A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. Harold Cumming is Professor of Forestry at Lakeland University in Thunder Bay and serves on the Board of the Renewal Fellowship. Wilma Cumming works with refugees and is the church visitor.

How many little struggling churches do we have dotted around our country? Each one presents a heart-wrenching problem for church administrators. What should we do with this little church? Close it down? Amalgamate it with another? Try to put off the evil day?

Calvin Presbyterian Church in Current River, Thunder Bay, Ontario, was just such a church in 1984 — a recurring thorn in the side of Presbytery. It had been without a minister for eight years and had an annual budget of $10,000. It is still a small church, but now it is nearly full each Sunday. People are friendly, smiling, and enthusiastic. Visitors say that this church has something others do not have. What happened?

The change began at Presbytery. Instead of filling the pulpit Sunday by Sunday with any available speaker, they decided to ask one person to supply on a regular basis. When Rev. Len Weaver, a semi-retired minister, took his first service, he addressed a congregation of eight people! However, to everyone’s surprise, Len took his new assignment seriously. Each Sunday his English oratory echoed off the walls of the nearly-empty little church. A family decided to move from another Presbyterian church to help out. Others with former church connections began to appear. After three years, attendance was running just over twenty. Everyone was amazed. It actually looked like a congregation now. Then Len decided to really retire and return to England.

One evening we received a telephone call asking if Harold would consider continuing the work at Calvin? The question was not one to be answered lightly. A full time job would leave limited time for church duties. We agreed that if we were to help at all, it would require both of us. Could we really help anyway? Neither of us had been more than elders who took an occasional service.

In a letter to Calvin and at a meeting with involved ministers, we made it clear that we could only try it as a team ministry, and that we would be interested only if the people of Calvin were prepared to make an effort to grow to the point where they could call a regular minister. With these two points agreed upon, we began our Sunday by Sunday supply.

We began visiting. We visited delinquent members, former adherents, and neighbours around the community. We sent out leaflets, Attendance grew slightly. But our first big service was not until Christmas Eve when we had about 70 for the Candle Light service. The next Sunday we were back to 25.

That spring we hesitantly broached the subject to our three elders of trying to hire a student minister for the summer, to give us a break. The thought of hiring anyone and having to spend a few thousands dollars was almost too much, but they decided to try it. Everything went well. Our student was well liked. With his leadership, and in association with a nearby United Church, we held the first Vacation Bible School in Current River for many years. Other outreach efforts were less successful.

During our second fall the regular attendance was always over 30. The future was beginning to look a little brighter. We were encouraged by a retired minister and his wife who called on us and, hearing of our plight, covenanted to pray for the congregation. We told the people that if God wanted to do so, he could build the church. If this particular church was not in his plan, then nobody could build it. We still believe that God did have a plan for us. However, after Christmas that year some members left on vacation, others did not appear, and mid-winter we were back to 22. We dragged on through another summer, another student minister and into another autumn. Attendance rose again to 30-40, but then seemed to settle onto a plateau — just over 30.

We had never liked playing the numbers game, but now it seemed essential. How many regular attendees, we began to wonder, would be required to allow the church to be self-supporting? We had never expected to achieve self-sufficiency in less than about five years, but now we seemed to be stagnating. The congregation did not anticipate calling a minister in the next ten years. Our personal vision of the future began to change. Instead of a few years’ service, we began to see the future stretch on and on ahead of us with no sign of relief. Thoughts of burn-out surfaced, but how could we leave when there was no alternative? An independent assessment from an outsider confirmed our fears. A little church hidden on a back street in an established, no-growth community would go nowhere. The only possibility was to start a new church somewhere else with better prospects. We had applied twice for money from the Board of World Missions, but always someone else deserved it more. There was no quick solution. “Well, God,” we prayed, “you called us here. If it was only to close down Calvin, your will be done. But if you really want Calvin to grow, you are going to have to do something about it. We seem to be at a dead end.”

Our own minister, Sidney Chang, of First Presbyterian, Thunder Bay, went to Knox College for a week of study leave, and while there had lunch with our first student minister. On his return, he called Wilma to chat about his experience and report again what a fine minister this Milton Fraser would be. Wilma agreed, but only in a theoretical way, for we had no thought of Calvin being ready to call a minister at this time. Half an hour later Sidney called back. Something had happened. A member of another church had just called to ask if he could help with finances at Calvin. That was too much of a coincidence, Sidney concluded, God must be telling us something. He suggested that we should call our former student minister, who would graduate in the spring, and ask him to come to Calvin!

We were stunned. How could a church with a congregation of only 30 call a minister? We had progressed in our calculations far enough to realize it would require a much larger congregation than that to be self-supporting. But we had nothing to lose. Milton could only say “no.” The call was made, and to our immense surprise, after a week to think and pray about it, he answered, “yes.” When we told the people about it at a congregational meeting after church next Sunday, there was a universal gasp of amazement, followed by great rejoicing and excitement. During the discussions that followed in that meeting, what impressed us most was that never once did anyone ask where the money would come from. Even our treasurer, an accountant, was not dismayed by taking a commitment at least twice the previous year’s total collection. We had $10,000 in the bank that would help get through the first year, he said, and besides, “Isn’t that what faith is all about?” We followed usual procedures, and when Milton arrived to preach for a call, it was like old home week. At least, we thought, he would start with plenty of good will — if no cash.

Not surprisingly the new minister attracted an increased congregation, but then the increase continued. After several months, we tremblingly asked our treasurer how the finances were holding out. He said that, with the unsolicited help of a Manitoba church we had never heard of, and support from several other anonymous outside donors, we were doing alright. In fact, we had $10,000 in the bank when Milton came, and we still had our $10,000 in the bank! Presbytery had underwritten the call in the first place, but they never had to help.

During the succeeding year, the congregation sometimes rose to 70. Where had they come from? A few came from other churches, but most were people who had not gone to church since Sunday School days. They in turn brought more family members. And many brought children. A few others had never been to church before. Our services became marvellous times of good will and joy. Adults moved from the periphery to the centre of congregational life. Children matured. Visitors began to remark on the warmth and friendliness of the church. Our choir grew to exceed the size of the previous congregation!

We are not out of the woods yet. In a way, no church is ever entirely out of the woods. No matter how thriving today, we could always crash to nothing tomorrow. It depends on the people who are there and their reliance on God. Some day Calvin may have to close. But it will not be for awhile.

What made the difference? Can we pass on any great hints? Unfortunately, we cannot. We did our best, and it was not good enough. When we were failing, God acted — and the whole situation changed, here is a list of God’s great acts:

  1. He led an individual to offer monetary support.
  2. He led a retired minister and his wife to covenant to pray for the congregation.
  3. He caused our summer student minister to accept a call to a congregation with the fantastic annual budget of $16,000.
  4. He gave the congregation the courage to dream big years ahead in spite of current appearances.
  5. He prepared them to accept change and to grow with it.
  6. He drew seeking people to worship with us.
  7. He did not send us any new, wealthy members from out of town!

God is still leading us on, but now he is giving us the courage to ask,“Where do we go from here?” as our small building is almost full.

What made the difference? No one who knows the story can see Calvin today as anything less than a modem miracle!

Thanks be to God.