“My basic belief in the message of Jesus Christ has allowed me to faithfully disagree at times”
– Ron Rowbottom, London, Ontario
I grew up attending the Anglican church, the denomination that my parents belonged to. My mother emigrated from England and my father emigrated from Wales before they met in Simcoe, Ontario. I remember attending Sunday school, learning the Apostles’ Creed, and preparing for my confirmation at age eleven. I have good memories of my childhood church attendance, observing the actions and hearing words that inspired me to look at the needs of society. The young minister that led my confirmation class moved to the Northwest Territories to fulfill his calling in ministry.
As a teenager I was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon church) by two missionary elders who started a baseball game for neighbourhood youth at the park next to where I grew up. I was impressed with the elder’s stories: they were adult “missionaries.” I became involved with the Mormon church but felt disillusioned when the elders were called back to Utah because the local church complained “they were spending too much time with non-church youth and non-members.”
As I studied the Mormon faith and asked questions regarding teachings that concerned me, I ended in discussion with congregation leaders and the bishop. The final discussion was regarding my refusal to accept the “Adam-God Theory” on faith alone rather then biblical affirmation. As a result, the bishop advised me that my faith was not strong enough and I would be happier in some other denomination.
I did not attend church for the balance of my teen years until I met and married my spouse in 1970. It turned out her family were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now Community of Christ. You might imagine my concern having been asked to leave the Mormon church it left me wondering if I had circled back to that faith tradition until I took time to study and learn the beliefs and doctrine that this church followed.
I joined the RLDS church and eventually was called to the office of elder at the little white church in Simcoe. Coincidently the Simcoe Congregation church was just three houses up the street from where I grew up. I passed that church regularly but never knew who they were when I was growing up.
At one point I decided to request my Evangelist Blessing, and was advised to “study all good books, learn and comprehend” and “that God had been with me during my life’s journey, I was to look back and remember those times even when I was not aware of Gods presence.”
Since my ordination to elder, I’ve had the privilege and blessing of pastoring congregations in Delhi, Port Elgin, and London, Ontario, as well as Denver, Colorado, and Houston, Texas. The love, faith, and sense of family that I felt in those and other congregations for nearly fifty years has been the bedrock of my developing faith journey.
There were times I disagreed with policies and procedures that were adopted by world church as official positions, but the Spirit of God has continued to nurture me and helped me to understand the official direction of the church. My basic belief in the message of Jesus Christ has allowed me to faithfully disagree at times.
I have a written statement that I keep in my office by Community of Christ President-Emeritus Wallace B Smith. These words have been the describing principal of why I belong to the Community of Christ:
“I want to be part of a church that is for things, that rejoices over the opportunities to serve humanity at its point of need, that offers a ‘becoming’ power, that offers beauty for ashes, that creates a feeling of worth in all individuals, that motivates concern and action for the wellbeing of others, and that places humanity in meaningful perspective with all God’s universe. And I want most of all to tell others about such a church.” —Wallace B Smith, April 9, 1978
I am now involved in the church sponsored non-profit Zerin Development Corporation. We have one property with 40-unit affordable housing for seniors. We are currently constructing a 95-unit affordable housing building for seniors and handicapped. Additionally, we have joined six other non-profits to build a third 116-unit affordable housing project as part of goal of providing 630 new accommodations in the city.
My vision for the church in Canada is to see our buildings become centers where we gather and vision moving outside the walls to be an intricate part of the community in which we live and serve.
As a teenager I was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon church) by two missionary elders who started a baseball game for neighbourhood youth at the park next to where I grew up. I was impressed with the elder’s stories: they were adult “missionaries.” I became involved with the Mormon church but felt disillusioned when the elders were called back to Utah because the local church complained “they were spending too much time with non-church youth and non-members.”
As I studied the Mormon faith and asked questions regarding teachings that concerned me, I ended in discussion with congregation leaders and the bishop. The final discussion was regarding my refusal to accept the “Adam-God Theory” on faith alone rather then biblical affirmation. As a result, the bishop advised me that my faith was not strong enough and I would be happier in some other denomination.
I did not attend church for the balance of my teen years until I met and married my spouse in 1970. It turned out her family were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now Community of Christ. You might imagine my concern having been asked to leave the Mormon church it left me wondering if I had circled back to that faith tradition until I took time to study and learn the beliefs and doctrine that this church followed.
I joined the RLDS church and eventually was called to the office of elder at the little white church in Simcoe. Coincidently the Simcoe Congregation church was just three houses up the street from where I grew up. I passed that church regularly but never knew who they were when I was growing up.
At one point I decided to request my Evangelist Blessing, and was advised to “study all good books, learn and comprehend” and “that God had been with me during my life’s journey, I was to look back and remember those times even when I was not aware of Gods presence.”
Since my ordination to elder, I’ve had the privilege and blessing of pastoring congregations in Delhi, Port Elgin, and London, Ontario, as well as Denver, Colorado, and Houston, Texas. The love, faith, and sense of family that I felt in those and other congregations for nearly fifty years has been the bedrock of my developing faith journey.
There were times I disagreed with policies and procedures that were adopted by world church as official positions, but the Spirit of God has continued to nurture me and helped me to understand the official direction of the church. My basic belief in the message of Jesus Christ has allowed me to faithfully disagree at times.
I have a written statement that I keep in my office by Community of Christ President-Emeritus Wallace B Smith. These words have been the describing principal of why I belong to the Community of Christ:
“I want to be part of a church that is for things, that rejoices over the opportunities to serve humanity at its point of need, that offers a ‘becoming’ power, that offers beauty for ashes, that creates a feeling of worth in all individuals, that motivates concern and action for the wellbeing of others, and that places humanity in meaningful perspective with all God’s universe. And I want most of all to tell others about such a church.” —Wallace B Smith, April 9, 1978
I am now involved in the church sponsored non-profit Zerin Development Corporation. We have one property with 40-unit affordable housing for seniors. We are currently constructing a 95-unit affordable housing building for seniors and handicapped. Additionally, we have joined six other non-profits to build a third 116-unit affordable housing project as part of goal of providing 630 new accommodations in the city.
My vision for the church in Canada is to see our buildings become centers where we gather and vision moving outside the walls to be an intricate part of the community in which we live and serve.
