At first glance, Bar+Church seems like an odd mixture or even a recipe for disaster. But instead it provides a holy experience. On a Sunday evening, surrounded by beer taps and TV screens, Jesus shows up. A dog-eared Bible next to a glass of the latest lager becomes a holy moment for anyone. Exchanging the standard sermon for a time of conversation and the traditional hymns for the radio in the background, it is here that the Holy Spirit moves in a new way for the people around us.
This idea isn’t new. From monks brewing in monasteries to Martin Luther planning the Reformation at his favorite bar, there is a long and storied history of beer and church. That history came full circle in fall 2022 when it became clear that the church needed to meet the community where it was instead of waiting and hoping the people will come back to the church.
Exploring a New Form of Ministry
As the world began to reopen after pandemic shutdowns, a couple of things became clear very quickly. First, people were longing to gather together again. They missed being social and were looking for places to engage. Second, for a myriad of reasons they were not gathering inside the walls of a church sanctuary. These two realities led my congregation, Nixon United Methodist Church, to start exploring new ways to minister to the people around us and meet them where they already are. Out of that was born Bar+Church. It isn’t Bar and Church, or Bar Church, as if it is simply a mashing of the two ideas. It is Bar PLUS Church because bars and churches have similar understandings of community, identity, and connection. As a result, the bar and the church come together to lift each other up and help everyone be better together.
We launched our first church service in January 2023 and since then it has been a fantastic ministry. The service is authentic and focused around conversation and the practical application of Scripture. Conversations feature honest questions and humble doubt. The congregation at Bar+Church includes college students, bikers, homemakers, teachers, and even a few other pastors; at 40-years old I am one of the oldest in attendance. It is refreshing, honest, and holy.
Reactions Both Positive and Negative
This has had ramifications outside of the congregation as the community hears of a church service in a bar. Some are excited or curious, while others reject the idea.
Whatever their reaction, it becomes evangelism as people talk about a church that would meet in a bar. We have received some astonishing hate mail and a few angry curse words about what Jesus would and would not do, but for every negative response, dozens of authentic conversations happen and remind us that it is about introducing Jesus to new persons.
Starting Your Own Bar+Church
If this is something a church wanted to start it can be done in any location where a community partnership already exists, even if that partnership is just one person and the bar owner. A simple scheduling conversation with the bar owner was the first step. After that it was about advertising and inviting, but because it is a seemingly unique idea the advertising proved to be easy.
After that, all that’s left is to gather together with those who were invited and direct the service, which feels less like leading and more like facilitating. There are similar programs like “Pub Theology” or “Theology on Tap.” We resonated with the Bar+Church idea because of the ability to adapt it easily for our context. More information as well as a list of locations can be found at http://barpluschurch.org/. If church can happen anywhere, that includes the local bar.
The Rev. William (B.T.) Gilligan ’11 is the pastor of Nixon United Methodist Church in Butler, Pa.