Missionary Homes
The early years of the Church of God Reformation Movement was a time of excitement and innovation. The predominately young messengers were enthusiastic to see the cause flourish by almost any means. In keeping with their suspicion of mainstream Christian structures, it was an easy step to try some things outside of the box. (Floating Bethel, anyone?)
For me, one of the most fascinating aspects of our early history was the formation of “missionary homes,” ministry outposts that were established in a number of cities across the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. I have seen estimates claiming about fifty of these in existence over the years, in such diverse places as Minneapolis, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Essen, Germany. Typically, they were relatively large houses inhabited by a handful of devoted Church of God adherents who lived and worked together for the purpose of spreading the message of Jesus and our emphases on holiness and unity. Using a contemporary term, they were functioning as a “missional community.”
We have some historical records of these missionary homes, largely because of the reporting that was published in The Gospel Trumpet, where they were often listed and highlighted. Nevertheless, there is also a lot we do not know about these endeavors. I am not aware of any extensive, formal research into this aspect of our story, but it would be a fascinating study for someone willing to do the work. (If there is such writing out there, I would love to know about it!)
From what I have been able to gather, the first known missionary home was established in Chicago, in 1898. This particular ministry was intended to reach out to German and Scandinavian migrants arriving in the area. Not only is this significant because of the deliberate outreach strategy employed to reach a target group, it is also noteworthy that this was taking place in a large (i.e. for the time) American city. The Midwest origins of the Reformation movement was largely finding expression in rural and small town settings. Reaching the urban centers was a cultural stretch, and required some fresh thinking.
The idea for these urban ministries did not suddenly appear in a vacuum. It is obvious that the early missionaries were inspired by the commune-type family structure that propelled the Gospel Trumpet Company in its early years. In 1885 Warner had established the first “Trumpet Family” in Williamston, Michigan. Dedicated workers lived and worked together, which reduced overhead and avoided the need for salaries. Soon, missionary homes were popping up in various cities, following the same basic pattern.
While each location had its own unique story, one that has captured my attention is the missionary home set up in Edmonton, Alberta (my own hometown) in 1906. A black minister, William H. Smith, moved to this rapidly expanding, frontier city from Denver with the intent of establishing a center for Church of God ministry in western Canada. This is a vivid example of the bold extent to which early movement leaders were enterprising in their gospel work.
Sadly, the missionary home effort was not long-lasting. Each location had its own unique circumstances, but there is evidence that financial constraints and growing debt were major factors leading to their demise. In their enthusiasm, many leaders over-extended themselves and their support networks. Purchasing and maintaining a large house was much more expensive than they realized.
By the time World War I broke out, the era of rapid expansion was closing. It is also likely that, despite the devoted passion of the founders and leaders of these missionary homes, the Church of God message was not taking hold in urban areas as it had in the rural Midwest. Nevertheless, we should not underestimate the significance of this movement within our larger movement. Merle Strege reflects that “these homes played a key role in the transition from little or no local organization to settled congregations.” The Church of God began as a “flying ministry,” with little regard for establishing permanent churches. As these young reformers were themselves growing older, maturing, and raising families, the practical nature of ongoing congregational life became more appealing, even if it was the way of the denominational churches around them. Eventually, the missionary homes did not endure. In their place, however, were left several thriving local churches, and in at least one case, a Bible institute, in Spokane, Washington, that today has become Warner Pacific University.
So, is this merely an interesting historical tidbit of our heritage? No, I believe there are also tremendous lessons to be learned from the missionary homes that could help us today. I will explore that in my next post.