By Sonya Hollins
editor@comvoicesonline.com
KALAMAZOO (MICH.)-Trenches Community Church was founded by the Rev. James Harris in February 2011. Without a building, or funds to purchase one, he stepped out on faith toward the vision from God, to create a church where people can be led into an intimate and personal relationship with God; not just go to church.
Bethel Reformed Church members (1003 Gayle Ave.) admired Harris’ passion and allowed the new church to rent space from them for a very small fee. After all, Harris’ passion was the same their church had decades earlier when their members were young and more physically active.
Over the past year Trenches has been a site for the Kalamazoo Public Schools’ Lift up Through Literacy program, offer free car washes to those in the community, provide feeding opportunities for needy families, and more.
After more than a year of watching Trenches’ actions of reaching out to the east side community, Bethel members decided to bless the young congregation. They recently announced they would sell their building to Trenches for $1. The two churches will still share space (Bethel services at 9 a.m. Sunday, Trenches at 11 a.m.) however, the pressure of future building costs would allow for even more outreach to the community. Harris said the Reformed church has offered their buildings for sale for $1 in the past, however, selling to a church outside the Reformed denomination is something the local Reformed church said has never been done.
Harris said while they own they building, it would be ‘ungodly’ to think of charging rent to Bethel after all they have done to help them.
“Before we started a church, God was speaking to me about not tying up all the money into a building, mortgage, utilities, expansion, etc.,” the Rev. Harris said. “We have been saving for the past year and half; now we have money to do more outreach, feed the community, offer free car washes, everything, and without any fee to the community.”
Harris said the freed-up funds will go toward purchasing nearly 800 backpacks with school supplies for neighborhood children, and other ministry projects outside the church walls.
“We really want to thank Bethel,” the Rev. Harris said. “We appreciate their heart for ministry. God is really causing the body of Christ to be more kingdom-minded, and less denominational-minded. Receiving this blessing was an awesome experience.”
An event to celebrate the newly acquired church will be announced soon.
