Until Death Do Us Part

This article by Mike Sandez was published May 14, 1974. It is really neat. I think it expresses the hopes and desires of most who lived in our community households. This is it. Here I am and always will be. This is what God has for me. When this was written I hadn't moved into a household yet. I was just in the decision making stage. Linda and I were praying and discussing the issue. Along with the decision to move into community for us was my career as a naval officer. I only had five years to go until retirement. But was that the most important thing?

I joined the Navy in 1960 in order to avoid being drafted. I had a good friend who had received a commission in the Navy through Officer Candidate School. That sounded good to me particularly if it kept me out of the Army. Incidentally this friend of mine, who was also my college room mate, later also became an elder at FBCCV (John Pletcher). The Navy was a disaster for my Christian life. Anything you may have heard about people in the Navy was certainly true for me. But, as I matured, I wanted more out of life. Linda and I were married when I was 28 years old. I knew that I was going to have to shape up in order to stay married to her. In the meantime, my friend John had settled down and was attending FBCCV. He talked Linda and I into joining ourselves. Here I met authentic Christianity. I wanted what these people had. This was in 1967 well before Community had started.


In 1970, I was in Vietnam. Linda told me about how God was working through the House of Abba, our coffee house. Young people (hippies) were flocking to our church. I was both attracted and repelled. After my return, I saw reality and was no longer repelled. I wanted more. As the community grew, Linda and I read everything we could get our hands on about Community. Finally, in 1974 we made up our minds, submitted to the eldership and asked to move into community. We moved into Westby House which was headed by Ken Pagaard. We lived there for seven years. We really thought that we would be there for the rest of our lives. The move out of the household was devastating. What brought that about is another story. But suffice it to say that despite Mike's hopes (all of our hopes), within 4-7 years, it would all be over.


This was a time of high intensity. It was a time of high hopes. It was certainly among the best of times. The break up of community was one of the worst of my times.