"But the paradigm of unlimited suburban and exurban growth has definitely shifted." "I'm not sure that the era of sprawl is over," says Ed McMahon, senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute. It's possible, they say, that even after the national economic crisis subsides, the Western urban urge to expand rapidly and without limitation may have ended. Many observers believe that this is only a slump, albeit a deep one, and that the old patterns of growth will someday return. The local newspaper warns of roof rats infesting abandoned neighborhoods and mosquitoes colonizing unused swimming pools. In California, Nevada and Arizona, thousands of foreclosed homes sit empty, weeds reclaim vacant lots in new subdivisions and big-box stores are shutting down. The church began the program last October, after it became clear that a profound shift had occurred in Surprise and the neighboring communities.Īfter a decade of riding high, the exurbs are in crisis. They came to take advantage of the church's economic relief program, which distributes food, gas cards, and small cash payments to help with utility bills. They weren't here for a sermon, or even for the doughnuts. Many held small children, or scolded older ones for throwing the ubiquitous red landscaping rocks. On a warm day a few months back, about 200 people - mostly female and Spanish-speaking - stood in line in front of the church. To the members of Radiant Church, it must have seemed like a miracle. Instead, growth created its own economic base. Most of that growth happened in the last decade, and it happened largely independent of any economic base, such as manufacturing, mining, farming or even high-tech industry. Since it was incorporated in 1960, Surprise - an exurb of Phoenix - has burgeoned from 500 people to over 100,000 people spread over 100 square miles. Radiant symbolizes the breakneck growth and prosperity that have come to define Surprise and its Western siblings. His uncanny ability to tap into the exurban zeitgeist made this the fastest-growing megachurch in one of the nation's fastest-growing metro areas. The pastor, Lee McFarland, wears jeans and rides a Harley. Starbucks-trained baristas serve up frothy espresso drinks, and the casually dressed congregation nibbles Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Inside this 55,000-square-foot behemoth, 50-inch plasma-screen televisions display huge images of American flags.
If it weren't for the palm trees, you could be in suburban Salt Lake City.īut only Surprise has the Radiant Church. There's little to distinguish this from the hundreds of square miles of housing developments that have sprouted around Las Vegas and San Diego. Homes with red-tiled roofs line up like stucco boxes on a giant supermarket shelf. Home Depot and Wal-Mart rise like islands from an ocean of pavement, and late-model SUVs gleam in the midday sun. It might be anywhere in the suburban West. Surprise, Ariz., doesn't look very surprising.
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