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2008-09-16 issue:

New garden symbolizes peace for church

Peace Mennonite Church in Kansas puts down roots with new building.

by Laurie Oswald Robinson

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In approaching Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, Kan., one sees members tending flower beds in front of their recently purchased building—a former Odd Fellows Lodge nestled into just under an acre of quiet green space.
















From left, Jim and Patrice Krause welcome visitors to Peace Mennonite Church, Lawrence, Kan., along with Aly Beery (crouching) and C.J. Friesen. Photo by Laurie Oswald Robinson.

This growing garden—naturally orderly but not rigidly tidy—symbolizes the congregation’s newfound sense of peaceful solidarity. In transitioning from renting space on the University of Kansas campus to owning a building across town in a working-class neighborhood, it seems the 60-member congregation has found a deeply rooted “center.”

For years Peace Mennonite, begun as a house fellowship in the 1970s, grappled with whether it should buy property or continue to rent space. This indecision, as well as other theological debates, sometimes paralyzed the congregation.

But this juncture in its 30-year journey has helped the congregation develop a more mature sense of itself as an avenue for God’s purposes—as well as a surprising and newfound unity, members say. When they made the decision to purchase the building, they had consensus—all within the matter of four to five weeks.

“The building itself hasn’t brought this new growth, but it has allayed some pent-up anxiety over physical plant issues,” says Joanna Harader, pastor. “We’re not spending half the energy on keeping up this building as we did in worrying about whether we should ever have one.
Now that we’ve put down some roots, it feels more like a real church. … In many ways, this building has drawn people together.”

The opportunity to buy this peaceful—and affordable—green space where they could grow their justice-making dreams was elusive for a long time. Members had looked at various buildings, many priced in the off-limits $200,000 to $400,000 range. But then a couple from the church—Roger Martin and Barbara Yoder—who own a rental house adjacent to the lodge heard the Odd Fellows wanted to sell it in the spring of 2007.

One thing led to another, and Peace Mennonite bought the lodge for the asking price of $120,000.

The congregation financed the lodge purchase in summer 2007 with support from Church Extension Services.—Laurie Oswald Robinson

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