East Waterford

East Waterford Presbyterian Church

On a gorgeous Sunday morning all the farm fields and barns along Route 75 sparked my memory of the years we spend serving the First Presbyterian Church in Morris, Illinois, Blackhawk Presbytery. It was there in Grundy County, Illinois that I learned a lot about the American agricultural industry. An old time farmer in our church always joked, "I am not a farmer anymore; I work in the agricultural industry." Grundy County, Illinois is truly one of the most fertile places in the world. It is tabletop flat and the topsoil is black, black, black and many places three feet deep. Because of amazing scientific research with seeds productivity in those fields increases almost every year while the number of farmers is quickly decreasing. Grundy County, Illinois has the flatlands and miles of corn and soybean fields. Juanita County, Pennsylvania has the rolling hills and many dairy farms. The economic and cultural issues are the same.
Massive social transformations have changed everything in farm country. I learned from wise Presbyterians in Illinois that these changes are parallel to what is happening in our churches. The most difficult result of these changes both in farming and in our churches is that "the small guy is being forced out of business." The family farm is obsolete economically; it seems like the family-style congregation is going the same way.

I sat with the three students in the Junior High Sunday school class. We had a delightful conversation. These are bright and gifted young people with good family support and strong church connections. I found out from Derek that his family runs a dairy farm. He was tired because he had to help in the barn earlier since his older brother was away for the weekend. Derek’s family is rare these days. They live by farming and the kids in the family are helping with the work. Few farming families actively encourage their children to take up farming as a career. Kids today can go to college and most often will find jobs in a completely different sector and place. So what happens in towns like East Waterford, PA and Morris, IL? The children grow up and move out, and a whole generation is not sitting in those pews. The economic and social life of small town, family farm America has changed forever. In the Presbyterian Church where two thirds of our congregations are family-style, less than 200 members, and located in rural communities this change has been devastating. The decline in these churches has nothing to do with theological position, the policies of the General Assembly, or the style of the worship service. The churches are having the life blood sucked out of them by these massive social transformations.

There is a wonderful spirit and deep sense of prayer and reverence in the East Waterford congregation. I am very grateful for their warm welcome and appreciation for my visit. The deep sense of care and concern they have for one another and our world inspires me. Bob Rhoades is doing wonderful work as their Stated Supply while they search, discern and ponder the future. Despite it all churches like East Waterford are faithful, resilient and boldly innovative. But they face enormous, challenging realities. They all know that things do not look good for a congregation in their small town. With a visceral sense of concern their Pulpit Nominating Committee gathered with me between Sunday School and worship to simply ask, "What more can we do?" There has been very little response to their Church Information Form which is advertising their part-time position.

The East Waterford congregation provides a vital and necessary ministry in a community that has been wracked by social change. What is God doing there now and how do we enable and support the call of God on these strong, faithful Christians? How do we gather our similar congregations together for mutual support and ministry? Is God encouraging different patterns of ministry and service like our Commissioned Lay Pastor program? I was blessed by my visit to East Waterford and Bob’s thoughtful and engaging worship leadership and preaching. But I drove home with my head full of questions and not very many answers.