Houston congregation declares ‘It’s time to soar’First Presbyterian Church launches a high-flying campaign

HOUSTON – "It’s time to soar," declared Vic Pentz to a huge crowd of First Church Presbyterians. Perched on a podium in the municipal convention center, the senior minister and his leadership team launched an ambitious $13 million campaign to build Lancaster Center, a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility for evangelism, outreach, missions, youth and educational ministries.

 By Parker T. Williamson

Moving to the convention center because their sanctuary would not hold all who wanted to worship on this special day, members of this First Church congregation accompanied the Houston Brass with toe tapping, hand clapping and syncopated sway while huge television monitors projected movements of the crowd. Houston’s historic downtown church allowed no tethering on this third Sunday in November. With arms spread in wing-like gestures, these Presbyterians proclaimed that they were, in fact, ready to fly.

Pentz made the most of his biblical image. "We’ll fly like eagles," he said. Then Pentz noted what makes the eagle rise. We’ll have no turkey-like flapping, he counseled his pre-Thanksgiving flock. The eagle finds a thermal, mounts it and spirals upward, hurled into space on this enormous, uplifting power. Pentz called on his people to catch the thrust of that biblical image, to submit themselves to the grace of a God who can and will do abundantly more than mere humans can dream. "It’s time to soar," he repeated, his phrase bouncing antiphonally through Houston’s huge indoor arena.

Before pledge cards were signed, campaign leaders announced that more than $9 million of the goal had already been subscribed by congregational leaders who could not wait to get this flight off the ground. Then, while great hymns of the church were sounded by brass, organ, and timpani, the people’s pledge offering produced another $2 million. Buoyed by so great a response on their first campaign day, congregational leaders made ready to carry the challenge to members who were unable to witness the launch.

Following the benediction, 1,400 parishioners stayed in the great hall for dinner. Onstage, Nehemiah Center children sang songs of praise. First Church sees its Main Street location as a great opportunity. Main is a boundary street between very different cultures and classes. But First Church allows no linear thinking to define its mission. Instead, church leaders have made their steeple the center point in a circle, radiating congregational outreach through a multi-directional ministry that touches all kinds of people.

To be built next to the church, Lancaster center, with basketball courts, a 1,000 seat theater for drama and "alternative worship experiences," and a conference center flowing into a 20-classroom wing will equip this congregation to soar into the 21st century.