Church Without Walls, Pastor Without Office
By The Reverend Michael Hoy

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Editor's Note: The Reverend Michael Hoy is a pastor at First Lutheran Church in Decatur, IL. As a result of their involvement in the Partnership for Missional Church, First Lutheran developed a new mission for vision and commissioned an artist to create a mural illustrating it. Pastor Hoy describes their mission for vision and the mural in the paragraphs below.

First Lutheran Church was blessed with the artistic talents of Paul Oman who was commissioned to paint the mural (5’ x 8’) entitled, “Mission.” As part of our missional vocation, we have been stressing how important it is for us to be a “church without walls.” This is evident in his depiction of the outstretched arms of our risen Lord where only the altar and cross of the sanctuary are present, but the outreach is to the missional hospitality to the homeless and poor of our community.

As we deepen our sense of vocation, the congregation has an understanding and appreciation of my personal involvement and leadership in partnering within our community to enflesh the goals of being the church for the world. The idea of mission finds concrete practical evidence in many of the ways I am also personally working with and for the homeless, the unemployed, the low-income families, and the shaping of community leadership for the good of all. Where I lead as shepherd will hopefully translate into where the flock will come for the water of life. There is some evangelical precedent for this, of course, in the One made flesh for us all – and without walls or barriers to his mission.

The Reverend Michael Hoy is a pastor at First Lutheran Church in Decatur, IL.