Redemption Spokane celebrates 10 years of services and growth
News Story by Kali Nelson | FāVS News
On Jan. 3, 2015 Redemption Spokane opened the doors for their first Sunday service.
The church congregation was small and the building seemed large, lead pastor Miles Rohde said of the beginning. Now, 10 years later they boast a congregation of over 100 and while they are looking to move locations Rohde said they are going strong.
How Redemption Spokane began
Redemption Spokane was originally going to be a Spokane campus of the Mars Hill Church out of Seattle. The planning started in the Spring of 2014 and Rohde made the move to the area to lead interest meetings and find a location.
The group pivoted after Halloween 2014 when the elders in Seattle chose to dissolve the church when founder and pastor Mark Driscoll stepped down due to charges of plagiarism, inappropriate use of church funds and improper behavior toward subordinates.
Rohde said after Mars Hill was dissolved, the group in Spokane met to decide what they wanted to do. They could stop attempting to set up a church or they could start one of their own.
“While they might have had some connection to Mars Hill — they wanted to be connected to some church work in the area,” Rodhe said.
A few months later, they would open as Redemption.
“We felt very strongly that we’re just meant to stick it out, and that we really believe the church is not the pastor, but it’s the people, and we liked the people, so we just decided to stick it out,” said Laurel Mills, a member who’s been with the church since the planning phase.
In the beginning Rohde said he used the analogy of building a plane and the runway at the same time for much of how the congregation found their ways of operating.
“While I had pastoral experience, the onboarding of new members basically went out the window,” he said.
What came next
The decade to follow brought growing pains and tough discussions, Rohde said. The pandemic caused some members to leave, though recent years have brought new faces. Mills said she enjoyed meeting the new families and being able to see the church grow.
The church is located in downtown Spokane, 212 S. Division St.
“It’s sad because one thing about being in that location was we were in a dark place and could bring light. But one of my main jobs is to shepherd and care for my church,” Rohde said.
While they originally hoped to make their downtown location work, Rohde said it has become unsafe. He said it’s become a hindrance to growth and the safety of the congregation. The church has been in talks of merging with another church, but is looking for a buyer for their building before moving forward.
“One of the things that brings me the greatest joy is even as we were starting to think about a plant and buying the building, we were told that there is no way we would have young families with kids coming to our church — and now we’re filled with young families with kids,” Rohde said.
Mills said her and her husband stuck around because they liked the feeling the church provided. She has volunteered in the children’s ministry since the beginning of her attendance.
Church growth
Rohde added that children make up a large portion of the church’s new members.
“Inside on Sunday it’s chaotic with children and it fills me with joy,” Rohde said. “Surrounding the kids I’m exceedingly grateful the Lord has been able to do that in our church.”
Mills expressed pride in the church’s growth since its founding. She described watching Rohde develop as lead pastor during the transition following Mars Hill’s dissolution and the influx of new families.
“I think that’s been something that has been a really beautiful thing to watch and see him grow as a preacher and a Bible teacher. The other thing I’ve liked seeing is just families connecting and just growing together,” Mills said.
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