At Church, Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here to Pray

These days, churches, synagogues and mosques are not always identifiable. Sometimes there is no giveaway steeple, stained glass window, minaret or soaring roof line--just a name on a door and maybe a suite number.

Such is the case with Channel Islands Vineyard Christian Fellowship, located in a suite of offices in a pleasant--but definitely industrial park--neighborhood in Oxnard.

“Across the freeway from Wal-Mart” is how the fellowship advertises itself alongside its address, 1851 Holser Walk, Suite 200.

Actually, the location is the prosaic aspect of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship. When told that Vineyard Christian had been described as “the rock ‘n’ roll church,” Pastor Bill Coulter nodded. “We don’t mind being called that,” he said.

“We have a good time on Sunday morning,” said the Birkenstock-clad, bearded pastor of the nondenominational Christian fellowship.

“We don’t care what you wear,” he said. “We’re casual dress--it’s what’s inside that counts, although some in our congregation wear suits to church--get very dressed up. And some of our people are surfers--they come here dressed to go to the beach after the service.”

On a typical Sunday a total of 350 worshipers attend the 9 and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. services.

The sanctuary holds a low stage dotted with folding chairs and musical instruments, including a complete Yamaha drum set with cymbals, a keyboard, electric guitar, bongo drums and congas.

“At the Sunday service, our bass player gets down,” the 50-year-old Coulter said. “And at our Sunday night service, for the 18- to 25-year-olds, they really get down.”

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That is when the younger members take over. Chris Stansbery, 23, and Kelly Smith, 18, both grew up in the fellowship and now take turns handling the sermon, for which 20 or so regulars turn out. Coulter describes the Sunday night service as “sort of an intern program. If you don’t have youth in your church, you die out.”

Said Stansbery, who plays lead guitar and sings at the evening service: “I’m just trying to get across that the Christian life is hard to lead. The reason that young people come there is that the whole service is led by young people.”

The live bands that play at all services are culled from the congregation and usually play contemporary Christian music for the first half of the service.

“We believe that worship is supposed to be joyful,” Coulter said. Sometimes people dance at the back of the room, though the morning services are more of a classic, mellow worship, he added.

Coulter describes the fellowship as “charismatic. But the main thing is, we’re upbeat. We have young families, some ex-druggies--we try to be authentic and take people as they are. And here, you can’t just say you’re a Christian--you have to live it.

“We’re rock ‘n’ roll and radical, and we believe our deep, deep love cleanses all our sins.”

The Oxnard church isn’t the only branch of Vineyard Christian--the first was founded in 1976 in Orange County and there are now 500 fellowships worldwide.

“This church was first known as Chapel by the Sea in Hollywood Beach,” Coulter said.

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Coulter’s wife, Leah, is senior associate at the fellowship. Both are ordained and Leah Coulter, about to finish her doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, also preaches Sunday sermons.

“My major emphasis is ‘the sinned against,’ ” she said. “It’s the theology of healing. I talk about everyday issues and how the Bible applies to them. An example is that for women who were abused as children, it’s often a shame issue. One of my sermons might be about how the Gospel removes the shame.”

Comparing their pulpit styles, Bill Coulter said, “I’m more of a preacher and storyteller. Leah is the teacher.”

Leah Coulter said that people often “check us out on a Sunday morning and find they’re looking for a more traditional service, with a choir. We sometimes help people find another church that fits them better.”

Almost as important as the Sunday services is what the Coulters call their park ministry.

“We feed dozens of people . . . at Lyons Gate Park behind the Civic Center. We do it on the first Sunday of every month at 1:30 p.m. and every Saturday morning with other churches.”

And yes, Coulter said, occasionally an older person will crash the young people’s service Sunday night.

“They get to stay,” he said with a smile.