Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Fall/Winter 2017-18 | Page 29

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ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
ing, belonging, and some greater force of love in the
universe. We can see things in the world that need to
change, and we want to make a difference, but it’s
hard to do on our own.” It was clear to Anna that al-
though some old church structures were dying, new
forms of church were ready to be born.
Holding this awareness, Anna worked for seven
years as outreach director at the New Church of Boul-
der Valley, and then for a year in outreach in Bryn
Athyn; all the while, “God kept drawing me toward
this vision of re-imagining church.”
As the years passed, Anna began to sketch out
concrete plans for the kind of church she dreamt
of: one that embraced and celebrated the universal
human desires for food, God, and community. The
church would be set in an urban garden, promote
good in the community, and serve food as part of
worship. It would welcome any person who felt hun-
gry, either physically or spiritually. Having an open-
air church felt especially welcoming, with no doors to
close off.
Taking the Leap
In 2014, soon after graduating with her Master of Di-
vinity from Earlham School of Religion and becoming
ordained as a minister in the Swedenborgian Church
of North America, Anna packed up her belongings
and moved to a mixed socio-economic area in San
Pedro, California. Although she had begun searching
for a good plot of land to start her church, she didn’t
let the lack of space stop her.
After all, a local park could
become a “church” with the
right intention. So, she set
a date and spread the word:
On September 28, 2014, she
would host the first service in
a local park.
This took guts. As Anna
said, “I was newly ordained,
terrified to go out into a pub-
lic park, in my clerical collar,
and lead worship.”
In the days leading up
to the service, Anna kept her
eye on a local park; yes, it still
had plenty of litter. When
Sunday arrived, Anna greeted
the church’s first worshipers
with trash bags, gloves, and the words, “Welcome to
the Garden Church!” She fondly remembers the view
of her tiny new “congregation” scattered around the
park and watching them gradually cluster together to
work as a team.
After the clean-up, the group found a shady spot
under a tree, spread blankets, and sat down. Some
of the children helped Anna unpack the “tabernacle,”
church in a basket: the Word, a candle, a “singing
bowl,” and some other symbols of worship—a tradi-
tion that the Garden Church continues today. After
the service, the small group laid out a picnic and ate
together.
During the meal, one participant said, “I’ve been
looking for a place to belong. I didn’t realize this
would happen, but I feel like I belong here.” That
affirmation gave Anna encouragement that even
though there were so many unknowns, this budding
church was on the right track.
As with many first experiences, some of the
practical obstacles became apparent. For example,
with traffic and airplane noises, little children, and
a very public setting, Anna quickly realized that her
prepared sermon would be too much. On the fly, she
whittled her message down to the essentials and then
opened it for discussion. Keeping the sermons con-
cise and interactive would also continue to be a key
practice in the coming years, even as her church grew
to become a solid, beloved fixture in the San Pedro
community.
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