Matthew 25 invitation reaches milestone

California church is 1,000th registration

by Melody K. Smith | Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo recently made the commitment to become a Matthew 25 church, and that marks the 1,000th registration received for the Matthew 25 vision, launched in April 2019.

The downtown church has been in existence almost 175 years. Members and friends have a long history of serving their community through providing meals, social and community resources, financial resources for housing and health care emergencies. They have partnered with other local community agencies to build a new homeless shelter. Their outreach program — Green Pastures — was thriving until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

“We are not only an older church, but a church of older people,” said Elder Susan Updegrove, chair of the church’s Mission Committee. Temporarily stopping services “was a matter of safety not just for our congregants, but also the community.”

But their outreach didn’t stop. They diverted funds to the local Salvation Army, which was able to continue offering in-person services. The agency continued to distribute funds along the guidelines provided by the church.

“We’re not here to take care of just ourselves — that’s not what Jesus teaches,” said Updegrove. “How are you going to reach out to your community?”

This past weekend, First Presbyterian was able to start serving meals in person again. Taking all precautions necessary for everyone’s health and safety, they were eager to be able to personally serve their community again.

“One thousand is a great milestone considering the events that have taken place over the past 18 months,” said the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. “Even in the midst of a public health crisis, the importance of addressing systemic poverty, structural racism and congregational vitality is being absorbed into the conscience of our denomination. But we still have a journey ahead of us. Christ calls us to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice and mercy shines forth.”

The Rev. Dr. John D’Elia, interim pastor of First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo, California, leads the congregation in a safe hybrid worship. (Contributed photo)

First Presbyterian of San Luis Obispo currently has an interim pastor, the Rev. Dr. John D’Elia, who was very supportive of the Mission Committee’s proposal to become a Matthew 25 church.

As they began to open up for in-person services, First Presbyterian looked for ways to expand their outreach. They opened the church to a local community organization that provides preschool for disadvantaged people and now they are using the church nursery five days a week.

Mission Committee members are beginning to think of ways they can reach the unhoused who are downtown where the church is located, who for various reasons do not utilize the shelters. They are imagining what it would look like to be a “satellite” facility that those who are not currently served might feel comfortable enough with to trust seeking help. “We want to begin to build relationships and be relevant to their needs,” said Updegrove.

When asked why they chose all three focuses of Matthew 25 — building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty — Updegrove said this was a big part of their discussion with session and the church’s interim pastor. “We didn’t want to limit ourselves. We see this as a challenge and an affirmation of what we’ve already been doing. Addressing poverty has been part of our mission forever. We will have to work harder to find ways to express the other two.”

Like so many churches, First Presbyterian is at the beginning of its journey. Updegrove said, “We need to hear from our congregation as to our next steps. We need to know — where is the heart of our church?”

First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo, California, was founded on May 13, 1875 with 11 charter members. (Contributed photo)

First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo has joined 999 other churches, mid councils and groups on the journey to become a Matthew 25 church and help the denomination become a more relevant presence in the world. These commitments have re-energized faith and inspired many to unite for a common identity — to do mission.

This was the second time the Mission Committee at First Presbyterian brought this proposal to session. Updegrove encourages those churches who are still discerning or maybe have been told no already to keep trying, keep talking to people. “Missions are not always overseas. Local missions — from financial to physical — engage people. It is part of being Jesus in the world.”

Convicted by the Matthew 25 passage, both the 222nd and 223rd General Assemblies (2016 and 2018) exhorted the PC(USA) to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor.

To see the map and list of all 1,000-plus congregations, groups and mid councils, click here. You can learn more about the work of each congregation through their stories and videos.