9. Interview with Edwin

Field notes from interview with Edwin
3:30
11/18, Lounge
Hal led, Amy took notes

Introductory notes:
Edwin was a master's student at UND and a deacon at Christus Rex. Now he does enrollment, recruitment in the Twin Cities for UND. He is an African-American man out of Detroit. Background is Church of God in Christ

What makes CR valuable?

Service to Grand Forks and UND is so great, any attempt to place a value to it would be a disservice. CR is busy all the time - people studying, meditating, playing piano. The open door policy is invaluable - allow students of all backgrounds and faith to wander through and feel at home. Open door hospitality - best asset.

Kathy and Tim another asset. Leadership style - they truly believe in student empowerment. They're here for students and want us to lead, have us fuss with stuff, solve problems, start that searching and awakening to the spirituality within ourselves. Balanced partnership between them, good role models for that.

Known them 7 years through grad school, was a hall director. Grew up Church of God in Christ, so when moved here from Detroit struggled the first year trying to find a place to get my spirit filled. Was here on and off, touring churches. knew students who were residents in my dorm who worshipped here. They bait you into a community of like minded folks with activities - openly spiritual but not too forceful. After the first year of in and out they asked me to be involved which took me a month to decide, because I wondered how that would affect my CoGiC faith etc. CoGiC church had great music here in GF, but wasn't enough. The openness of the community gravitated me in, felt more in line with my own spiritual ways of beliefs. I like to question more than is typical.

Atmosphere for spiritual awakening, spirit empowerment. Give each individual a chance to come to where their own spirituality is. In 97 when I hit the wall with some personal issues, K gave space to him for venting, crying, healing, etc. She was totally open to let that happen and not judge. The next Sunday she followed up - let's get coffee, here's some people you might be interested in talking to…

What's the genius?

Hospitality more so than leadership. They remind us of how key that is to who we are as part of CR community. There's nothing preparing us for worship after CR - but we (graduates) have a network of people who visit churches and rate them for other UND alumns that's how I found where I worship now.
Hospitality - first Sunday service of the year is the biggest service, full, so much fun. Our jobs are to reconnect with people who've been here before. Now Tim and Kathy are asking them to be gentler in meeting new people - less aggressive, not so overwhelming. People are really excited about meeting new people and getting them involved in CR because they are excited about what's going on here.

How has your faith grown?

"Freed me from the lock and key of having someone define my relationship with God." Freedom to explore that for myself and learn how to have my own relationship with God. Biggest thing is your relationship and how to get you to grow from that point into deeper faith. Being open and accessible, giving access to everyone. learning about what's going on in the world.
Encourages questioning - and if you're not questioning they'll put one in your mind. They encourage it and help you work through it. They will give you some direction and empower you to make your own decisions about what path to choose.
Leadership development for me as far as public presence wasn't necessary. Did teach me different and better ways to engage with people who are different than myself. Opportunity to really focus on building relationships instead of doing my thing and leaving. Also, made me want to be invested and involved in a church community, a place where I could have a leadership role. At ECLC I was their longest visitor - just joined this year. But got involved directing the children's pageant, anti-racism task force, chaperone high school mission trip to SD.
CR

(Prepares students to go out and lead in the church - they seek out places where they can lead, in which their gifts can be used because they want to be a part of the community in that way.- AF)

Openness of this community is a personal issue for me, important for me to be at a church that was reformed and affirming of sexual orientation. Went to Puerto Rico with a group of young adults and talked about how not all campus ministries are as open and affirming. To know that CR is here and affirming in the midst of Grand Forks, ND kept my sanity. Even though I'm no longer a student here, but I can still have my student privileges, to do deacon stuff, participate in activities. My former roommate is jealous of that.

Summary:

Christus Rex has been and continues to be a place of open acceptance for Edwin. Here he has been challenged to grow into the life of a congregational leader, in a way that made him desire congregational involvement after leaving the Grand Forks area. As a homosexual male who grew up in a very different faith tradition, the fact that he feels so at home a Christus Rex is a bold statement to the community's hospitality. Also significant was the freedom he found in this community to be himself, and claim his inheritance as a beloved child of God. In his words, "[Christus Rex] Freed me from the lock and key of having someone define my relationship with God."