Young people flocked to the newly built “Red Barn” and Pebble became a “happening” place with a coffee house, rap sessions, theatrical productions and the Now Time Singers. The times also called for involvement in the Civil Rights movement, and our anti-war protests broadened to include anti-discrimination strategies, like paring with a black church and inviting Arthur Hall’s African American Dance Ensemble into the white suburbs for the first time. This burst of creative energy led also to ordination of a Pebble member as the first woman in the Reform clergy.

The spiritual realm presented another opportunity for originality, and Gordon said, “Jesus was concerned with persons who were not free to be themselves. Christ’s church has a responsibility to emphasize openness and freedom among persons, encouraging them to be who they are and explore their personal identity. He said the emphasis was on knowing God through knowing people. This he called “horizontal religion.” Such a person-centered spirituality made for great community building, and that egalitarian spirit, by which all who come in peace are welcomed, included, and celebrated as fully worthy children of God, continues to be a centerpiece of our community.

Pebble has remained throughout its years, with one enormous change: When, after a decade, Gordon moved on, Pebble’s energy had outgrown the restraints of any denomination, so we cut our ties to the Reform Church. In 1983, Rev. Gary Culp, another one-of-a-kind minister, came to Pebble and immediately adapted to the congregation’s loving, free-to-be personality. Although the Vietnam War had ended, the Cold War with its nuclear standoff still loomed, so we remained very peace-conscious. Gary immediately got Pebble registered as one of the few official peace sites in the country. We annually give our Peace Award to a deserving activist promoting non-violence or selfless service to humanity in the Delaware Valley.

An ordained Methodist minister who was artistic in almost every way, Gary continued our theatrical tradition with shows and exciting Sunday morning celebrations. He also introduced us to a new epoch in which we began to learn about great “channeled” literature and New Age thought. These ideas caught on and carried us forward, always welcoming new insights and new prophecy, such as A Course in Miracles, the Teachings of Abraham, the Seth Material, Many Lives and Many Mansions and a multitude of others.

Gary retired in 2000, but he led the effort to create one last, outstanding achievement for the community: The School of Sacred Ministries. It offers a curriculum leading to Interfaith ordination while combining the Pebble values of respect for all religions with independent thinking, free inquiry, loving community and ecumenical cooperation.

It was the creation of the School of Sacred Ministries that resulted in the third step in Pebble’s sacred journey from denominational Christian to non-denominational Christian to Interfaith, which is how we describe ourselves today. It has led to a mission based on Peace, Love, Tolerance and Inclusion–not just one, but all the world’s religions, religious writers and poets have become our connection to the sacred All That Is.