Beyond the Possible

December 10, 2012
The story of Glide Memorial Church’s transformation from a dwindling Methodist congregation in San Francisco to a thriving, justice-oriented community unfolds in alternating narratives by pastor and civil rights activist Williams (No Hiding Place: Empowerment and Recovery for Our Troubled Communities), and poet and founding president Mirikitani (Out of the Dust). Both authors recount formative childhood experiences that shaped their sense of identity and calling, and describe frankly their own relationship’s development over decades (from acquaintances to colleagues to spouses) in the context of their passion for Glide’s work. Humor, courage, and conviction radiate through these stories, which jump back and forth through the years, detailing Williams’s arrival and chilly reception at Glide and his determination to engage the Tenderloin neighborhood and welcome the marginalized (homeless, hungry, mentally ill, drug-addicted, prostitutes, LGBT folks) into church with a message of unconditional love and acceptance. Notable moments in Glide’s history interweave with non-chronologically ordered reflections on Trayvon Martin, the Black Panthers, Maya Angelou, the crack epidemic, racism, homophobia, and nonviolence. The authors’ persistent self-examination and honest recounting provide a generous, faithful window into Glide’s consequential ministry.

March 15, 2013

Rev. Williams first visited Glide Memorial Methodist Church in San Francisco's notorious Tenderloin district in the early 1960s, immediately recognizing the opportunity to create a place where all members of the community would be accepted, inspired, and loved unconditionally. Cofounder, poet, and president of the Glide Foundation Mirikitani joins Williams in writing this beautiful, inspiring, and humble account of how Glide went from a dying church with 35 members to a far-reaching community serving thousands through service and outreach regardless of religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or socioeconomic status. In what is alternately personal narrative, historical account, and manifesto, the authors take turns describing their experiences at Glide, offering personal revelations (e.g., the church's effect on Mirikitani's path to healing after years of childhood abuse), discussing how social and historical events affected Glide and its community (e.g., the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s), and describing Glide's response to a number of social issues (e.g., implementation of the Citizens Alert to combat police brutality). VERDICT Offering emotionally powerful, deeply personal, and self-aware storytelling, coupled with an emphasis on justice, equality, community, and love, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in religion, sociology, or American history.--Jennifer Harris, Mercyhurst Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

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