Dei Laborers
Rick McKinley and the Imago Dei Community are taking the whole gospel to the whole city of Portland, Oregon, even to the margins.
The Leadership Interview
October 1, 2007
Rick McKinley lumbers onto the stage like a bear in blue jeans. The screen behind him shows an image of the Portland skyline under the canopy of Mount Hood. He prowls the platform with a bottle of water. But as McKinley begins the message, a call to "Love Portland," it's evident this bear is more Teddy than Grizzly. His speaking style is reflective, biblical, and riddled with humor. His sermon feels like a conversation, despite the hundreds of mostly 20- and 30-somethings gathered in the old high school auditorium where Imago Dei meets. Emphasizing the reality of sin in the world, McKinley deadpans, "After Genesis 3, the world turns into a Jerry Springer show." The congregation laughs. "I can tell that joke every week and it still works," he says. "That's just pathetic." They laugh again. McKinley's casual charm serves him well in Portland, Oregon, a city liberal even by West Coast standards. The importance of relationships and community is reflected in Portland's ubiquitous coffee shops and pubs. Those values are evident during Imago Dei's worship service. After McKinley's sermon, the band plays as worshippers fill the aisles. For 20 minutes people sing as they move toward communion tables in front. Around the bread and cup, heads bow, alone or in clusters—some blond, black, gray, even pink and green. Imago Dei is an image of Portland as well as an image of God. But Sunday morning is only a partial glimpse. Unseen are the thousands in Portland impacted by Imago Dei who never attend a worship service. McKinley started the church seven years ago with a vision to take the whole gospel to the whole person. A daunting notion in a city like Portland. Today Imago Dei is reaching the margins. Its people are serving the homeless, ...
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