Matt Morgan’s office is casual and welcoming.
When I visited Friday, vintage water skis were propped against one wall. Sports memorabilia shared shelf space with books about faith.
Morgan, 41, is lead pastor at Warm Beach Community Church. On first meeting, he seemed a perfect fit for the informal office — personable, friendly and dressed in a Seahawks shirt.
He doesn’t look in any way like a person who’d say this about himself:
“I’ve shamed people. If you ever had a parent shame you, and say, ‘You disgust me,’ I’ve made people feel like that. It’s not my place.
“And I’ve threatened people — ‘You’re in danger of hell.’ Those people deserve an apology from me.”
That is what he said, though, this pleasant man in an office where old water skis lend a homey touch.
I went to the church near Stanwood to get a better sense of Morgan’s approach to his job. Last week I received two e-mail messages with intriguing subject lines.
“Local church apologizes for treating others poorly,” the first message said. When I replied to Morgan to learn more, he sent an e-mail invitation that has gone out to people who have visited Warm Beach Community Church in the past. Its subject line said simply, “We’re Sorry.”
That invitation also has been sent out in postcard form, with big “We’re Sorry” lettering and church service times.
Along with what the card calls a “public apology” and an invitation back to church to those who have been hurt, is a note that churchgoers will spend the first weeks of 2011 exploring “what Jesus said we should be.”
Did something happen? Was there an incident or scandal that called for an apology? Has there been a major philosophical shift at Warm Beach Community Church?
Not according to Morgan. He said the idea of starting a new year with an apology came from self examination. He doesn’t mince words when talking about how some people have been treated — by him, by his church and by churches in general — in the name of Christianity.
“I’ve been in ministry for 20 years, as a pastor, a youth pastor, a missions pastor and now a senior pastor,” said Morgan, who grew up in Bothell and came to Warm Beach Community Church two years ago from an Idaho church.
“Along the way I’ve talked to thousands of people. As I talk to people, I hear their stories, and hear how they were treated rudely and treated unkindly,” Morgan said. “Does the Bible talk about sin? Yeah it does. I don’t think we need to be rude about it.”
Recalling his years as a youth pastor, Morgan said he meant well in his dealings with kids he thought were headed for trouble. “I found myself trying to manipulate them, either by shame or guilt or fear,” he said. Having talked with some of those young adults today, Morgan said he sees that finger-pointing “wasn’t very effective.”
“In my experience, it seems like people outside the church are quicker to befriend than people inside the church,” he said.
When asked if Warm Beach Community Church has become more liberal, Morgan said that’s not the case. He knows some people may misunderstand or be angered by the apology.
“My beliefs haven’t changed,” he said. “My approach has changed.”
Central to that change are Morgan’s thoughts about passing judgment. That’s not his job, Morgan said.
His hope for all Christians is an understanding that God alone will judge, and that the focus of Christ’s followers should be on love and acceptance, compassion and service. “I’ve made mistakes in the past, and made people feel less human, less cared about,” Morgan said.
It’s possible the apology is a way to lure people back into church in the gloomy days after Christmas. Even so, “We’re Sorry” is a meaningful message.
It’s not condoning sin, Morgan said, “to just be kind to people because they’re people.”
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.
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