By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For the past decade, the Revs. Gary and Mary Jane Saunders have preached of God’s love and social justice in Bowling Green – from the pulpit, in community meetings, at protests and at migrant camps.
When the husband-wife team retired earlier this week, they left a church and city changed by their commitment to inclusion. Real inclusion – not just the kind written on church signs, but the kind that fully embraces all.
The Saunders came to Bowling Green looking for one last adventure in their ministry. They found it at First Presbyterian Church.
For 40 years, their ministry has focused on inclusion – in Chicago, in Saginaw, Michigan, then in New York. Early in their careers, they fought for civil rights for all races. They stood up against sexism. And in Bowling Green, they turned their focus to inclusion of all people regardless of their sexuality.
“This kind of work has been a feature of who we are,” Gary said. “This is who we’ve been and what we’ve been.”
The couple met in seminary, Mary Jane from Chicago and Gary from Marietta, Ohio. They raised three boys and were pastoring at two different churches in New York, when they were offered the job at First Presbyterian in Bowling Green.
“We were happy, but we just wanted a new adventure,” Mary Jane said. “John Quinn (who was mayor and a church member at the time) did a good job selling us on the community.”
When the couple arrived, they immediately found their next challenge.
“It was brought to our attention there were these anti-discrimination ordinances,” that the city was trying to pass, Gary said. The ordinances made it illegal to discriminate in employment or residency against people because of their sexual orientation. And city leaders were in search of some support from clergy.
“That gave us the ability to step right up. We wound up right in the middle of it,” he said.
While other new pastors may have been reluctant to jump in, the Saunders had no hesitation.
Heavy duty effort to be ‘More Light’
For both Mary Jane and Gary, the rule of thumb is “always err on the side of love.”
That belief, shared by the congregation, led to First Presbyterian of Bowling Green becoming a “more light” church – fully welcoming and affirming to all regardless of sexuality.
“A lot of churches will say anyone is welcome, but they really aren’t,” Mary Jane said.
The “more light” status allows LGBTQ people to be employed by the church, to be in church leadership, and to be married in the church.
One of the Saunders’ sons, Andrew, is gay. But the couple said their belief that God welcomes all was there even before they had children.
“We were always on that end of the spectrum,” Mary Jane said.
They put the “more light” status into practice and presided over the marriage of church member Michael Penrod and Ken Burchett. And one of the last official acts of the Saunders as co-pastors was to baptize Alexander – Penrod’s and Burchett’s son.
“The thing I find inspiring about Gary and Mary Jane is they do the hard thing that the Christian faith requires,” Penrod said.
The pastors listen and unify the community on issues that might otherwise divide people. They show “relentless advocacy” for those in the LGBTQ community, those facing poverty or hunger, and the Latino community, Penrod said.
“They don’t just say the words, they live the words. It’s very inspiring,” he said, noting that watching the Saunders led him to volunteer at Martha’s Kitchen, where free dinners are served to those in need.
“I never thought I would ever be serving meals,” he said.
For church member Marcy St. John, when the Saunders were installed as pastors, it was the first time in her baby boomer life that her faith journey was accompanied by peers of her age.
“We were of like mind, in particular on social justice issues, and it was they who modeled faith-based activism in our community and well beyond,” St. John said. “I will forever admire their leadership, compassion and steady insistence on ministry in the name of God’s love.”
First Presbyterian took a visible step by placing a rainbow on its marquee, with the message, “Christ welcomes all here.” Over the years, the leadership has discussed changing the sign, but has been met with requests to keep the words.
“There’s no place else in town that says that,” Gary said.
Their support of the local Latino community led to the LaConexion organization sharing space in the church, and the congregation making visits to a local migrant camp.
Substance, but not stuffy
Traditional Presbyterians aren’t known for their lively, participatory church services. When the Saunders arrived in Bowling Green, they worked bit by bit to take the stodgy out of services.
Mary Jane plays guitar, and the congregation adapted to joining along on songs. Gary writes dramas, often including some atypical characters – like the less than angelic trio of angels with a Star Wars lightsaber, barbells and dramatic tendencies.
The Saunders realized they were treading on sacred ground by changing the subdued culture of the worship services.
“We brought a different style,” Mary Jane said.
And playing a big role in the change were the children.
“Children are 100 percent part of this church. They aren’t just an add-on,” she said.
Courageous in the community
The co-pastors found community involvement they could not resist. Gary led the Not In Our Town organization and Mary Jane is chair of the city’s Human Relations Commission. Those roles allowed them to stand up to hatred when it surfaced in the city.
“We had some time, and it so completely aligned with our values,” Mary Jane said. “And we knew the church would be supportive.”
As part of the BG Ministerial Association, Gary was able to reach out to other churches in the area.
“I’ve really enjoyed bridge building with other denominations,” he said.
In this position, Gary worked with other church leaders to offer an alternative to the National Day of Prayer, which in Bowling Green has been organized by a group that only allows certain conservative Christians to participate. That just isn’t the Saunders’ kind of Christianity.
But instead of organizing a protest, the Saunders and others started the annual Interfaith Breakfast, which includes all faiths.
“It’s grown every year since,” Mary Jane said.
The co-pastors have been central figures in the city’s new gathering place – Wooster Green – which sits right next to the church.
“Unfortunately, there have been a lot of times to gather and have a vigil,” Mary Jane said.
Mayor Dick Edwards credits both co-pastors with making a lasting difference in Bowling Green.
“What an incredible role they have played in our community,” Edwards said.
The mayor spoke of their roles in helping to pass the city’s anti-discrimination ordinances, the formation of the Interfaith Breakfast, and their leadership of Not In Our Town and the Human Relations Commission.
“I’m extraordinarily grateful for their work in the community,” he said.
The couple has been recognized with the “I Love BG” award and a Spirit of Wood County Award for their work. They have relished their relationships with BGSU students and faculty.
“It’s been one of the delights of our time here,” Gary said.
Concerns about ‘Christianity’
The Saunders, like most wise pastors, make it a point to not talk politics at the pulpit. But it’s been hard these last few years. So they walk a fine line.
“We never talk about politics. We just talk about what Jesus says,” Mary Jane said. “We’re very grateful being in a church where we can speak openly.”
The two are troubled about the term “Christianity” being used to defend unChristian acts, seeming to justify prejudice, discrimination and hate groups.
“We feel so strongly that the branding of Christianity and church has gone to something that’s not truthful,” Gary said. So he and Mary Jane often talk of how to create other voices, based on inclusion and love – not judgment.
The Saunders do have regrets of plans that weren’t fulfilled. They had hoped to get more racial diversity in the church, and to get a university student organization started.
The Saunders plan to remain in Bowling Green, at least for the foreseeable future.
“We love it here,” Mary Jane said. They plan to take about six months off before deciding their next community involvement.
For now, the couple plans to explore their next new adventure, Gary said. Something called “weekends,” he said with a grin.
