By Sara Horn

It’s one thing to be proud of a rich tradition. It’s another to be stuck in it. But that’s just what had happened to the Penn Friends Community Church, a Quaker church in Cassopolis, Mich., with almost 170 years of history behind it.

With a dirt parking lot that probably dated back to when the church was first built, Penn Friends was planted on less than two acres of land, surrounded by two intersecting county roads, and near an active railroad crossing. A little more than 80 people attended in a community of 2,000. When the Rev. William Bruneau was asked in the year 2000 to be the pastor, he was assured by the church that they were ready for change and for new growth. But it was obvious after taking the pastorate that the church wasn’t as ready as they had thought.

“I’ll be honest, it was a difficult transition and things weren’t moving,” said Bruneau of his first year at Penn Friends. “There were people who said they wanted to change who didn’t and after two years, I was ready to get out of there.”

But before he jumped ship, the pastor discovered the Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Church. Although the concepts weren’t new to him, they gave him a vision for what the church might be. Knowing that some church members might balk at even the notion of using something new, Bruneau began incorporating the five purposes into his messages without telling anyone what he was doing. He soon saw many of the naysayers leave and others in the church catch the vision.

For Bruneau, one of the most significant steps that proved to him that the church wanted to make a positive change in becoming more active was the day the church parking lot was paved.

For more than 30 years, the church had saved up money to build a new building. But the building was never built and the money just sat there, much like the church.

“I get a little emotional when I think about it,” Bruneau said. “A church that was refusing to move ahead to do anything but spend the money they already had finally took a step of faith and believed God would bless them. When that parking lot was paved, those people who were naysayers looked at it and said ‘the church is doing something now.’”

And the vision definitely caught. By 2002, the church had moved into a brand new sanctuary, and at the new building’s dedication, Bruneau shared his vision to move the church toward being purpose driven, beginning with a 40 Days of Purpose campaign. In September of 2004, the campaign was launched with more than 20 percent of the congregation coming to Christ.

With more than 7,000 unchurched people living within 25 miles of the church, Penn Friends has seen an increase in visitors and attendees as the church has opened itself up to the community. Bruneau said that out of the almost 200 people who attend on a weekly basis now, only 45 percent of those are classified as members. Twenty-six new members have joined the church since the first campaign, something that had never happened in the history of the church.

Probably the biggest adjustment that the church has made in becoming purpose driven has been the practice of baptism and communion.

“For 165 years, Penn Friends Community Church strictly followed Quaker practice regarding the non-use of emblems in baptism and communion,” Bruneau said. “That could have been a major obstacle to our participation in becoming a purpose driven church.”

But a growing number of pastors among Quaker churches have begun practicing water baptism and communion with the elements, including Pastor Bruneau. “Now is the time to identify with the greater Body of Christ and celebrate our unity through participation in the ordinances of baptism and communion,” Bruneau said. “This has caused many tears and much soul searching, but the Body of Christ at Penn is growing healthier as a result of our willingness to embrace change.”

As change has happened for the better, the natural progression was to undergo the 40 Days of Community campaign and as a result, the church filled three tractor trailers to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Small groups now number almost 20, with Sunday school meeting between two Sunday morning services. At last count, Bruneau said there were approximately 150 involved in small groups.

Bruneau is excited about what God has in store for the church in the middle of a corn field. “Something miraculous is happening. It’s a God-thing. This is a church out of control for God. As long as this church has been in control, it hasn’t grown. Now that we’re out of control for the Lord, he is blessing it.”

All 2006 Church Health Award winner information is correct as of Jan. 1, 2006.