(THE FOLLOWING ARE REFLECTIONS BY GMCC’S CURRENT MINISTER, JACK BROWN)

There are those who say the Christian church is on its way out in the modern world. I happen to believe her best days are still ahead.

The most common question my wife Sharon and I hear when we tell people we came to Dundee to serve a church is simply, “Why?” There’s often more than curiosity behind the question—there’s also skepticism. In an increasingly secular culture many think it’s crazy to make such a huge transition just to be part of an institution that many think is dying.

Except I don’t think it is dying.

It’s true that there is a lot more skepticism and doubt in the world these days. The statistics show an increasing number of people answer “none” when asked what religion they follow. And throughout the Christian community we hear over and over again how church attendance is down as more and more people embrace a more secular worldview.

But what some see as a disaster…I say is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to return to the roots of the Christian movement as experienced in the days of the early church. In the book of Acts, we see the early Christians facing obstacles that most of us in the modern world can’t even fathom (although Christians in some parts of the world, unfortunately, still know them all to well). Yet in that environment they thrived.

How?

My take on the early church is that they thrived because they focused on the mission rather than the obstacles. They trusted God. They preached the gospel. They loved and served their neighbours. They rooted themselves in truth and committed themselves to compassion. And with great fervor they fought for the unity of the church despite forces that would tear them apart, some of which came from within.

That’s why I find ministry at Gilfillan Memorial Church so exciting, because those same principles were at play in they very birth of this congregation: a heart for the community, a desire to glorify God in worship and biblical teaching, and a commitment to truth that refuses to exclude and condemn those whose background and beliefs are different.

We face the same challenges all churches face moving forward, but we face them together, even when we disagree. Through it all, we worship in Spirit and truth. We love and serve those God has placed in our midst. We seek to grow in our faith. And we trust that the God who led us this far will be “faithful to complete in us” (Philippians 1:6) the mission he’s given.

I believe the future of Gilfillan Memorial Church is exciting because it is inextricably linked to its past. Not in an unhealthy way, where too much time is spent reveling in what we consider “the glory days,” but in a healthy way—as we rediscover and recommit ourselves to the values and principles that guided this congregation from the beginning. I firmly believe that rooting ourselves in timeless values, while moving forward with ministry that is relevant and timely, is the key to the future.

I can’t wait to see where it all leads.

Jack M. Brown, September 2022