We are pleased to share with you more information regarding the merger of New Hope Church of Southeast Portland, Oregon, and Willamette Christian Church, with locations in West Linn, Beaverton and Milwaukie, Oregon.
Even though the decision to merge has been complex and multi-faceted, one beautiful and simple truth has prevailed throughout all the conversations: We believe we are better together.
- We believe we’ll have a greater eternal impact on the individuals and families in our local communities by joining together.
- We believe we’ll be able to model trust and unity in a world torn apart by fear and confusion by joining together.
- We believe we’ll be able to better navigate the rapidly changing cultural landscape in Portland by joining together.
- We believe we’ll be able to support and advance the work of other pastors and local congregations by joining together.
AFFINITY AMONG LEADERS
There is an undeniable relational connection that exists between our churches. In July of 2021 we started recognizing the deep similarities in vision, mission, and values that the leaders of New Hope and Willamette shared - along with a clear understanding of the difference of expression of those values at each campus. This affection and respect has become the core of our belief in partnership, and has expanded to many layers throughout our campuses.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In August, 2020, our relationship began when members of WCC helped New Hope best navigate the adoption of Mt. Scott Church in SE Portland. Throughout the remainder of 2020, and into 2021, we had the opportunity to work together on multiple projects and began to have a deeper understanding of each other’s heart for ministry. Based upon our similar values, vision, and approach to ministry, in July of 2021, WCC leaders began to ask if God might be doing a new work, where two thriving churches should combine to be better together. It was clear that:
- We both long to be a church that is centered on Jesus and his gospel.
- We both believe that there is space at the table for those at various points in the journey and those who might look, think, act and vote differently.
- We both long to keep the main thing the main thing.
- We both long to be coming together in a world that is coming apart.
- We both long to reach people who are far from Christ with hope, encouragement, and belonging.
- We both long to be a church that is making unified disciples who embody the goodness, beauty and truth of the gospel and illuminate the dark.
- And we both believe that churches will need to be increasingly united if they wish to flourish in a world dominated by division.
Both leadership teams felt a unique relationship was being built between our two churches. And so it was decided it would be time-well-spent to start exploring the option of formally coming together as one unified body.
Over the next several months we started having multiple conversations, invested in relational time together, explored multiple aspects of ministry, and collaborated on existing projects. Members from both boards met multiple times to examine our visions and models of ministry, and visited each other’s ministries, including cross-teaching by multiple pastors.
In September of 2021, both elder teams approved the creation of an exploration team to further engage in dialogue regarding a potential deeper relationship.
Established in 1972, New Hope Community Church has been a place where people have met, learned to follow Jesus, and have shared his love for over 51 years. During early Covid, they made a decision to sell their aging building and by God’s grace, the largest Catholic Vietnamese congregation in North America has been able to make it their home. As they sought what the Lord had next for them, Mt. Scott Church of God was also seeking what was next for them as they were experiencing an aging congregation and were limited in how they could reach their community as a result. In 2021, New Hope adopted Mt. Scott and together they are a beautiful congregation that serves SE Portland, that is committed to local and international missions, and that seeks to help children, students, and adults in their discipleship walk.
New Hope CC shares very similar values to all of our locations, and their leadership team of elders and staff have become extremely dear to us. New Hope's Lead Pastor is John Rosensteel. John and his wife, Corrie (an art teacher at Lake Oswego High School), have 2 daughters - Eden (15) and Jubi (13). John's hobbies are backpacking, sports of all types (Cowboys and Blazer fan), reading, and drinking great coffee. Before moving to Oregon to become the lead pastor at New Hope, he was a pastor at Blackhawk Church in Madison, WI for 17 years. John has an MA from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Masters in Divinity from Denver Seminary, and is completing his doctorate from Northern Seminary. He’s a Spiritual Director and a member of Order of the Mustard Seed, a modern-day monastic order. John also serves on the Advisory Team for TogetherPDX and has been a Board Member of Open Arms International since 2017
Post-merger, John will expand his responsibilities to help serve the broader church family, and each of our locations will grow together in relationship even as we seek to serve the distinct needs of each community in which we reside.
It is rare to find others who share a similar commitment to their own campuses, as well as a desire to pour into others, and we believe this is something the Lord is asking more from each of us. To do this together brings fresh wind and enthusiasm that we believe the Lord will use for His purposes. We believe we would be better together.
We believe there is evidence of the presence and power of God’s Spirit in this midst of our journey towards greater partnership. New Hope and WCC share a commitment to reaching the lost. We believe in the local neighborhood church as the conduit to reaching people for Jesus and meeting unmet needs. We believe in caring well for, coaching, serving and supporting pastors and churches across Portland. We long to be coming together in a world that is coming apart. We long to reach people who are far from Christ with hope, encouragement, and belonging. We long to be a church that is making unified disciples who embody the goodness, beauty and truth of the gospel and illuminate the dark. We believe the churches that are holding the center will need to increasingly unite to flourish in a world dominated by division.
Each team has been pursuing the questions - “What is God asking of us?” “What is God calling us toward?” “What is the wisest way to pursue that calling?” For New Hope, that has included a recent church adoption, a desire to strengthen a connection to like-minded churches, and a call to be positioned to expand and serve the broader church for the future. For WCC, that has included the adoption of three churches, the addition of a coaching arm, and the desire to continue to bring health, strength and capacity to neighborhood churches.
