FMCSF Moment in History: Seriously “Playing Church," 1980-1988

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 second in that series. Compiled and written by Karen Kreider Yoder.

Our little San Francisco Mennonite Fellowship grew from being a five-year-old into an adolescent from 1980 to 1988. Just as a child seriously plays at being a teacher, a doctor, or a firefighter, one member described our young Fellowship as “playing church.”

Many of these young adults, implants to the City, had childhood experiences from churches where they no longer belonged. In San Francisco, they established a congregation that accepted and celebrated them. They were earnest and committed to being the church. They worked on Central American issues, joined marches and made quilts for the MCC Relief Sale. As one pastor said, “They had a good time.”

The congregation grew from 20 to over 30 members, from two committees in 1980 — Steering and Worship – to six committees, adding Education, Fellowship, Pastoral Care and Voluntary Service Support by 1988. We began publishing annual directories of members.

Leadership during these years grew from within. In 1980, member Lois Janzen, a seminary-trained English teacher became our part-time pastor. She led the fellowship in open discussions and built trust among the members.

In 1984, member Ruth Buxman, a seminary-trained nurse, stepped into part-time pastoring. Members at the time described her as giving nurturing guidance to our young congregation. Between each pastor, a team of volunteers pitched in to lead the Fellowship.

In 1988, we formed a search committee and, for the first time, went outside our young congregation to find more elderly pastors – Don and Joyce Wyse, then in their 50s.

In these eight years, we worshipped in five locations, where we created worship spaces. From 142 Beulah Street in the Haight, down the street to 24 Beulah in the dimly lit walk-in level of a three-story Victorian on Sunday evenings. We set up chairs in a circle and sang out of the Sing and Rejoice hymnal and the newly published Mennonite Hymnal.

When Pillars of Fire sold that building, we moved to the long, narrow Brethren in Christ (BIC) church on Guerrero. Then to a classroom of St. John’s Lutheran School on South Van Ness. By 1988, we sat on wooden church pews on Sunday mornings in what felt like a real church –Dolores Street Baptist. We were all grown up.

We had dual membership in the Pacific (General Conference) and Southwest (Mennonite Church) conferences, which were pleased with our pioneering Fellowship—supporting us with monthly stipends – yet they were concerned about our stance on women leaders and sexuality.

But then, in 1983, the district tested our maturity. Pacific District leaders threatened to cut off our stipend. We gathered together in a circle. One by one, each member agreed to chip into a salary for pastor Lois Janzen.

That summer, district leaders summoned interim pastor Ruth Buxman, Jim and another member to a meeting in Paso Robles. There, Ruth says, they asked her over several hours to recant the church’s acceptance of gay members. Ruth declined. In the end, the district cut off our monthly stipend. But privately a conference leader took her aside and said, “You were between a rock and a hard place. You did what you had to do because you are their pastor.”

In 1986, our congregation hosted that same district conference; we wanted to stay connected to the larger Mennonite church, committed to being a fully functioning Mennonite church, even with disagreements.

But what was our name? We were San Francisco Mennonite Fellowship in the 1970s, then Haight-Ashbury Mennonite Fellowship in the early 1980s. When we moved out of the Haight we debated several options. Could we be San Francisco Mennonite Church? No, because there was, by that time, a San Francisco Chinese Mennonite Church. Shalom Mennonite? Faith Mennonite? A member remembers a long discussion – should we be First Mennonite Church IN San Francisco or First Mennonite Church OF San Francisco? We finally agreed on OF San Francisco, projecting the image of a firmly established Mennonite Church.

We were the first, after all. And we were growing up.