Jerry Sloan's Story

One wing is sharing Christ; the other wing
is meeting the practical needs of people.
When you do both, you fly.

The Hope and Holiness Trust is
Building Havens of Unconditional Love

DeShawn would sometimes look at the church behind his house and wonder what it would be like to go there. His mom laughed when he told her that, but he was already ten years old—old enough to do what he wanted. So the next day after school, he took the hands of his two little brothers and headed across the parking lot, holding as tightly to them as they were to him.

Capital Park Wesleyan Church in Salem, Oregon, was the right place for them to go. Pastor Jerry Sloan had started the Southeast Neighborhood Community Center with kids like DeShawn in mind. He knew they needed a safe place or they would be either harmed or sucked into the dangerous lifestyle around them. This community was dubbed “Felony Flats” for good reason. It is one of the most distressed communities in Oregon, ranking high on the list of every “statistic of pain” the state measures: hunger, methamphetamine use, homelessness, child abuse, crime, poverty, and broken families.

Jerry had grown up in this church and neighborhood and had a great love for it, but when he returned after being away for many years, his heart was broken. He saw the brokenness in the community and knew the church had to take action, or crime and poverty would overtake them. He gathered a group of people together, and they walked through the neighborhood and prayed.

The approximately 200 congregants plunged themselves into serving Salem residents. They built a community center that included a gym, computer center, game room, and classrooms. They provide an after-school program, GED programs for adults and teens, support groups, Bible studies, and preventive care for various issues. They have a community garden and a food bank. Today, the Southeast Community Center serves 80-100 kids in the community and has added a free lunch and summer day camp program to their regular services. Kids like DeShawn have found a safe place.

This has meant the congregation had to make many changes. “It was scary to put ourselves out that way,” Jerry says.

“We didn’t have the money for it. We needed $450,000 to build the place, plus we had to hire staff—but God provided.“

It was more than money; their entire way of living and worshipping together changed. Take the retired guy who would come in to clean the floors every day. “Pastor,” he said, “there was a time when we didn’t have scuff marks on the floor and there wasn’t so much noise.” Jerry cringed a little and waited for the lecture, but that faithful worker simply said, “Thank God for scuff marks,” and continued his work.

And the work paid off. Within two years, the crime rate decreased by forty percent. Children’s reading levels increased. Families experienced a new level of safety and saw Jesus’ character displayed in the church congregants serving them. Previously nicknamed the “Felony Flats,” the community soon became called Capital Park because of the positive changes.

“The church should be like a dove,” Jerry says. “One wing is sharing Christ; the other wing is meeting the practical needs of people. When you do both, you fly.” Their success was contagious. Others began to believe that good things could happen in this previously forsaken community. The city noticed and increased the amount of time police patrolled the streets and took other initiatives to improve the quality of life. Neighborhood associations began popping up and actively engaging in the community. The school district gave the church an award and believed they too could make improvements.

At least ten other churches followed the lead of Capital Park to open their buildings to the kids and families living nearby. Dubbed the “CaN Centers Initiative” (Churches as Neighborhood Centers), this project is serving more than 400 kids weekly and has received more than $400,000 in funding since 2003.

“It’s powerful to see so many lives changed, but it’s the individuals that matter.
I look at DeShawn. He used to be responsible for raising his two little brothers and was often locked out of his house until 6 o’clock at night; now he’s just being a kid.”

This small and simple church is praying together to leave a legacy that transforms an entire city.