"I've never been able to prove it, but it looks like it from pictures from that time," said CJ Adamo, the caretaker at All Pilgrims, describing the century-plus history of the church.
Back then the church existed under a different name. But five years ago the merger of Pilgrim Congregational Church, formerly part of the United Church of Christ and originally located on the current site, and First Christian Church, formerly part of the Disciples of Christ and formerly located across the street from Seattle Central Community College, took place. Since that time, the church and its relationship with the community at large are still evolving.
One recent change was the departure of the pastors Mark Doty and Peter Drury, who led both churches during the merger. Joining the church was Interim Pastor Reverend Nina Merkle Nestlerode. Formerly a senior financial analyst at a firm in San Francisco, she was also volunteering on the weekends as the co-director of a large youth group.
"It was very satisfying and fulfilling, and at my job, where I got raises and promotions, things were exciting but not fulfilling," Reverend Nestlerode said. "Looking at what made it [the youth group] fulfilling, after a couple of years of prayer and discernment I took a leave of absence, went to seminary for three years and got a masters in divinity, was called into ordination, quit my corporate job and joined the church."
Nestlerode has been at All Pilgrims for six months and plans to stay for another six more. It is her desire that during her remaining time at Pilgrims, she will be able to assist the church in moving towards the future.
"We are trying to reengage and better serves needs of community, as a lot of people want to bring us into more of a future of being there for the people of Capitol Hill," she said.
One of those people is David Paul, a church member and frequent volunteer who, among other things, has drafted press releases for the church in the past.
"We're now in a stage where we're considering a number of things about our future," Paul said, "one of which is developing some kind of positive relationship with people in neighborhood who are in need, but in a better, smarter way."
The church is currently reaching out to the residential population living in nearby apartments and single-family homes, both in the form of ministry and so that they might work toward common solutions on a number of community problems. Another idea, which Paul said was still being considered, was to offer a series of forums to the community on a number of issues that are at the top of people's minds.
"We want to know what the role of a church like ours should be in a community of homeless and needy people, mixed faiths and the non-religious, as well as issues near to the gay community," he said.
That last part is central to its identity, as All Pilgrims Christian Church makes no secret of the fact that it is open and affirming, a philosophy shared by a growing number of churches that embraces queer men and women as children of god.
The church cooperates with other faiths on a number of social issues, been involved in HIV/AIDS care teams while working closely with the Lifelong AIDS Alliance and actively supported the gay pride parade when it was on Capitol Hill, regularly marching in it. But the commitment goes deeper than that.
"It's based on compassion for all people and God's love for all people," Nestlerode said. "There are human barriers that keep us away from being children of God, and one of those specific issues on Capitol Hill was sexual orientation. But we believed there is no barrier to being a child of God. At the same time, this is just a core now of who this congregation is, as we have extended it beyond sex orientation to issues of gender and the transgender, different physical and mental states, education levels, health, economic circles, color and age. All people are welcome here."
Such an approach is key to what Pilgrim hopes to accomplish.
"We really see no commandment greater than this," Reverend Nestlerode continued. "Love God with all your heart, mind and strength and love our neighbors as we love ourselves."
And given that the church is still around during a period when urban churches haven't been thriving and 20 or so years after Pilgrim Congregational proclaimed itself Open and Affirming, and 10-plus years since First Christian did the same, the community seems to have listened.
All Pilgrims Church is located at 500 Broadway East. For more information, go to www.allpilgrimschurch.org.
Michael Lis-Sette is an intern with the Capitol Hill Times. He can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com.
[[In-content Ad]]