From Dream to Legacy
GOD is Faithful to His Promises
Harriet Tubman speaks to us: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
I would like to share a story of how one couple chose to step out on FAITH to create a LEGACY! In the words of Lady Eleanor N. Graves
On the morning of August 7, 1977, my husband, Rev. Michael Lee Graves and I stepped out on faith. We left a large congregation of over 1,000, a new church building and many loving people to begin the Temple Church. No money, no building, no land, no people as of yet. We were established a church officially on the campus of the American Baptist College on August 8, 1977.
I still remember my husband standing at the window of the Kresge Learning Resource Center on the campus of Meharry Medical College, looking for people to come. All glory to God, they came, more than 300 people filled this first sanctuary. Unknown to us, after our prayerful resignation the week before, people were organizing so we had a choir, led by Rev. Lawrence Thomison and Mrs. Abernathy and ushers. Needless to say, we were ecstatic and terrified at the same time. Moving forward the Sunday Services were held at the rented facilities of the Hillcrest Seventh Day Adventist church until January 4, 1980.
What was the dream? When we were in seminary well (my husband) and I was in graduate school. We envisioned a church where ministry would matter, where people would genuinely love and care for each other. It is expressed in the Mission statement of the Temple Church. Mission statement.
The church grew exponentially and supernaturally from the two of us, to the 250 original founding members to over 1,000 excited members. We moved from Hillcrest to our own building after purchasing 28 ½ acres of land. We wanted to make a difference and serve the community so initially the gymnasium /fellowship hall, the chapel, the pre-school, the commercial kitchen, the library and the suites of offices were built. This was phase one, financed by bonds – people that lent us money because they believed in the dream.
During this time, I was responsible for another dream, beginning a K-4 school, the Temple Academy. Once again, no money, no students, no furniture, no teachers, just a dream. God provided $44 dollars, money pre-paid tuition and the school began with 88 students. We thank God for seven years, and many young people who are now leaders, CEOs, Pastors, parents, people of God.
Fast forward to 1991 when we completed Phase One and broke ground to build Phase Two, which included a sanctuary, baptismal pool, choir loft and bell tower. Thanks be to God, we moved into our new addition on September 13, 1992. During that week, Temple consecrated its new sanctuary and throughout the year, the structure was admired by visitors from across the county.
In June 1996 Temple added a new Rodgers 960D Classic Digital Organ, similar to the one in Carnegie Hall. We now sit on over 77 acres of land. The Pastoral Residence was completed in 2000. In addition, we have the Samaritan Ministries Building, the counseling center in East Nashville and the Project Site in Cumberland View. No money, no land, nor building, a dream has come true.
After the sudden transition of my husband in 2004, we have been blessed with the dynamic, loving leadership of Rev. Darrell Drumwright. The dream continues… Temple continues to grow spiritually and numerically. Additional properties have been secured, additional staff members added and the debt of over 6 million dollars of capital debt has been eliminated.
The best is yet to come. This is not the last chapter of the book. Just to be clear there were difficulties, sacrifices, and even times when we felt that the dream had died. We had many “crossroad moments”! As a congregation, seven Temple families put up their homes as collateral so that the building process could continue.
Today, if you have a dream, or you are working on a dream, write it down, clearly state what the Holy Spirit has spoken into your spirit. It doesn’t matter that you have no money, no resources, no help. You have God and the promise, that you can do all things through Christ.
In my book, “Dreaming with Your Eyes Wide Open” I talk about the first step – perception. See yourself in your dream. We walked in the Temple Church in our minds before there was a building. Perception controls our reality. If you don’t have a dream, or know your purpose, take time to sit quietly and ask God to open your spiritual eyes. Don’t be afraid of ideas that may seem crazy or unrealistic. People called us crazy!
I encourage you today to step out on faith and live your dreams into reality! Check out The Miracle House — Paths 2 Transformation
Blessings knowing the Best is Yet to Come!
We are spreading the dream Internationally and invite you to support, The Graves Memorial Library
~Lady Eleanor Newhouse Graves