyal because of their heritage and the unique theological niche that they fill as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Despite Rader’s firm resolve, a congregational self-study is underway to determine the church’s future plans and, perhaps, how to minister to the new downtown prospects. At this point, Rader would just like to meet them. “I’ve gone around to most of the buildings that have condo units and you can’t get in… They have buzzers and locked doors,” he explains.

If and when Rader does find the new residents, he says his congregation will use spiritual discernment to determine their next step rather than a more common “programming change” strategy: “Let’s just build a church that looks like Wal-Mart…let’s have the simplest of hymns…and in three years, when trends change, let’s change everything again…” Rader explains.

The Tie that Binds
In the struggle to maintain a productive presence in downtown Knoxville, all of the church leaders seem to agree that a strong ecumenical relationship gives them an edge over other churches who operate independently.

The ecumenical bond is most visible at interdenominational services, which are held throughout the year. The close union is also manifested through the activities of the Knoxville Inner City Churches United for People, (KICCUP). In addition to the three churches featured in this story, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. John’s Cathedral and other mainline denominations in the downtown are members of KICCUP.

Through combined efforts, Buxton-Wade says churches can learn from one another’s strengths and, more importantly, dispel the doubts of many unbelievers who ask: “Why should I become a church member when you all argue all the time. If you can’t agree on anything, why do I want to be a part of that?”