Churches are living organisms. Every church goes through a birth, growth, maturing, and death process. Sometimes this cycle can span decades, sometimes only a couple of years. Healthy churches understand where they're at in this cycle and regularly adapt their methods to the ever-changing cultural shifts without compromising their message.
Merging happens when the leadership of two healthy and influential churches in the same community recognize they have similar approaches to ministry styles, leadership, theology, vision, and goals. They also recognize that, if they were to combine efforts and resources, they would be able to make a greater eternal impact on the individuals and families they serve.
For merging to be successful, one essential element is required—mature and humble leadership on both sides. Pastors driven by ego (whether consciously or unconsciously) resist giving up control or “sharing the spotlight” with others. The foundational sign of healthy leadership is when pastors and elders are willing to adapt to a collaborative relationship in order to facilitate the long-term benefit of everyone involved.
It is the highest priority of the elders and leadership to ensure we remain focused on the core values and principles that have shaped us and given us our unique identity as a church body.
As you know, we’ve felt compelled to meet the needs of churches in the Portland area who are struggling and in decline. The reasons for this are many, but it is important to note that our nation is in a “post Christian” era, and the Pacific NW region leads culture’s movement away from church attendance and church relevancy.
As we prayerfully consider what it means to inspire people to know, love and follow Jesus, especially in an era where many are abandoning church and pastors are burning out, we believe God is expanding our resources and enlarging our community through this merger to do just that!
No. Each campus will continue to be called by their current name.
One Governing Elder Board
Effective January 1, 2024, there will be one Elder Board for all four campuses. This Board is responsible to ensure sound doctrine, to provide good governance according to our bylaws and policies, and ensure that the ministries, teaching, plans and future of all of our campuses have Godly, wise and consistent oversight.
The existing Elder Boards of Willamette Christian and New Hope have affirmed the individuals from the two current boards to become the new Elder Board for our four-campus church. Those individuals are Mike Grubb, Rich Miller, Joe Villa and Kevin Marple (previously of the WCC Board) and Ron Gulberg, Cheri Davidson, and Sheri Philips (previously of the New Hope Board). Their first work will be to appoint a Chairperson and Secretary for purposes of good governance, and to affirm the bylaws under which they will operate.
All full and part-time staff will continue in their current roles at New Hope. Additionally, our staff members will have the opportunity to partner with the staff members from all campuses and collaborate on projects and initiatives together.
Through the grace of God, and the wise stewardship from leaders and elder boards, both New Hope and WCC are in strong financial positions. With the primary vision of strengthening the message of Christ’s love for the world in the city of Portland, New Hope is merging its financial and material assets with those of WCC.
As one church, the Elder Board and Staff will be responsible to develop financial plans and budgets to serve the needs of each location, and to ensure that the missions, outreach, and ministry plans for the church can be well served. Each location will have its own budget, as well as participate in supporting centralized services, and all plans sit under the guidance and oversight of the Elder Board.
General funds received at each campus will be deployed to support the communities of that specific campus, as well as support the central services that are required to provide leadership to all campuses.
As always, we are grateful for those of you who faithfully give to the ministry. Your giving will be stewarded as it always has been—with great care and thoughtfulness to honor the work that will bring God glory and will help produce healthy ministry.
Among the elders, pastors and staff of both churches, there is a spirit of unity and great affection. Our excitement for what God is doing through our obedience continues to grow. We are glad to finally have you, our church body, aware of the journey we’re all about to take together, and we welcome your involvement in this process.
- For some of you, your involvement will be countless hours of prayers and spiritual intercession on behalf of our leadership and community.
- For some, your involvement will be in the form of radical hospitality as you open your arms wide and welcome your new brothers and sisters.
- For some, your support will be expressed through your continued faithful giving and growth in your generosity.
If we could ask one thing, we ask you to trust. Trust that we serve an incredible God who desires to do incredible things through you and through us. Trust that He is using you, and us, and others, to grow His Kingdom here on earth. Trust that this is an adventure that He’s planned and prepared for us—one for us to lean into and trust Him with.
Elders Affirmation of Acceptance
November, 2022
We, the elder boards of New Hope Church and Willamette Christian Church attest that both leadership teams have diligently examined their current ministry plans and structures, have prayerfully reviewed and submitted to prayer their future ministry goals, have sought the Lord for wisdom, discernment and His will, and have carefully reviewed essential markers of ministry and leadership.
We humbly believe that the Kingdom would be better served by the joining together of efforts, of intentions, and of purpose.
We believe that merging New Hope with WCC will contribute to greater unity in a divisive age, pool resources to allow expanded discipleship and ministry plans, and help serve and support additional agile, neighborhood-centric, healthy churches. We believe these things not only because we’ve been witness to them over the last few years in our own contexts, but also in light of the current landscape of the local church of Portland and across the world.
We believe the work of ministry is more important now than ever before and that there is an opportunity to align and join efforts to multiply our efforts resulting in more than the sum of one plus one. We believe we would be better together. We acknowledge that the road ahead presents many challenges but we believe the Lord goes before us and a team that is mutually submitted to pursue the values we’ve outlined will be granted favor.