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Pastor serves church across from state Capitol

Being across the street from the Washington State Capitol with many people coming to testify before the state House of Representatives and Senate, the United Churches of Olympia offers its building for use by people who show up and want to engage.

Interfaith Advocacy Day gathering at the United Churches of Olympia. Photo by Mark White Photography

The federated United Church of Christ-Presbyterian Church (USA), at 110 11th Ave SE, is where the Faith Action Network of Washington stages its Interfaith Advocacy Day (IFAD 2025), which was on Feb. 20 this year.

In addition to that one day, the congregation has a commitment to be a host and provide hospitality for church groups coming. It rents space to many community and nonprofit groups, sharing their space at affordable rates and having good relationships with their building partners.

Lara Crutsinger-Perry, who has been at the United Churches for 11 years, is now the senior pastor. Soon after she began to attend the church, she started working in youth ministry. As other staff left, she progressed to be children, youth and family minister, associate pastor, co-pastor and then solo pastor.

She began her journey into ministry and outreach attending a Southern Baptist Seminary where she studied before and after earning a master’s degree in social work at the University of Texas Arlington. She grew up Southern Baptist in Texas but did not enter ministry in the denomination because she came out after graduating.

“I learned about the UCC attending the Cathedral of Hope, a Metropolitan Community Church that became a United Church of Christ,” she said, “Them my wife and I moved to Washington, D.C.”

In D.C., Lara worked for a national LGBTQ nonprofit until her wife was hired to work with the state health department. When they moved to Olympia, they looked for and found a church home 11 years ago at United Churches, where she began her journey into UCC ministry.

As a member in discernment, the UCC accepted her seminary training. She took a church polity class, boundary training and did an internship with the national UCC Extravagant program, to learn about social media and spiritual practices. She was ordained six years ago as associate pastor and became solo pastor during COVID.

“Our church, which has 150 to 200 people of all ages attending on Sundays for an interactive chapel service at 8:30 a.m. and a 10:30 a.m. worship in the sanctuary and on Zoom, is ecumenical in the sense that many found it after leaving faith traditions that did not meet their needs. We are a blend and learn from each other,” Lara said.

“Some left other churches and are healing from religious trauma, so we seek to be a place of healing,” she added.

Many members are state employees and there are several retired UCC, Presbyterian and United Methodist clergy.

They are more than pew sitters. The congregation sets aside 10 percent of its annual budget to use in the community. Their Community Connections team decided to support partner agencies through funds and service opportunities for members.

Lara described some of the ways the United Churches seeks to be a good neighbor.

• For 20 years one Tuesday a month, members prepare and serve a community dinner through the Community Kitchen. They are one of many groups that do that to provide meals every evening.

• The church supports a tiny homes community the city set up, moving people from camping in the woods to tiny homes villages where they have better shelter and resources.

“We delivered picnic tables to them,” Lara said, “and members visit and sponsor meals.”

• During Lent, the church is holding Monday Night Lenten Soup Suppers and Prayers as times to eat well and converse.

• The church recently started a Beyond Land Group to discover ways to be good neighbors with Indigenous folks. They offered an exhibit of local books on Indigenous history of the area and plan field trips.

“We want to move from our land acknowledgement to live its words,” she added.

• The congregation is engaging with others in the community in an Immigrant Coalition to support immigrants’ rights. Members are concerned for the safety of immigrant neighbors.

• Recently to support trans kids and siblings of color, members are showing up at school board and city council meetings to promote justice values.

“We see how media twist values we hold, coopted by political parties in ways that do not reflect what we want to live,” she explained.”

• Its website says the church is committed to becoming anti-racist, denouncing the Doctrine of Discovery and repenting any participation in and perpetuation of systems that oppress or marginalize people.

• In addition, if there are cuts in services, the United Churches members are looking at how they can respond to the needs of neighbors.

“We are having conversations so we will be prepared,” Lara said.

In their desire to be good neighbors, Lara said the church is beginning a $2 million capital campaign to renovate the building—decarbonizing their energy use by putting solar panels on the roof, installing an elevator,  putting in a HVAC system to replace on old boiler, upgrading its electrical system and “aligning the building with our values so it is ready for the next 50 years,” she said.

After Easter, the congregation will use to another space in the building for worship so the contractor can begin what will be five months of work.

Lara feels the United Churches is the best place for her to be in ministry, coming from a social work and community organizing background and having pastoral sensitivity to people needing community and healing.

For information, call 360-943-1210 or email lara@theunitedchurches.org.

 

Pacific Northwest Conference United Church News Copyright © April 2025

 

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