When Unity Creates Kingdom Impact
Palo Alto Church of ChristWhen a California church faced a season of transition, its members had a choice. Hold tightly to what had been, or trust God with their future. Months of prayer, honest conversation, and a partnership with Heritage21 followed, turning a difficult decision into a beautiful display of the unity of the Spirit.
A Legacy of Faithful Ministry
The Church of Christ in Palo Alto, California (PACC) began when the Redwood City Church of Christ decided to plant a new congregation in Palo Alto in 1959. The land was purchased by the Redwood City congregation, and the building was constructed in 1959-60. The congregation began in 1961 with about 30 families.
Located in what is now Silicon Valley, a highly educated technical community adjacent to Stanford University, the congregation always carried a more intellectual flavor, shaped by the community it served. Throughout most of its life, the congregation’s membership remained at around 200 people, but by the late 1980s, it entered a slow and steady decline. With a facility designed for 300+ people, PACC began to lease and share space with other Christian churches.
A Lifecycle Change
By 2018, only 20 to 25 active members remained, but PACC leased and shared its facility with The Highway Community Church (THCC), a congregation with many theological similarities to the Churches of Christ. The two congregations enjoyed frequent fellowship and worship together, and in time, conversations turned toward a possible merger.
In 2014 Hope Network was asked to help PACC assess its future. In June 2016, Heritage21 began providing counsel to help the church make decisions in a manner that glorifies God and honors relationships as his children. This guidance included sharing options for the congregation to consider regarding the disposition of its assets, and revising PACC’s bylaws to clarify how decisions should be made. Though the building needed repair and refurbishment, a local realtor estimated its value at over $10 million because of the property’s location.
Decisions For Transition
Church members held differing views on how to handle the facility, though no one advocated for PACC to continue as a congregation of the restoration heritage. The shared goal was to complete this chapter of PACC’s life with dignity and biblical stewardship, and so to glorify God.
Over several months, H21 provided guidance and counsel for periods of discernment and prayer, and shared several options for the church to consider:
1. Repurpose the assets for new church plants and other ministries affiliated with the Churches of Christ
2. Continue leasing to THCC, or sell to them at a discount
3. Pursue other alternatives that would partially accommodate all groups
Unity and Compromise
The brand loyalty of many members, along with several outspoken leaders, had already shifted toward THCC. Members and Heritage21 continued to discuss and evaluate the situation over several months. When the remaining members took a final vote, a majority chose to merge spiritually with THCC and to accept a compromise regarding the property. Even after the vote, members held different opinions about how to carry out the property elements after that compromise. After several more months of prayer, discussion, and negotiation, they settled the concerns amicably.
The compromise regarding the property included the following:
- The real estate would be deeded to THCC as a gift, along with the concurrent recording of certain fifty-year restrictions on title
- Those restrictions provided that, in certain limited circumstances, the property would be sold, and the proceeds shared among eighteen organizations affiliated with the Churches of Christ and with THCC.
Following the recording of the deed and restrictions, H21 assisted PACC with dissolving the corporation and encouraged the congregation to celebrate its history and preserve its legacy.
This compromise allows the former PACC facility to continue to be used by followers of Jesus. Should THCC ever no longer be healthy, viable, or able to use the facility to advance the work of Jesus, the proceeds from a sale of the property would return primarily to the fellowship that shepherded it for more than 50 years, for distribution as provided in the recorded deed restrictions.
The Testimony
Dr. Howard Peters, a retired California attorney and 50-plus-year member of PACC who was closely involved throughout the process, shared the following about Heritage21’s role:
“It was difficult to see the congregation we loved and shepherded for so long continue to decline. There was consensus that we wanted to be good stewards over our fiscal resources. But, as might be expected, there was not a consensus on how to best accomplish that goal. Heritage21 provided sound counsel from beginning to end, giving the congregation several options to consider and working patiently through the process of building consensus among strongly held opinions. It is the prayer of all the PACC members that history will find that the name of Jesus will be held up and God will be glorified by the ultimate disposition of the PACC resources.”
The Palo Alto story demonstrates how prayerful discernment, patience, and faithful stewardship can lead to God-honoring results. Through the guidance of Heritage21 and the willingness of members to compromise for the greater good, their decisions became a testament to unity and responsible kingdom stewardship.
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
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