Unchurched

Shaping values in a region that prizes individual freedom

The Pacific Northwest is known for its unspoiled natural beauty, rugged individualism...and large percentage of people who check the "None" box when asked about religious affiliation.

That's the extra challenge to ministry in a rural diocese like Baker, which covers two-thirds of eastern Oregon, in addition to the obvious physical obstacles of very small pockets of Catholics separated by very great distances. The 37,000 Catholics who live in the diocese may find themselves surrounded by friends and neighbors who see no value in belonging to a church of any kind.

For many Westerners, "church" equals "rules," and that equals restrictions on individual freedoms. "The Oregon culture is so much focused on ‘I want to be free to do what I want, when I want,' and anything that smacks of the institutional is kind of frowned upon," explains Jessica Crenshaw, who co-directs youth ministry and religious education programs for the diocese.

Crenshaw grew up in Portland on the other side of Oregon, and as a high school and college student and young professional she often found herself defending Catholic positions on morality.

Shaping family values

Shaping values in a state that legalized abortions before Roe v. Wade and now permits physician-assisted suicide requires strong families, says Crenshaw, who started in her position last June. The churches here are committed to supporting their families from the ground up.

"We see the same problems as the rest of the country," says Trina Matthews, a mother of eight in Enterprise, Ore. "The breakdown of family life, the inundation with materialistic messages. But out here we don't get all the billboards with ads. We don't have the gang problems."

What they do have is a strong Catholic parish, St. Katherine's, with perhaps 10 families who have elementary-age children. Trina and her husband Pat have committed themselves to active ministry at St. Katherine's. Pat teaches the Confirmation students, and Trina, the parish secretary, has taught religious education and helped run Vacation Bible School.

Catholic Extension aid has helped provide programs such as summer camps for students, and the annual "Family Camp," which draws families from across the diocese, including the Matthewses.

However, the parishes can use more resources, particularly to help out youth programs in very small communities, Jessica Crenshaw says. With only four Catholic grade schools peppered across a 67,000-square-mile diocese, support for solid religious education and youth ministry are critical "Programs like LifeTeen [an international movement that provides resources and faith experiences such as summer camps] and others are very good, but they're an expense some parishes can't take on," she says. "We have volunteers, but they can't do it alone."