by Edie Gross | Faith & Leadership

A rainbow-colored flag declaring ALL ARE WELCOME is draped above the entrance to Church of the Pilgrims, and a 42-foot-long #BlackLivesMatter banner hangs from the bell tower, publicly affirming the church's commitment to inclusivity and social justice.

Inside, the sanctuary is set up like a theater-in-the-round, the result of a 2005 renovation to promote community and intimacy. Above the communion table at the center of the room, a crown of lights hangs from the high ceiling, and four banners, each with a quatrefoil motif, lend an air of coziness to the otherwise cavernous space.

Billy Kluttz, director of music, leads the congregation in song during worship at The Church of the Pilgrims.

On a recent Sunday, early arrivals for worship affixed nametags to their shirts and sipped coffee in the pews, while Billy Kluttz, the director of music, helped the small choir warm up. As children entered, they scattered to prayer stations around the perimeter of the room. There, using magnets and sand trays, magnifying glasses and binoculars, crayons and books, they explored basic concepts of worship-making connections, seeing things differently and telling stories.

Though the church's original raised pulpit remains on the chancel, Krehbiel never uses it, preferring a simple wooden lectern on the same level as the communion table and pews.

"It's a democratization of the space," said Kluttz. "We're figuring out what the priesthood of the believers looks like."

A 10-minute drive from the White House, Church of the Pilgrims was founded in 1903 and its current building constructed in 1928 with donations from Presbyterian churches throughout the South. Back then, the church was considered the national church of Southern Presbyterians, but by the 1950s and '60s, it was at the forefront of the civil rights movement, with the Rev. Randy Taylor preaching equality and marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By the time Krehbiel and Goff arrived-he in August 2000, she 18 months earlier as the church's director of Christian education-the church's heyday had long passed. Attendance was sparse, the building was run-down, funds were scarce, and morale was low after a rough parting with a previous pastor.

"Pilgrims was in a sad place," Goff said. "Their sense of identity was gone. They didn't know who they were, so worship felt of those things."

When Krehbiel interviewed at Pilgrims, he could tell that members were proud of their past but anxious about the future.

"Our history didn't save us," one search committee member told him.

Not long after he became pastor, Krehbiel led a goal-setting session, asking members to identify their top priorities for the church and what changes would need to be addressed with the utmost caution and sensitivity.

"Changes in worship" topped both lists.

The message?

"This is what we need to do, and this is the thing that makes us most nervous," Krehbiel said.

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• May 5, 1991 - The Rev. David Gibbs, Minister Member at Large
• May 9, 1954 - The Rev. James Campbell, Honorably Retired
• May 9, 2008 - CRE Barbara Wirt, Sunnyside Presbyterian Church South Bend

• RE Carolyn Scarborough, Kouts First Presbyterian Church and 1990 moderator of Presbytery of Wabash Valley, in the April 25 loss of husband Bill.
• Garrett Presbyterian Church as they welcome new pastor Brad Rito and  continue to serve Christ Jesus

2017 National Gathering:

The following items will be available at the May 23 Assembly at Geneva Center on a first come first serve basis. All items must be removed from Geneva Center that same day.

• Risograph a Hi Speed Duplicator with some toner supplies
• 6 lateral 4 drawer filing cabinets
• 1 - 4 drawer filing cabinet
• 4 Bookshelves - 5 shelves each
• Communion Trays with storage covers
• 3' Gold colored Cross
• 15" Viewsonic flat screen monitor
• 2 - Sliding desk mount keyboard and mouse trays
• Electric typewriter
• Framed print of the Lord's Supper approximately 3' x 5'
• Hanging file folders
• Numerous 3 ring binders

Please contact vicki@ourpresbytery.org or call 574-223-5678 if you have interest or questions.