Photo: Members of International Bethel City Church in Portland, Oregon, stand ready to welcome visitors to the church. Photo provided. 

Over the last three years, International Bethel City Church (IBCC) in Portland, Oregon, has had its share of ups and downs, but its members are looking at new ways to support one another and build relationships in their local community. On July 1, they are hosting Day of Praise, a four-hour worship concert, meal and time of fellowship with their neighbors.

IBCC, a member of Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference and located on the east side of Portland, saw one of its key leaders leave the congregation to start a new ministry. Although leaders felt the parting was amicable, the church split in half, with some members following the leader to his new ministry, and neighbors in the local community worrying about the congregation’s health and unity.

According to congregation leader Gloria Ngezaho, the church struggled for a while with low numbers and with a sense of conflict among current and former members and in the community.

In addition, Ngezaho says fear and suspicion of refugees and immigrants across the United States and in their neighborhood has taken a toll. IBCC’s roughly 70 members hail from about 10 countries across North and South America, Africa and Asia. On a given Sunday at the church, you might hear 15-20 different languages spoken.

During one Sunday fellowship time, a community neighbor observed children from the congregation playing outside and speaking different languages. The neighbor walked into the church building and announced to the people gathered there, “You all need to go back where you came from.”

As the church was trying to brainstorm ways to address this situation and build better connections with their neighbors, Gueny Muveneshayi, a Christian musician and choir leader from North Carolina, visited the congregation. He told the church leaders that two years ago, he had a sense that God was telling him to move to Portland. He followed the call, but for the last two years he had been searching for a place to serve and use his gifts. When he arrived at IBCC, Myveneshayi felt that God had finally answered his call.

And the church agreed. Myveneshayi soon became the church’s choir director, and a robust music ministry was born. The idea to host a concert emerged, and church members got on board to help with planning and promotion.

Ngezaho hopes that by hosting events open to the public, like the Day of Praise concert, neighbors will have the chance to get to know church members.

“We are bringing them in to create a sense of community that it is not you and us, but we are together. Let’s celebrate and walk together,” he says

Ngezaho says that participation so far has been “off the charts,” with neighbors volunteering to help cook or contribute food and donations coming in to support the event.

But most of all, the congregation hopes that events like this concert or a free car wash for the community will help to spread Jesus’ love.

“Our goal is really to let the name of Jesus be known,” says Ngezaho. “Part of the prayer as we host this event is … so that the Holy Spirit can touch people and they can really and truly receive Jesus.”

Ngezaho also hopes IBCC will continue to connect with other Mennonites as well and he extends an open invitation to anyone to come join the congregation for worship.

“We really feel like we have a calling here in East Portland. It’s a place that is quickly gentrifying, and we have a large homeless population …. We want to get to a place where we are not only giving people the word of God but providing food and shelter for people,” he says. “We want to be able to be the anchor church in this area to make sure the word of God continues to spread. There’s too much bad news and hopelessness in the world right now, and we want to be involved in giving hope.”