History of HOPE Community of Shalom

 

 

The International Shalom Movement

The Shalom movement in the United Methodist Church (UMC) began amidst the rioting and national strife that followed the verdicts of innocence for the police officers involved in the Rodney King beating. The riots erupted in 1992 just as the international General Conference of the UMC had just convened. General Conference in the UMC meets only once every five years and is the only body that can make official policy and speak for the church as a whole. The delegates to that convention were moved to lay aside their resolutions and other business to respond to the deep divisions revealed by the riots. All delegates took a day of fasting and prayer before responding. Their response was to establish the first “Shalom zone” in Los Angeles.

Shalom is a Hebrew word that means “peace,” “welcome,” “community,” and “well-being.” Shalom communities reach out to help bring together resources, build community, promote change in the system, and offer Christ. Soon other communities recognized the need for Shalom zones or Shalom communities in their own neighborhood. In 2001, The General Board of Global Ministries of the UMC developed teams to travel to various locations to train local groups and sow seeds of the movement in communities throughout the world.

 

Beginnings of HOPE Community of Shalom

In 2001 Asbury United Methodist Church was facing a crisis. Membership was elderly and dwindling. Most of the rooms in the large, 24,000 square foot building were unused. The neighborhood surrounding the church was very poor and run down. Upkeep for the building was becoming impossible.

In the midst of this crisis, a instead of just giving up, a visioning committee of Asbury UMC was chosen to attend the Shalom training sessions being conducted by the General Board of Global Ministries in Lubbock and West Texas. In 5 all-day meetings, the Asbury team learned that a Shalom community must listen to people in the community to learn what they need and want for themselves instead of deciding what we want to do for the community. Instead of doing things for the people, the Shalom movement seeks to empower people to do for themselves and to transform the system instead of accepting the status quo. Instead of being limited by what the community does not have, Shalom encourages focusing on what the community does have. Finally, Shalom encourages collaboration with others interested and willing to help.

The HOPE/Shalom group from Asbury analyzed their assets, determining that space and location of the Asbury building in an area of need were two major assets. They learned a how to promote change, how to raise funds, how to promote community development, and how to walk the neighborhood to get input from the people. All of these strategies were gradually implemented. The project was incorporated as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization in 2002.

The first project for HOPE Community of Shalom was the Shalom Readers and Shalom Kids programs providing nutrition, nutrition education, homework assistance, reading incentive and enrichment after school and in the Summer.

 

The Program Grows

In October, 2004, in a remarkable gesture of generosity and hope for the future, Asbury UMC voted unanimously to donate their building to HOPE Community of Shalom and to help fund its outreach with rent payments while continuing to meet in the building. The official transfer was completed in March, 2005. As far as we can determine, it is a unique circumstance in Shalom ministries for a church building to be transferred to Shalom ownership while the church continues. Asbury UMC continues to support HOPE/Shalom with rent payments.

 

Where We are Today

Now the building is filled by thirteen groups who use the building to serve the Lord and their fellow humans and who also contribute financially, as they are able, to the upkeep of the building. Asbury has seen a revival with a newly-appointed Spanish-speaking pastor who is reaching out to the neighborhood, bringing in new members for the church, and helping the members to grow in the faith.