While you were out

The lucky couple, Kathy and Paul Francis (l–r), masterminds Susan Mullin and Kathy Martel, and interior designer Shelley Clee who was so impressed, she waived her fee. Nearly 80 church members pitched in.

The days of barn raising may be over, but for pastor Paul Francis of Gateway Church near Halifax, the concept is alive and well.

As he and his wife Kathy were at the other end of Canada relaxing on sabbatical, a group of nearly 80 volunteers tore apart and renovated their entire pink (ughh) house they had lived in since they first came as church planters in 1991 – all as a free gift of love.

And it wasn’t just the kitchen sink. Carpets, cabinets, lighting, built-in bookshelves, couches, bed, dressers, toilet, tiling, and yes, the long-awaited moment – stripping the goose-laden wallpaper.

It all started when the project’s mastermind, Susan Mullin, noticed the geese in the living room. “A couple of ladies from church were over in spring and they told us to get rid of them,” says Paul, “and I just said, well, if you’re willing to do it yourself . . .”

“I had absolutely no idea this was going to happen,” he said, adding a couple items he’d missed from the long list of renos. Little did Susan know how far they would go either.

“We had so much fun, and it was such a community-building time, that we just kept adding things to the list,” she says. “From the time they left for Victoria on sabbatical, till half an hour before we picked them up at the airport Dec. 15, the house was humming with activity.”

Talents across the board were donated free. The crew even hired an interior designer. After witnessing the community spirit and selfless giving, designer Shelley Clee, who’s not connected with any faith tradition was, “blown away and astounded at how well people worked together” and decided to donate her time as well. “Furniture is falling from the sky!” she said.

“Funny, it’s actually what my wife would’ve wanted,” said Paul, who suspects his daughter Lisa had some part in the very non-pink design.

“We called from Victoria once, and Lisa had to tell everyone to turn off all their drills and power tools, otherwise we’d know something was up.” She managed not to spill the nails, though her brother had to put up with nearly two months of chaos.

Asked whether this is coming out of his salary next year, Paul laughs. “No, it’s all out of people’s pockets. It’s an incredible indication of their heart. We’re still in awe of what’s been done.” It was 11 years since he’d been on sabbatical, and last year he ran for the Conservative Party in elections.

“We wanted to say ‘this is how we see you,’ since they created a warm and comfortable environment for us,” said Susan.

Gateway Church, planted 16 years ago, is a young church of 200. “60 percent of our members are under 40,” says Paul, once a Baptist pastor mentored by missional guru Al Roxborough. “We’re very Anabaptist in our orientation – we don’t have a mission statement or talk much about theology, but we try to live out our faith in the community.” The church meets in a fire hall, which includes an emergency shelter and other programs that are outward-oriented and connected city-wide.

“There are only four people in our church with a Mennonite background,” says Paul, who’s also on the executive board of the Canadian MB Conference. As for denominational loyalty, “the reality,” he says, “is that people are choosing churches based on relationship.”

You might say Paul and Kathy Francis did a fantastic job at building relationships. In the new era of community barn raising, their renovation is a testament to the next century of urban Anabaptist discipleship.

—Andrew Siebert