Reversing a Trend: A Suburban Church Moves to the City by L. Mark Reiff Contrary to the trend of churches taking flight to the suburbs, the Great Commission Church, formerly of suburban Rosyln, Pa moves to North Philadelphia The January 2009 issue of Christianity Today reported that African American congregations are increasingly embracing a “black flight” from urban areas as more and more African Americans reach middle-class socioeconomic status. The report said that this only increases the disillusionment with God’s people among those living in urban areas. Standing counter to this trend is the Great Commission Church (GCC). Founded a decade ago in Roslyn, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, this congregation decided to move to a Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood that deals with more than its fair share of crime, drugs, and unemployment. GCC Pastor Larry Anderson, who oversaw the move, marvels at the work God is doing in and through GCC. And while many ministers might reflect similarly on their churches, Anderson and GCC have a rather unique testimony. The core plant group consisted of three leaders, each from a different ethnic background, and their goal was to create a diverse, non-traditional evangelical congregation, although the church eventually came to be composed mostly of middle-class African Americans-- a model of the very trend Christianity Today recently announced. The story of GCC’s unusual move goes back to 2002, when Larry Anderson and his family moved to Roslyn and began searching for a new church home. They visited GCC and found it was a good fit for them, but God had more than membership in mind for Anderson. A year later the church’s lead pastor expressed his desire to step into a support role, and Anderson, who at the time was doing urban training and pursuing his MDiv at Biblical Theological Seminary, was asked to consider the position.
GCC organized a Free car wash in the West oak Lane Community By the end of that year, through continued study and training as well as close mentorship by the leadership team, Anderson was confident enough to fill the lead pastoral role. “I never applied for the position,” recalls Anderson. “God prepared the entire situation, and I just followed his leading.” Since its inception, GCC rented meeting space in various church buildings within the suburban community. But Pastor Anderson’s understanding of the biblical partnership between evangelism and social action prompted in him a growing personal discomfort with the congregation’s vision for suburban ministry. His concerns were vividly confirmed when, during a Thanksgiving event where GCC planned to give turkeys to needy families in the area, nobody in the congregation knew of anyone in need. His discomfort intensified as Philadelphia’s 2007 mayoral election cycle commenced and he heard stories of the city’s rampant murder rates, many of which were occurring in his native North Philadelphia. Anderson wasn’t the only one in the congregation with urban roots. In fact, much of GCC had close ties to those urban areas that were in the most turmoil. Anderson began to seek God’s will for the church, and he invited the congregation to join him in an intensive study of Nehemiah. Continued on page 2