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March 26, 2009

Fast forward

Monthly fast deepens Maryland church’s anti-hunger effort, discipleship

by Mindy Marchal
Special to the Presbyterian News Service

Editor’s note: This is the eleventh in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” ― Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE — Saint Mark Presbyterian Church sits just outside the DC beltway in Rockville, MD, and as a result most members have a substantial drive to get to the church.

But an average Sunday will find 175 people from as many as 70 different nations in worship. The congregation’s theology is fairly moderate — some are on the right, some are on the left and “some don’t know if they are on the right or the left,” said Pastor Roy Howard. In many ways Saint Mark is not a traditional neighborhood church. And the pastor is not necessarily traditional either. 

Within this congregation and its pastor is a strong commitment to the ministry of hunger alleviation. Saint Mark is a covenant church with Bread for the World, and Howard worked for the Presbyterian Hunger Program as a young adult. The church supports the Manna Food Center in Rockville and has a direct link to the hunger program from its Web site.

So it’s no surprise that on the first Friday evening of each month, for the past six months, several members of Saint Mark participate in a two-day fast. The goal is “to think, and pray and learn so an answer will emerge” to the global food crisis, Howard said. 

Howard learned of the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s monthly fast from National Capital Presbytery, of which Saint Mark is a member.  

“I wish more congregations and more members were participating in the fast. It’s a piety to God, one that is part of Presbyterian tradition,” Howard said. “When I heard about it, I knew I wanted to participate because of that, and because each month, with regularity, it forces me to remember that we are all connected through Christ, we are all connected to the bigger church — all over the world.” 

Howard, his wife and a small group of Saint Mark members are participating in the monthly fast. They begin on Friday evening and break the fast with communion with the entire congregation on the first Sunday of each month.

“Not all of the congregation is participating in the fast, but they are aware of it and the global food crisis. I talk to them about it and try to increase their awareness,” Howard said.

Each month the fast and related resources from the Presbyterian Hunger Program focus on a particular country caught in the crisis and the systemic reasons for it. In addition to the education and worship resources, there are also daily prayers.

“The fast materials have been extremely helpful in understanding all of the complex issues that are contributing to global hunger. It’s made it very clear to me that these are real people suffering, that it’s a complicated issue,” Howard said. “I don’t know what the answer is — but that’s what the fast is really centered on. If we think and learn and pray as a connectional community, answers will emerge. This practice is fundamental to our Christian faith.”

Battokok Dax, a member of Saint Mark, moved to the DC area from Cameroon 23 years ago to work at the U.S. embassy and has been participating in the fasts. Battokok has strong connections to the PC(USA): his father was taught by Presbyterian missionaries and his mother worked as a nurse in a Presbyterian-sponsored hospital in Cameroon. The first week after arriving in Bethesda, MD, Dax, was taking a walk with his wife and children and stumbled upon Saint Mark in Rockville.

“Today I make a 37-mile drive, one way, because the people here are committed to the gospel and are a very welcoming congregation,” Dax said.

Dax has gone through a lot of transition and adjustment to a new life.  He recently returned to the United States after an extended stay in Cameroon, and he also has retired. Dax uses his faith and the fast to ground him as he readjusts with his family and tries to find a second career.

“When you are going through so much, your faith strengthens you. I need my faith to sustain me, to center me and feel close to God,” Dax said. “And the fast, it helps me remember not to take food for granted. It helps me see what my life could be if I didn’t have the blessing of food every day. So I pray for (those suffering from hunger) often.”

Howard deeply believes in the connectional theology of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the fast is one more way he’s able to live that theology. It reflects the PC(USA)’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide,” an emphasis affirmed by last summer’s 218th General Assembly.

“Each month, with regularity, as a type of marker, the fast forces me to remember that we are connected to the bigger church, we are connected to people all over the world because of practices that can be changed,” he said. “It helps me remember that these are real people suffering, that I can make a connection to them from this individual act (of learning, praying, and reflecting) because Christ is involved in the world through us.”

To learn more about the monthly fast and to access resources, click here.

Mindy Marchal is associate for mission communications in Communications and Funds Development, assigned to Compassion, Peace and Justice.