MEET: KEN EASTBURN

[Ken and Ali Eastburn]

Ken Eastburn

Ken Eastburn is the founder of The Well, a network of house churches that began in Southern California, and has spread to Pittsburgh, and most recently in Ghana, Africa.

The story of The Well—now located in Orange County, California—actually began long before I became its pastor. Originally named First Southern Baptist Church of La Habra 1952, the church experienced many ebbs and tides—from congregation size to pastoral leadership—over its first 50 years. By 2003, the 20 or so members who stuck around felt trampled and without answers.

Enter: me, Ken Eastburn. Over a cup of coffee, our denomination’s Missions Director asked whether I would consider stepping into the pastorate at this struggling church. I reluctantly agreed to visit with an “open mind.” But at my first sight of every wooden pew and plastic flower bouquet that adorned the sanctuary platform, I quickly dismissed the pastoral position. However, God still had his foot wedged in the door and six months later, I agreed to meet with the church’s board.

During the interview the five elderly board members’ faces looked war-torn. Seeking some reason why I might join their plight, I asked, “What’s next for this church?” One deep, male voice broke through the silence and with confidence said, “The Holy Spirit is not through with us.” His answer gripped my heart; I believed along with this man that God was still moving in their midst. So, in November 2003, I became their pastor.

But from the first time I stepped behind the large, wooden pulpit, I began to butt heads with some folks in the church body. Every time I tried to make a change—such as moving the “great, white Bible” from the altar, I stepped into sacred territory. Desperate to discover something radical, I even tried out a few funky techniques I had read about. We hosted a coffee-house style evening, complete with dim lighting, candles, and emo-type band. The whole endeavor flopped with a thud, and I was back at square one. So I prayed…and prayed…and prayed. And when I had finished, I prayed some more.

Our sweet and supportive church treasurer, Bonnie, suggested that the church buy a house, in which my family and I could live and the church could worship. Although the idea was fraught with potential problems, her proposal got me thinking. I went online and Googled the words “house” and “church.” A new world exploded in front of me. The more I read and researched about house churches in America, the more convinced I became that God was moving behind the scenes—and I was terrified.
In September 2004, five congregation members agreed to attend a house church conference with me in Denver, CO. After every seminar and assembly, their cry became, “We HAVE to do this!” So without a clear roadblock from the five, I proposed to the board the idea of leaving the building to begin meeting in houses.

Surprisingly, they, too, seemed to like the idea. Our little congregation agreed. Over the next four months, we prayed, fasted, researched, and dreamed together about what a house church model might look like. The congregation members went from “Don’t you dare get rid of the plastic flowers” to “Let’s change it all.”

The congregation radically voted to leave the building and we became The Well, a community of house churches. We adopted our new name immediately—even before we left our building—and began to make preparations to ditch the concrete. Finally, on a Sunday morning in January of 2005, The Well met in its building for the last time. We stepped out over the threshold…and never looked back.

Although bold and terrifying, leaving our building behind began our journey of discovering what the Church is really all about. Along the way, we have learned that everything a “normal” church does—missions, study, growth, evangelism, and so on—we can do together, because a change of venue does not negate the responsibilities and privileges we share with any other church. Daily, God continues to transform us…and He’s not done with us yet.

What about you?

Do you believe the Holy Spirit is still moving in your midst? While God does not lead everyone down the same path, His desire for you to be an active member of His Body remains the same. Could something as simple as a building be standing in the way of your becoming the living, breathing Body of Christ? Is it time for you to strip down to the bare essentials and become the Church all over again?
If so, we invite you to join us on this journey and leave the building.

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