A Parish Story from Rockwood | Gresham, OR
In the face of systemic oppression, linking across difference becomes a major key to working toward justice. The Rockwood neighborhood of Gresham, OR has been ravaged by a long history of racist and systemically oppressive policies and practices. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Bond Tyler, a parishioner of Parklane Church along with Pastor Pete Armstrong organized a prayer walk and a time of lament to remind the community that Jesus dwells in the midst of pain and social unrest.
Pastor Pete Armstrong
“In a place like Rockwood, where it’s not part of the culture to be a follower of Jesus, we need to be linking arms with other bodies of believers to serve the city.”
They gathered 25 different churches from the neighborhood, representing 52 languages and a multiplicity of ethnicities. They wanted to create space for community lament–lament for the marginalized, pushed aside, gentrified neighborhood that they all love and serve. Rockwood has been known as the neighborhood that Portland forgot for about 60 years amidst rising crime rates, food deserts, and a wide wealth gap.
Pete and Bond are a part of Shalom Rockwood, a coalition of neighborhood faith communities that are committed to linking across difference. They are also active with the Rockwood CDC, working with neighbors to transform their neighborhood by collaborating with community members to solve systems-level issues with systems-level solutions. Parklane Church serves their community, partnering with WeBelongPDX to provide safe, after school programs for kids, free oil changes for community members, food distribution to those in need, and other practical outreach programs. Click to watch Bond and Pete share their Parish Story at Inhabit 2022.
Bond Tyler
“Pray for the churches in Rockwood. I know that if we stay true to living a life that reflects Christ, our communities will change.”
Click to learn more about Rockwood CDC or to see what the Shalom Rockwood Network is up to. To connect with Pete or Bond, reach them through the Parklane Church website.
