Changes Revitalize Presbyterian Church, Community Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church choir includes Doris Hoenig, second from left, and Marva Bryan, center. By Valerie Butler To reach Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Doris Hoenig travels from Gwinnett County, past the street where she and her late husband Don lived more than three decades ago. A member of the church since 1968, she recalls when her church like her old neighborhood was part of Stone Mountain s solidly whites only enclave. Integration and white flight in the 70s and 80s, followed by a recent influx of immigrants, have altered the fabric of this Atlanta, Georgia, suburb. The Memorial Drive corridor, once a thriving shopping district, now features panhandlers, temporary lodgings, and closed storefronts. The area once home to Red Lobster and Publix now is a litter-strewn assortment of ethnic restaurants, liquor stores, and halal markets.
But even as the complexion of the neighborhood darkened the U.S. Census says it s now three-quarters African American the aging congregation remained predominately white. Families like the Hoenigs, who moved to California when Don accepted a job transfer, found the church mostly unchanged when they moved back to Georgia 15 years later. Besides the lack of young families with children and decreasing attendance rolls, membership was much as it was at the church s 1954 founding. We were very satisfied to be who we were, Doris Hoenig, 86, recalls with a chuckle. We were doing a good job of taking care of ourselves, but we were out of balance. REACHING OUT TO A DIVERSE COMMUNITY Then three years ago, a new, younger pastor challenged members of the church to reach beyond their comfort zones. The Rev. George Tatro, then a 45-year-old recent seminary grad, told his flock to catch a vision or die. The Rev. George Tatro He has led his congregation in ministry to the least of these the homeless and refugees of DeKalb County. His commitment to outreach has attracted new members to the church and brought new life into the surrounding community. Both the membership and the ministry now reflect the increasing diversity of Stone Mountain and neighboring Clarkston. Less than half of the congregation is white, and 16 percent of the membership is
African-American. A significant number, nearly 15 percent, seem to defy easy categorization and are classified Black (neither African nor American) or Other. Elder Marva Bryan, who hails from Jamaica, and Belizean guitarist Derick Enriquez are among that number. Bryan, who was raised Presbyterian, had attended nondenominational churches before returning to her first love 13 years ago. Enriquez, a member for nine years, appreciates the welcoming atmosphere the hospitality that drew newer members like singer Hector Rivera. A retiree from Brooklyn, Rivera moved to the Stone Mountain area when his wife Leslie was offered a job transfer. When his son-in-law invited him to the church, Rivera met Tatro called George or Pastor George and it was like I d known him for years. ESTABLISHING NEW CONNECTIONS Tatro often stresses the importance of fellowship and discipleship. It s about building relationships, he points out. Strong connections in DeKalb s immigrant community have cultivated a congregation that is now 18 percent African. In global terms, these members have had the longest and most difficult commutes to church: from sub-saharan hot spots, through waiting lists and paperwork chases. Some had to enter a lottery for permission even to apply for a green card; and the application, once accepted, can take years to process.
Stone Mountain Presbyterian Church shares a border with the city of Clarkston, called by TIME magazine, The most diverse square mile in America. According to the city s website, 60 languages are spoken in Clarkston, and more than 30 percent of the population is foreign born. Tatro says some new arrivals from the Congo region and Frenchspeaking Cameroon were already Presbyterians. As for the rest of his diverse congregation from many nations, peoples and tongues They just fall into this place and worship here. Elder Bokassa Bukalo, a former Catholic, literally wandered into the church about three years ago. Newly arrived from Democratic Republic of the Congo, he walked down Memorial Drive from his apartment, looking for a local church to call home. Trusting the Holy Spirit, he bypassed two other churches to reach Memorial Drive Presbyterian. Shalom Ministry International, also known as Shalom Church, meets in the chapel next to the main sanctuary. My heart started beating faster, Bukalo recalls. I said to myself, This is where I m going to worship. He and his teenage son Kevin, a
graduate of nearby Clarkston High School, can be found at the church several days a week. In addition to his duties at Memorial Drive, Bukalo also serves at Shalom Church, a ministry that meets Sunday evenings in the chapel near the main sanctuary. Supported by the New Church Development Commission of the Presbyterian Church, Shalom was founded by immigrants and refugees. It s a melting pot where we praise the Lord the way we do in Africa we sing, dance and shout, Bukalo says. Pastored by the Rev. Gad Mpoyo, Shalom began like the early Christian church, meeting and praying in different members homes. The ministry quickly outgrew these gatherings, and Pastor George gave us a room to meet, Bukalo recalls. Several local Presbyterian congregations, including North Decatur and Shallowford, bought and donated chairs and came to help with renovations. In one weekend, the once-neglected chapel went from looking like a ghost room to a bright, lively worship space. The aim is to bring people together, Bukalo says. We sing in all the languages. MINISTERING TO THE LEAST OF THESE Memorial Drive Presbyterian also hosts language classes for Burmese refugees, and packs Bountiful Bags of weekend staples for Clarkston s Indian Creek Elementary School students. According to the school s most recent report card, close to two-thirds of the students have limited English proficiency.
Many in the school s student population 94 percent receive free or reduced school meals were going hungry over weekends and holidays. Hoenig, who once taught in the county school system, also has mentored and tutored students through the church s community outreach programs. Not content merely to shelter his flock from the issues that affect the neighborhood, Tatro encourages such hands-on community involvement. The church supports Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, a men s shelter near Decatur, and helps nearby North Decatur Presbyterian Church wash clothes for the homeless. Memorial Drive Presbyterian also has teamed with its Lutheran and Methodist neighbors to feed the area s needy. Six days a week, three churches within a one-mile radius pack and serve up to 70 adult lunches per day. Since the Presbyterians have a daycare center and St. Timothy s hosts an elementary school, they distribute the lunch bags at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church. We do whatever it takes, Tatro says. Churches provide an opportunity to have a bigger impact on the community than you d have on your own.