FMCSF Moment in History: Laying the Foundation, 1975-1980

In First Mennonite Church of San Francisco’s 50th Anniversary Year, we will give a dozen short “History Moments” throughout the year. This is the first in that series. Compiled and written by Karen Kreider Yoder.

First Mennonite Church of San Francisco was a twinkle in the eyes of two 26-year-olds in 1975, when they loaded up their 1968 Dodge camper van and drove west from Harrisonburg, Virginia. James and Leanna Rhodes, a seminary assistant and a nurse, parked on city streets and slept in their van until they found jobs and an apartment.

It was November 1975. The Vietnam War had ended, but militarism was still strong.

The Rhodeses’ vision was to plant an evangelical Anabaptist peace church that espoused simple living, discipleship, studying the Bible, and intentional community. They were passionate, outgoing, witty. They were self-supporting.

James Rhodes drew in people he met, including Charlie Good, a Mennonite without a church. Within 5 months, he baptized Charlie and 3 others into their growing fellowship.

After James visited the Stockton Mennonite Voluntary Service unit, which had no local supervision, he closed it in June and relocated the remaining MVSer to San Francisco.

He found housing for the MVS unit at 142 Beulah Street, a Victorian house in the Haight. In August 1976–just 9 months after arriving–the Rhodeses opened the self-supporting San Francisco unit with 4 MVSers. During the following few years, the fellowship maintained a house of 4 to 6 volunteers.

The MVS House was also a meeting place for what the group called the San Francisco Mennonite Fellowship. On Sunday evenings, 10-20 people gathered in a circle of folding chairs for input, discussion, singing, prayer and sharing. And for a potluck. It was a warm, supportive, spirit-filled group.

The Fellowship saw itself as an “outpost of God’s Kingdom.” Together, the MVS unit and Fellowship hosted a booth at the Haight Ashbury Street Fair with information about peacemaking. They held an Easter sunrise service on Twin Peaks. An MVSer made pinch pots at his placement as the communion cups. Several families started an intentional community. They counseled a Navy doctor to become a Conscientious Objector. One MVSer said that it was in the fellowship and her MVS placements that she had an awakening to social justice.

During these first 4 years, the Fellowship dedicated at least 5 babies. Among the MVSers were Ken and Kathy Reed, who stayed and became leaders.

In Spring 1979, Ken Reed led a weekend retreat at Russian River to agree on the Fellowship’s first covenant, resulting in a long document. Six members and 6 associates signed it.

In November 1979, Harvey Milk, openly-gay supervisor was assassinated in San Francisco’s City Hall.

James and Leanna Rhodes had brought from Virginia their version of Christian discipleship–using traditional language, traditional roles, steeped in peace and community. Others–including some MVSers who came from across the US–had their own version of how to follow Jesus. The discussions were congenial, but increasingly divided. Do we follow the Christianity of our parents? Are there new ways of following Jesus?

The Fellowship provided a vision of welcoming young people into fellowship. But some early participants wondered if all were welcome.

In December 1979, the Rhodes family, now 5, returned to Virginia.

Just before leaving, James invited Lois Preheim, a graduate of AMBS, to come as pastor. She established a new way of being the church, at once more welcoming and more structured. The congregation started the first committees, Worship and Steering. It initiated Mission Groups– including a Peace Group, an Intercessory Prayer group, a Cheese Ministry.

James and Leanna Rhodes left a group of young people energized to be the church in the city. The couple established the core of the church we are today–with a strong MVS program that feeds into our congregation, a sense of community, steeped in work toward social justice.