HOPE FOR WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH HOW A SEASON OF SUFFERING CAN MAKE FAITH COME ALIVE
When Paul Stevens (’98) came to University of Jamestown, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his future. “I came to Jamestown knowing I wanted to do sports,” he explained. “Eventually, I landed in elementary and physical education.” His wife Becky (Douglas) Stevens (’98), who studied early childhood development, was the first girl he saw on campus. “It was love at first sight,” he said. “I knew right then, I met my future wife.”
But, at only 36, he realized something. “I was bored,” he admitted. “I was unsettled in my spirit, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. My wife was feeling similarly.”
PLANTING A CHURCH IN A SEGREGATED CITY In 2011, Pastor Stevens was introduced to an opportunity to really influence a community. Epikos, a church with multiple campuses in metro Milwaukee, wanted to open a campus in West Allis, WI.
And yet, they did a little dance for three years before their first date—a date Paul remembers perfectly. “It was April 27,” he said without missing a beat. “We shared a malt at Perkins and watched the sun set at the Jamestown Reservoir.”
“I spent a lot of time in Milwaukee before deciding to move,” he said. “I remember walking into this old, dilapidated movie theatre that would become Epikos. I remember seeing more non-white faces than white faces.” He continued, “I realized I could do a mission, a cross-cultural mission, and I didn’t even need to hop on a bus. I could reach every person. I could do ministry to the nations, all in one city.”
Paul graduated and was offered a head coach and teaching position in Idaho. He proposed to Becky, and the rest, as they, was history. But, it wasn’t quite the history Paul and Becky expected. Each would soon feel a call to serve God. And Paul would go from Mr. Stevens to Pastor Stevens just a few years later.
And that’s just what he and Becky did. They entered a highly segregated city, one that was still struggling to know its identity. They got involved in the community. Bought a house. Sent their kids to school there. Raised almost a million dollars. Pastor Stevens became a chaplain for the police department. Becky began serving as the Children’s Ministry Director.
A FAITH THAT WAS COMING ALIVE
They hired a multi-ethnic staff and renovated the theatre to become a thriving faith community.
Paul explained that both he and Becky were raised in religious homes, but they didn’t really know what it meant to be obedient to God. When they moved to Idaho, their faith was coming alive. “The pastor there took a special interest in me,” explained Pastor Stevens. He got involved in youth ministry and started seeing himself in the boys he coached. “I was such a misguided kid,” he continued. “The things I learned about how God loved me and the grace He gave me—these boys needed that.” At 23 years old, Pastor Stevens realized his passion was to know God and to make Him known to others. He did this work for three years, helping the ministry grow immensely, before he realized he needed to follow his calling. He and Becky moved to Waupan, WI. He worked as a youth pastor there for six years. He was so successful that he was asked to become the senior pastor and lead the adult side of the church. He accepted the position and leaned into that role for five years, growing the church from a community of 400 to 600.
“We had 1,000 visitors on opening day,” he explained. “The next week, 500 came back to worship. White, black, Hispanic, homeless people, people who make three figures.” Life entered the neighborhood. And diversity was celebrated. “I believe God has positioned us as a church to be a part of the solution to segregation in this city,” he said. “There are a lot of ways and lenses to look at that. Congregations marching. Pastors speaking boldly.” How does he see his role, right now, in a time when deep-rooted racism is getting the national attention it deserves, as a white pastor from Western Montana? “I think it is my job to preach the gospel and elevate the voices of my brothers and sisters of color,” Pastor Stevens explained. “It is transformed hearts that can bring transformation to the city. And only God can
