PCA Conversations

Bainbridge Island is a thirty-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. It has a rich history of lumber mills, military bases, strawberry farms and summer cottages. During WWII Bainbridge had the dual fame/infamy of being the place where the Japanese code was broken and also the place where hundreds were shipped to internment camps. David Guterson began as an English teacher at Bainbridge High School before making it big in Snow Falling On Cedars in which he describes some of these dynamics.  In the past thirty years Bainbridge has morphed into an upscale bedroom community of 22,000. There are little bays and harbors with names like Port Blakely, Port Madison, Manzanita Bay and Yeomalt Point. It’s an incredibly beautiful place to live and people often decide to locate here after conducting a thorough national search of “ideal” spots. It has a downtown that reminds people of Mayberry.  Not surprisingly, it attracts a lot of affluent idealists, artists and authors.

Some of the things I love about doing ministry here:

People tend to come and stay. There are opportunities to build long term relationships. Our family has  been here twelve years and I appreciate the richness of continuity more each year.

There’s a multi-generational aspect that I love. Seeing the gospel flow from old to young and young to old is breathtaking.

There is a small town feel. Both the fire chief and police chief attend our church and my kids hang out with them. Walking around town or riding the ferry is always an opportunity for conversations, sometimes surprisingly deep.

Along with the smallness there are also rich international connections. People travel extensively with business and vacations. There is a surprising amount of global awareness and concern.  This brings a great dynamic to congregational life.

Some of the challenges:

There is a utopian illusion that gets scary. A bunch of rich, white, very smart people trying to create the ideal environment for themselves and their kids can create a surprising amount of conflict, frustration and disappointment.

Affluence often brings a detachment from nitty-gritty community life.  Money covers a lot. Life is easily focused on work, entertainment, distractions and upgrades.

There is a strong negative bias towards Christianity (not unique to this place but quite pervasive here). It’s easy to get pegged and written off.

All in all, it is a deep privilege to see the gospel at work in this “soggy paradise.”

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Paul Schuler is the senior pastor of Cross Sound Church on Bainbridge Island, WA