On December 31, 2011, the congregation of Arlington Christian Church in the Pacific Southwest Region made the decision to close the visible ministry, with many members choosing to begin worshiping at Riverside First Christian Church. But the work of the congregation will continue as a result of the sale of the building as the region uses funds from this sale to create new and transformed ministries.
In addition to the Arlington congregation, the property also housed Iglesia Cristiana Oasis en el Desierto. With regional support, the congregation is finalizing plans to buy their own church facility and become the first Hispanic congregation in the region to own their own church property. As Dan Oliver, the PSWR’s minister of stewardship and giving says, “This is poignant resurrection story, vividly illustrating how when the echo of one song grows silent, a new song is given voice.”
The region uses a Fund Distribution Template for use with the sale of properties held by the Region. The purpose of this template is to honor the legacy of members connected to Disciples congregations that close and to keep alive this legacy by allocating funds to support vital Disciples ministries. It is intended to provide support for congregations, pastors and laity at the local, regional and General Church expressions. The plan reflects the region’s visioning plan of 2011.
Included in the distribution are congregational support funds, outdoor ministries, regional programs, outreach and mission, regional units/projects and General Church funds.
As Oliver says, “We are all working together for the larger Disciples goal, to be a movement for wholeness in our fragmented world.”
