Terry

"The world is more magical, less predictable,

more autonomous, less controllable,

more varied, less simple, more infinite,

less knowable, more wonderfully troubling than we

could have imagined being able to tolerate

when we were young"

James Hollis

It is impossible to arrive at his house without getting the deepest, warmest bear hug possible. Always weighted in love, never painful, always needed, never demanded. Another dinner together last night. Another delicious Linda Fouche cuisine, another amazing bottle of Groot Constantia 2013 red, shared together, like we have done so many times before.

I met Terry Fouche (actually Terence Gordon Fouche - add in Pickavance for good measure) in 1981. At the end of my Army Officers course in Oudtshoorn South Africa, I returned to the hot and muggy Durban for some Christmas vacation. It was also with excitement that Meryl and I could connect with our friends at The Invisible Church Durban.

As usual, the warehouse was a buzz with Jesus lovers of all sorts, hanging, talking, coffeeing, worshipping and getting "stoked" by Carl's teaching. I remember walking to the coffee bar counter, my military haircut definitely making me look and feel very non Durban-ish. He walked up to me and introduced himself :"Hi my name is Terry. I have heard a lot about you". I did not know if that was a good thing.

That little encounter started what is now a 37 year friendship. The early stumbling steps being forged around what we did together. You see Terry has always been a doer, an enthusiast. He made some 800 sky jumps. He did biathlons, triathlons, marathons and ultra-marathons.

In fact, the night he came to faith, he had a gun strapped to each ankle. As he knelt to pray the "sinners prayer" he spent more time trying to pull his Levi's over the guns, than concentrating on the prayer (which is why I think he still needs redemption - ask Linda!)

Our friendship started around red wine, guitars and the endless hours as we jammed the folk songs that so fully stirred our young romantic souls. We jammed, we dreamt, we played, we ran. Terry convinced me to run marathons with him. This we did. Many marathons and one 50 miler later, we were buds for life. Well not so quick.

When we planted Glenridge church in 1983, I was appointed the leader (the notion that I was "pastor Chris" was met with endless mirth). Our dreaming, crazy thoughts, late nights and passionate community building, was intoxicating. Pretty soon our little community gained traction, grew in numbers and a bigger leadership team had to be forged. But I did not initially choose Terry. This created our first bit of true tension.

However when I did bring him onto team, our immaturity produced great friction - sometimes we were pretty loud and combative. But the friendship held, because it had been forged not in the boardroom of hiring, but on the rugged roads of marathon running. As Terry Virgo recently said to us, the thing that concerns him most is the "professionalism of the American church - shaped more by business than by biblical relationships". Would our friendship hold?

Terry and Linda were our first church plant. At a time when planting was not really known, we set our course. My motive was challenged as I nudged him to lead his own story. It was not a great moment in our togetherness. They were hurt as my tough stance was read as rejection. I asked them for grace "Someone said our first child needs to be disposable because we make most of our mistakes with them. So to with our first plant, we will make many mistakes." I am not sure they were convinced. The friendship became awkward and uncomfortable, but we wanted to do ministry with friends and journey for life.

Now dear reader, the story has many twists and turns. I made decisions at times that caused pain - sometimes good ones, sometimes bad. Yet we have loved each other. The years grew to decades. The honesty grew to transparency. The challenges that could have driven us apart actually created true "communitas"-Alan Hirsch (community forged under fire).

We have had many reasons to drift into distance worlds. Our differences that once were so glaring have become the glue that we now celebrate. Terry is unique. He overcame the pain of his father dying in a car crash when he was 5 years old. He was sent to boarding school where he had to find his own way and money - even renting out his notes before exams to the rich sluggards. He was abused in this catholic school and found family in the homes of school mates. He surfed, cycled, ran, shot, dived, read, guitared, photographed and loved. (He is very famous for walking into the home of a newer member of the church, going to the fridge and making himself a peanut butter sandwich ).

You see Terry Fouche is a huge gift to the church. His love is matchless. His pastoral discipleship knows few peers. His caring tenacity has taken him to many hell holes, hunting for an estranged "sheep". His passion for the scriptures is "legendary." His honesty is refreshing. He has planted 2 churches - one in South Africa, one in Pasadena, California. He has been abandoned but will never leave a person behind. He has been spoken ill of but you will rarely hear him retaliate. His mind is enquiring, his heart is compassionate, his soul is filled with Jesus. And he is stubborn, opinionated, will give a tight slap if needed, and has more metal in him that a porcupine has quills!

Last night as we savored our years together, telling old stories poorly and dreaming together passionately, I remembered why Terry is my friend, my confidant, my fellow Jesus sojourner. The church is richer because Terry said "yes". For that I am deeply grateful.