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HomeCommentaryThe Oak Tree working to change faith in Spokane

The Oak Tree working to change faith in Spokane

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There’s a lot of symbolism in an oak tree. It has deep roots that suck in nutrients to make it tall and strong. And in the Celtic tradition it symbolizes a door where different worlds come together. It’s no wonder this tree is an image of power and community. The Oak Tree is the perfect name for a new grassroots organization trying to gain some steam here in Spokane. Spearheaded by Joel Williamson, a 29-year-old Spokane resident, the Oak Tree is a new faith community focused on building a people of power. In a recent email Williamson said the group will fight powerlessness by, “actually telling and hearing our stories (which define the experiences which shaped us and our values), and then acting in the community to create/shape it based on those values instead of simply struggling and adapting to the community which is shaped for us by the wealthy, corporations, and ideology. ” On Thursday evening a group of eight people met to discuss the new group (which is applying for grant money). At the meeting Williamson said that the institutional church is no longer a place of authenticity and embodiment. This group, he hopes, can change the community by giving people the power to do “something with our faith.” “This is an action group to build power and take action on what we care about,” Williamson said. “We can be a force to make things happen locally.” The Oak Tree is backed by some local mainline Protestant church leaders (Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran), but it’s open to anyone and everyone. This group is just getting started, but trust me, this isn’t the last you’ve heard of them.

Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of FāVS.News, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.

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