New First Christian pastor saw window of opportunity in Jefferson City

Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: 
Rev. Michael Dunn poses for a photo outside First Christian Church in Jefferson City.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Rev. Michael Dunn poses for a photo outside First Christian Church in Jefferson City.

Michael Dunn recognizes that over the years, the things that are important to him -- that influence his decisions -- have changed.

The new (since July) pastor at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) had spent the past 20 years serving in the fourth-most populous city in the United States -- Houston.

His family was welcoming to change.

Dunn hadn't grown up in a major metropolis, having lived in northern Virginia, in a rural community. He later moved to rural Tennessee before arriving in Texas.

"As I thought about coming to Jefferson City, it certainly reminded me of where I'm from," Dunn said. "I went to a high school that had maybe 150 in the graduating class, so it was a small high school. It was all out in the country."

He attended Milligan College, which is a Christian liberal arts college.

Dunn had no intention of going into ministry. He went to school there because his brother was there, and they could party together. He added they hadn't grown up in the church -- and didn't know anything.

Being Christian didn't mean anything to him. He held no opinion about faith. He could have been anywhere else in the world, but happened to be at Milligan College with his brother.

"It was during that four-year period of time that I actually made a profession of faith and became a Christian. I was baptized," Dunn said. "I really made the decision for myself."

Still, he didn't feel a real "call" to go into seminary until he had been out of college about three years.

Dunn ended up attending Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, Tennessee. He also became pastor at Downtown Christian Church, which is in Johnson City.

While in the community, he and his wife of seven years divorced.

"That congregation really, really took care of me for about a three-year period of time when I went through that divorce," Dunn said. "Understanding that through all of it, their primary role was to support me and help me and nurture me. You hear a lot of horror stories the other way around. Somebody goes through divorce, and that's it, you're done. It's all your fault.

"I look back at that time and think about how grateful I am."

From there, he went to Houston, and a community of 4 million.

The church was across the street from Rice University.

"A lot of my ministry during that 20 years was on campus. Just being present for students and ... I just had so much fun being on campus," Dunn said, "student life and administrators."

He had remarried in 1997, before the move to Houston. Dawn had a 2-year-old boy at the time.

"The week after we got back from our honeymoon, we were walking out of the judge's chambers where I adopted Caleb," Dunn said. "I was holding him in my hand, and I reached to open the door to go out of the judge's chamber, and he asked, 'Am I a Dunn now yet?' 'You're a Dunn now yet.'

"And then we had Madeline, and we had Grace, and we had Hollis."

More than 20 years later, a window to Jefferson City opened.

It was "an opportunity," he said. "This is a good time for us to be doing it."

Dunn had been in Houston for 20 years when he made the decision to finish that ministry. He took a year sabbatical. During the year, he earned a certificate in nonprofit executive leadership.

"I figured if I went back into the church, it wouldn't hurt me to have that. A church is basically a nonprofit," Dunn said. "It's stuff they don't teach you in the seminary. They teach you how to translate Hebrew and how to translate Greek. But as far as how to run a nonprofit -- and the church is basically a nonprofit -- they don't teach you that stuff."

Dunn learned all that on his own -- by leading two different churches.

"When I think about coming here, and what's drawn me here, what I've identified for myself -- I've been really intrigued by and wondered about, what it's like to be the body of Christ, or what it looks like to be the body of Christ in a state capital," Dunn said. "It's really interesting for me to think about. That's drawn me. I think the other thing I've identified for myself ... the (local) church is really involved in helping the community."

New to the experiences of being in a capital city during the first day of a legislative session, Dunn said he's been amazed at the transformation Jefferson City undergoes as lawmakers arrive in town and begin their work.

"It's fun to see the city come alive in a new way," he said. "It's a metaphor for resurrection. And when I think of what happens in the Capitol building itself, I think that there is so much potential and possibility. Though, honestly, it's hard not to become cynical these days."

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has had a multi-year relationship, a partnership in education with East School, he added. It helps support the school by bringing in mentors, hosting block parties and purchasing supplies for teachers. Last year, members passed out T-shirts at a parent/teacher conference night, he said.

"Passing out T-shirts gets the kids excited about coming," he continued. "We supplied that. Their attendance was up because of just that little thing."

The church has demonstrated consistent solidarity with the poor and marginalized for more than 20 years, he said.

  photo  Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Rev. Michael Dunn poses for a photo in his office at First Christian Church in Jefferson City.