A UNIQUE PURPOSE

The uncertainty of homeless life contributes to the large variance in church attendance.

Mannis, who published a book in 2009 about his experience called “Joseph Tuckerman and the Outdoor Church,” says that though the church serves the same number of people each Sunday, the attendees are not always the same people. Of the 100 to 120 people served each week, between 20 and 30 consistently attend church service, Mannis estimates.

The number of participants has been consistent in the past four to six years. According to Mannis, people move in and out of the system, some move away, some get off the streets, new people move in, and some die. He says that about a third of the people who participate in the Outdoor Church program have been attending since 2005.

Despite the substantial ebb and flow of their work, Crossen says that the Outdoor Church is a close-knit community. Church goers often visit their members in jails or hospitals. “Word gets around fast when things happen,” Crossen says.

Wade B. Weigle, a congregant since June, says he attends services every Sunday: “It is nice to hear the word, visit, and get help with toiletries,” he says after a recent Sunday service as he enjoys an egg salad sandwich, a personal favorite of his.

The Outdoor Church also offers members red wristbands with a phone number so that church leadership can be contacted in case of emergencies.

Crossen says that though food and services are central to the Outdoor Church, it is not a typical social service program, as it also brings prayer to an often neglected population. “It does something different,” Crossen says.

—Staff writer Ekene I. Agu can be reached at ekeneagu@college.harvard.edu.