There’s a secret Reno. It’s mysterious, hidden in
plain sight. It’s the spiritual community. I’m not just
talking about the church community, but the network of all
spiritualities that exist intertwined but separate, a machine in which
all the parts operate individually but with a fraction of the power
they could achieve if the parts were summed.
I was reminded of this fact when I attended the Rhema Christian
Church, 120 W. Taylor St. Who would have known that there’s an
international, primarily black congregation right in the middle of Old
Southwest Reno?
My girlfriend, Joy, and I showed up a few moments early for the
10:30 a.m. worship service. They were utterly welcoming, ushering us
into the sanctuary as the 9:30 Sunday school came to a close.
The sanctuary is small, with about 60 burgundy, padded chairs.
It’s simple, the only adornments single-word computer printouts:
joy, advance, peace. On the chancel was the accoutrement of a
rockin’ choir: several microphones, keyboard, electric drum set.
The “stage” was completed with poinsettias, electronic
screen, Christmas tree, nativity set, lectern. In fact, there was
nothing unusual about the look or design of the church—except the
people.
The first thing I noticed when we entered was everyone spoke to me
in accents I couldn’t quite place. After the service, Pastor Femi
Gbenjo told me that the church is truly international, with members
from Ghana, Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cuba, Chile and the United
States. I’ll bet there are more. The pastor also presented me
with a small book, Recognizing your Messengers of Destiny, which
was written by Bishop Taiwo Akinola, founder of the Rhema Christian
Church & Towers, Ota, Nigeria. One key principle of this church is
the idea that church should also work to improve people’s lives
on Earth.
The music was robust. There were nine members of the regular chorus,
and there were several tambourines in the congregation. The service
proceeded like most evangelical services: Opening prayer, offering,
announcements, testimonies, reading, sermon and benediction. (Pastor
Femi offered the second installment in “Keys to
Prosperity,” which relates 12 steps from the Bible on how to
improve financially and spiritually.) The two exceptions were the
singing of the congregational hymn and the song ministration by the
Rhema Voices International, a separate singing group from the
church.
All in all, Rhema Christian Church felt like a Bible-based Christian
church. But there were things that felt odd, not unpleasant but
different. The music had extra beats and a slightly different tone than
I’m accustomed to. In the songs and occasionally the words
spoken, there were foreign phrases and words I’ve never heard,
like “patapata.” At the times group prayer was called for,
people would emphatically pray aloud—sometimes the same
words—but not in unison. And yet, I felt comfortable, like
I’d been invited into someone’s home.
It occurred to me that many of these people are immigrants, with a
shared experience different than mine. Many of them came to this
country without their parents, brothers or sisters, and this
service—with its shared labor, communion, and common-sense sermon
about how to live—is truly a family function and a function of
family.
I have no idea how much this congregation has integrated into the
Reno spiritual community, but this is a group that could be
incorporated into the community to everyone’s benefit. I do know
that people who want to understand more of the secret Reno will be
welcomed with open arms into the Rhema Christian
Church.
MUSIC
none
mellow
traditional
rockin’
SERMON
none
thought-provoking
informative
inspirational
FELLOWSHIP
cordial
friendly
welcoming