These are noisy days in our old Embree neighborhood in Garland. We live approximately 250 feet from First Baptist Garland, which is in the early stages of a project that in 16 months will conclude with the opening of an impressive new sanctuary.
As neighbors to First Baptist and lifelong churchgoers ourselves, we are intrigued by the project and very interested in its success. The church has been a good neighbor to us and we’ve tried to be the same. We’ve attended some programs there, used their activity center for exercise, and they’ve let us use their parking lot for gatherings at our house, including Wilshire events.
Right now, they are in the demolition phase of the project, and it’s not pretty. There’s nothing gentle about large machines cutting through brick, steel, concrete and wood. I can’t imagine the emotions some church members are going through. The project has been well-studied and planned by the church’s membership over many years, and yet I know it comes with mixed emotions of excitement, sadness, fear and hope. We have neighbors and friends who grew up at that church and not only discovered their faith but celebrated important life transitions there: baptisms, weddings, funerals and such. Wilshire’s own Kay Moore grew up in that church and she and Louis were married there. And now the physical place where that happened is going away, and they won’t be able to visit that space again.
My only connection to that type of change is with the church I grew up in, First Baptist Richardson, which moved to a new location in 1986 after I left home. The building I knew is still standing and occupied by another church. Some years back LeAnn arranged for me to visit it on a week day. I was able to stand in the sanctuary where I was baptized and walk some of the halls where I attended Sunday School, but it didn’t feel the same. And when I attend a program at the new location – which has been there 40 years now – it’s not familiar to me either.
The church my mother grew up in, First Baptist Orange, was badly damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008. They sold the property they had occupied since 1914 and moved to a new home on the edge of town in 2013. The beautiful domed sanctuary in the heart of Orange is the only piece still standing, and it has been renovated and repurposed by Lamar State College as a Student Success Center. My father’s home church in Sherman has made some additions and renovations in recent years but it has maintained its historic location since around 1915. The last time we visited there with Dad, it was still familiar to him.
A few Sundays ago, we went to Gaston Oaks Baptist Church in East Dallas to hear the final sermon of Gary Cook, who has retired after serving as their pastor for many years. Gaston Oaks was created in 1990 when the congregation of historic Gaston Avenue Baptist Church sold their property near downtown Dallas and moved northeast for a fresh start. There were only 25 people in attendance on this recent Sunday, a clear sign that Gaston Oaks is winding down as a church. However, they’ve known that for years and have been proactive about the future. Their ministry and mission will live on in the work of what is now Gaston Christian Center, a home and incubator for ethnic congregations and Christ-centered nonprofits.
Reflecting on how these churches and others have changed over time has me thinking about Wilshire as the church prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary this summer. Wilshire has been at its current location since 1954. There haven’t been any major teardowns since then, but plenty of additions and improvements. I’ve been there 36 years and have seen the remaking of the sanctuary, community hall, McIver Chapel, choral hall and the library, to name a few; and the creation of James Gallery, the prayer garden, columbarium and labyrinth garden. Before we really knew each other, LeAnn and I served on a new building committee tasked with exploring a new children’s building topped with a community hall. The project was ultimately tabled and the existing spaces were improved significantly.
Still, Wilshire has undergone major changes addressing our mission and ministry and what it means to be a welcoming community to everyone. That has been no less unsettling than a wrecking ball to some of our members. Some have left as a result, but many more new people have come – not to take their place, but to be part of Wilshire going forward. It has taken some years – not to mention plenty of prayer and patience – for all of that to develop and settle out, but the future has never looked brighter.
As well, our church neighbors across Avenue D in Garland will have to be patient and prayerful as they wait to see what the future will bring. Sixteen months is a long time to worship in temporary quarters, not to mention the logistics of getting there through two winters and a long hot summer. But the inherent ugliness of this winter’s demolition will no doubt give way to excitement and hope as steel is raised and glass is hung for what renderings indicate will be an impressive beacon of faith for the community and a bright new neighbor for us.