West Port Experiment

When I came to Rhode Island almost fourteen years ago, I inherited a small congregation, mostly of first generation Reformed folk. Because the core of them had become Reformed in the late 70s and early 80s, and because of the sound, faithful teaching of their minister, the congregation was solid and well-established. When I arrived, I was eager to evangelize and had been swayed by Thomas Chalmers’ (1780-1847) to attempt outreach on the parish principle. But there really was no residential neighborhood to speak of near the church building, and all of our folks traveled at least 15 or more minutes from various points of the state. While it certainly has accommodated our members, it has put me at some disadvantage to implement my parish vision. But there is no paradise this side of glory, so I do not complain. My attitude has been to work with what I’ve been given and trust the Lord to bless in His way and His time.

I began with a district in walking distance of my residence in Cranston, Rhode Island and approximately a 15-20 minute drive north of the church. When we moved to a different rental, I began working in that area. There, I had some greater success in making decent contacts. One lady came to church for a short time; and we rented a hall right in the neighborhood a few times with some small success.

Eventually, we purchased a house in Warwick, also about 15-20 minutes north of the church. From that time, I adopted the several houses on our street as a kind of miniature, personal parish. We have endeavored to show kindness to neighbors, have shared the Gospel with them and invited them to church, and we’ve had very encouraging responses from our next-door neighbors to the south. They are upwardly mobile Latino transplants from Providence. The family has come to church and outreach meetings numerous times, and I am presently reading through the Gospel of Luke with the father. They are unsaved, but very open.

I also engaged in a more conventional door-to-door effort in my broader neighborhood, which consists mostly of white, working class people, though there are trickles of Hispanics coming in. For a time, I left this work off for reasons that I will soon explain. But as I am now laboring once again in this area, I have definitely had some encouragements. I’ve met an amusing Irishman who seemed like he could have seen some bar fights in his time. There have been a decent number of nominal Roman Catholics, with a sprinkling of devout ones. I’ve spoken with skeptics, atheists, and a few evangelicals who have wandered from the church. Most recently, I met with the ‘Santiago’ family (not real name). When I first came by, the fellow who answered the door had little English, but indicated that he was sick. I told him I would pray for him. Some time later, I came by with my 17 year old son, Gabriel, and they invited us in. Mrs. Santiago was especially happy to meet us, as her husband, ‘Pedro’ has been really struggling with poor health. We visited, then read Psalm 130 and prayed with them. Mrs. Santiago inquired about the church and expressed interest in coming. Many in this neighborhood of Warwick know of the Grange Hall, which is where we meet in East Greenwich, which certainly makes inviting that much easier.

Not long after we moved to Warwick, I decided to experiment with some door-to-door in South Providence, a short drive from my house. I had long been drawn to ‘the other’ and had even explored the possibility of becoming a foreign missionary. I also had learned Spanish and thought that with some practice, I could reach out to Hispanics in the area. I had known from past experience that the more well-to-do a sinner was, the harder it was to break through; while those in humbler circumstances or ‘down on their luck,’ if you will, are much more receptive. Well, I certainly was not disappointed. The number of meaningful conversations markedly increased. And repeatedly, I was actually invited inside. This was especially the case with the Hispanics and African immigrants and refugees. I’m inclined to think that they reflect cultures that have continued to retain more respect for the clergy.

What did prove a challenge was inviting folks to church. Some who wished to come did not have vehicles, so we made arrangements to transport them. In one case, for about six or more months, we had the happy problem of having to transport an African family of nine to church. We are still having to pick folks up, including one young Liberian woman who joined the church early last year. A related barrier is a cultural one. While it takes around the same amount of time to drive from my S. Providence parish to church as it does from my home in Warwick, folks in S. Providence often just don’t travel that direction and are much less familiar with it overall. The center of gravity for S. Providence is Providence. It hasn’t stopped some from coming, but it is something of an invisible barrier.

Finally, there is the language barrier. Our services are only in English, and we do not have the means right now of live, dynamic translation. We have encountered some southeast Asian folks who cannot speak English, and some of the African refugees come from Francophone nations. But by far the biggest challenge has been ministering to the Spanish speakers. Ironically, these have usually been the most open – and the most hospitable. Because I can manage in imperfect Spanish, I have an open door to many households. We have talked, read Scriptures in Spanish, and prayed. I have occasionally brought my family, and I have tried to minister and translate at the same time. Thankfully, love translates itself, and we’ve muddled through where communication has proved tricky. We have experimented at having special meetings in Spanish near and within the area, and I’m not unhopeful that some of these efforts will pay off in time.

It might also be worth mentioning that I’ve greatly benefited from my own ‘Rom. 16 list’ of helpers. My local elder, Vince, has come along with me and together with his wife has helped minister to folks in the area, especially those with practical life needs. We had a brother in graduate school who also had a heart for advancing the Gospel and a soft spot for African refugees in the city. He came along with me many times, helped with follow-ups, with church transportation needs, and diaconal issues. Regrettably, he moved elsewhere for his education and is sorely missed. I also have another brother in the church, Brad, who is bilingual, and who in fact married a Hispanic woman. He also has a heart for the Gospel and is not afraid to deal with those ‘on the south side of the tracks.’ He comes with me once per month in my outreach and has been helpful to follow up on warm contacts that we’ve visited together.

About three years ago, I returned to work on a more limited scale near our home in Warwick. While I had continued to reach out to our immediate neighbors, the encouragements and efforts in South Providence drew me away from my extended neighborhood. But then I sensed a renewed call to ‘my own,’ and decided that I’d work a scaled-back district in my neighborhood with a scaled-back version of my S. Providence parish.

So this is where things are at. I have two smaller ‘parishes’ – one in South Providence and one in Warwick, consisting of approximately 4-6 city blocks each. From spring to fall, I go door-to-door in circuit, alternating between the two parishes. I usually block off two hours per week. When I go, I introduce myself, ask a diagnostic or two, share a text of Scripture and say a bit about it, and hand some literature. And of course, I invite them to church. If I sense that there is an openness to visit more, I’ll ask them more diagnostic questions and go from there. I make a few quick notes afterwards, especially catching their name and their house number. When back at home, I add it to a personal record so that I can remember things for next year’s visit and pray for people by name. Once it gets too cold for folks to hold the door open and visit on the front step, say about mid-November, I call it quits for the year. During the winter months, I devote this 2 hour block of time to following up warm contacts whom I would anticipate inviting me inside.

I have had very limited success in terms of conversions. But if success may be measured also in terms of those attending church for lesser or greater lengths of time, I’ve seen a good amount of it. New England is notorious for being spiritually ‘rocky,’ just like its soil. No amount of effort can raise the dead without the Spirit of God, which is why when all is said and done, we must fall to our knees and beg for rain!

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