Mennonite Weekly Review

PHILDELPHIA — Going on sabbatical during a multimillion-dollar ministry expansion requires Leonard Dow, pastor of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, to practice the bold faith that comes with knowing God is the ultimate financier.

Dow is lead pastor of the multiracial congregation and board chair of the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association. This faith community is seeking to purchase a $3.55 million, 40,000-square-foot commercial building across the street from its current location.

The new building will use 10,000 square feet for a larger sanctuary and Sunday school space for the congregation and to expand the development association ministries, including conflict resolution, job training and after-school activities.

The remaining space will be leased to service organizations, including the main office of Mennonite Central Committee East Coast.

To finance the building’s purchase, the project needs $100,000 in pledges by Nov. 14. As of Oct. 31, $20,000 of that amount had been pledged. Donors who pledge would need to be able to give the cash by the end of the year.

The congregation and association has already met a Sept. 30 deadline to raise $110,000 for the deposit, a feasibility study and inspection. The final purchase date is Feb. 28.

Despite impending deadlines, Dow and other leaders decided he should go to Puerto Rico on a long-planned sabbatical. The leaders felt Dow could be absent from August through December as they trusted that God’s presence is moving them forward.

“We’ve known from the start that realizing this vision would be about God’s greatness and not ours — and my sabbatical is perfectly timed for spiritually preparing me for what God has in mind for our future,” said Dow, who guides Oxford Circle with Lynn Parks, associate pastor, and Peter Sensenig, interim associate pastor during Dow’s sabbatical.

In the Oxford Circle neighborhood, many people work multiple jobs to make ends meet. About one-third of the church family supports their families through the help of public assistance. However, this has not stopped the congregation from believing that God has chosen them to help transform their community.

The congregation, with an average attendance of 80 to 100, had contributed about $50,000 in cash as of Oct. 31. The church has also pledged $20,000 for extra expenses such as moving and utilities, apart from separate fundraising goals.