Today (December 19th) I had the opportunity to do something amazing. When St. Johns Lutheran-Oak Cliff-Dallas made the difficult decision to end Word and Sacrament there was a question of what to do with the parsonage attached to the property.

This house had been rented for the past two decades by a single family. The Sams have both paid rent but also served by watching over the property and alerting the congregation to any issues. They were obviously very concerned when they heard the church property was to be sold.

It was the desire of the congregation that the Sams be allowed to stay in the house. As the property (house and church) were one parceled lot once the property was sold there was no way we could assure that. So the decision was made to separate the parcel so the house stood as its own property.

This past September at our synod council meeting I brought a proposal to the council that the Sams should become the owners of the house. The council then discussed and approved the transfer of the house to the family for the cost of the deed transfer fees. After that approval a donation came forward that covered those fees.

So today I had the privilege of presenting to the Sams the deed to the property at no cost to them. Giving thanks for our synod council understanding that they had spent thousands of dollars over the years in rent to the church, supporting the congregations ministry.

I also gave thanks for our council’s understanding this as a matter of economic justice. Home ownership rates in South Dallas are disproportionately low, particularly among black families. As home ownership is a primary driver of family wealth in our country this gives them a return on their years of rent payments. Housing equity that other families who are more able to get home mortgage loans have access to and too often historically people of color have not.

Finally, I gave thanks for the people of St. John and particularly their last called pastor, the late Rev. Doris Harris. I have no doubt she would be pleased by this decision and outcome. A glimpse of the kingdom in which all have enough and resources are shared out of our abundance. #NTNL #InMissionTogether