77-year-old still fired up
By:Michael Arges
FLORENCE After a heart bypass and 35 years spent building the Fountain of Life Church’s flock from 30 people to a congregation of thousands, 77-year-old Pastor Paul J. Graban says he’s still fired up to do more loving and serving.
On Oct. 21, church members honored Pastor Graban at pastor appreciation celebrations including personal testimonials about how his ministry has transformed lives.
"He’s 77 and re-fired – still going strong," said church member Pat Miller, who assists with publicity for the church.
Being widowed 10 years ago and the heart bypass have not really slowed him. The congregations at Sunday morning and evening services number 1,500 to 2,000 in a sanctuary that seats about 2,500.
Along with this strong numerical response, the church has enjoyed remarkable racial, economic and social diversity, Ms. Miller noted.
"He has made Fountain of Life Center a melting pot for all cultures, all races and all social and economic backgrounds," she said.
This diversity has come through church members’ intentional efforts to meet, invite and even bring newcomers to church, Pastor Graban said.
For example, the church’s bus ministry brings in 300-400 underprivileged children each Sunday. About 20 bus ministers go door-to-door each Saturday to offer parents the opportunity for religious instruction for their children.
Church members have built relationships with poorer families through practical service in their neighborhoods, Pastor Graban added.
"About a month ago we went into the projects in Trenton, and I got some nice letters in return," he said. "We cleaned the place up and worked outside to help the people there, to make it a better place than it was before."
This willingness to serve others reflects a model of servant leadership that comes from the pastor, Ms. Miller said.
"The spirit of being a servant permeates the whole atmosphere here: to lay your life down for others – and that comes from the leadership," she said.
An example of the church’s spirit of serving is the way it deals with housekeeping at the church and school buildings, Ms. Miller noted. Church members serving as volunteers do all the cleaning. In January pastors themselves and their families do the cleaning to start the year off.
In his own servant leadership, Pastor Graban is like a shepherd, leading the "sheep" in his congregation, not driving them, Ms. Miller said.
"He has a lot of love and compassion for his people," she said. "Even as a shepherd will go out and go after one sheep that lost in the flock, he has that kind of love and concern."
Pastor Graban attributes the church’s numerical growth to the congregation’s constant effort to be relevant in its ministry to the needs people today.
"We’re primarily interested in meeting the needs of contemporary society," he said. "The church should be relevant and many times it hasn’t been."
Sometimes, however, being relevant to today’s concerns means harking back to earlier values, Pastor Graban suggested. An example is the church’s K-12 school, with an enrollment of 400 that includes the religious education lacking in public elementary and secondary schools.
"We personally feel that you don’t offer a sound educational program without some religious instruction," Pastor Graban said. "If you rule out religion, where will you get your value system?"
This traditional approach is attractive to a lot of parents including some who are not themselves religious, Pastor Graban added.
"We have not advertised; we’re crowded out – but if we promoted the school, we could be three times our size," he said.
Another church-sponsored program is "Jubilee House," a home for unwed mothers and pregnant women who do not wish to abort.
The church’s next big project is a family life center, with recreational facilities for youth and senior citizens, among others.

