Decline & Renewal in West Coast Churches of Christ, part 4

The Decline of the College Church of Christ (Fresno), part 1

"The Church of Christ in America is not in good health. Her divided ranks, her declining membership, and the noticeable diminishing of her missionary force over the last 20 years are alarms that are sounding, calling for loving care and immediate attention."

When Jim Woodroof published those words in the foreword to his 1990 book The Church in Transition, few at the College Church of Christ in Fresno (College Church) would have likely heard the alarm or seen the signs of decline. The College Church was at its peak: over 900 members, two Sunday services, a recently expanded building, and a growing budget to support local ministries and foreign missionaries.

The College Church’s origins go back to 1964. It was an intentional plant by members of the Palm Avenue Church of Christ. Palm Avenue leadership foresaw two important trends. First, the city of Fresno was growing to the north and east. Second, the university campus at Fresno State would become increasingly important.

So they bought property on the northeast edge of Fresno, close to the Fresno State campus. The 8 purchased acres had been farmed and were still surrounded by vineyards and orchards. They built an auditorium, fellowship hall and classrooms. The first Sunday service was on December 6, 1964, with an exuberant crowd of 540 people. John Banks was hired as the first preacher, and regular Sunday attendance settled in at around 360 folks.

This was a healthy DNA for a new church. Planting this congregation was a visionary move by the Palm Avenue leadership, and they enjoyed goodwill and broad cooperation from area Churches of Christ. This spirit of mutual work would continue for years.

The College Church continued to grow, not dramatically but steadily on through the 1970s. In the 1980s, membership climbed sharply. The influx of new members was partly due to the decline and eventual demise of the Arlington Heights Church of Christ. Part of the numerical success, though, was a simple matter of momentum. It was an innovative church with strong ministers and leaders.

They weren’t immune to tragedy—the shocking motorcycle death of a young preacher and the sexual sin of a youth minister—but the College Church seemed resilient. There was a positive and forward-thinking air about the congregation that looked impervious to trouble or decline. During the ministry years of Rusty Bolton, Clifford Reeves and Randy Gray, the College Church seemed able to undertake any project and succeed. There were many large Churches of Christ on the West Coast at that time, and the College Church may well have been the largest of them all. It was strong and independent, and nearly every West Coast preacher would have jumped at the chance to preach there.

So when Jim Woodroof sounded the alarm for Churches of Christ, the College Church would likely have been one of many churches across the US who—if they read his words—might have surmised that he was like Chicken Little, pointlessly screaming that the sky was falling. The College Church could hardly have realized how true his words were. The apparent invincibility of the College Church would soon look more and more vulnerable. The next two decades would bring a steady decline in membership and resources.

Next time, we’ll hear the rest of the story.